Why did Asoka build stone pillars across his empire?
A. to add decoration to the provinces
B. to commemorate fallen soldiers from the battle of Kalinga
C. to remind his subjects that he was in charge
D. to encourage his subjects to live moral lives
In both Buddhism and Hinduism, the pillar symbolized the axis mundi (the axis on which the world spins). The pillars and edicts represent the first physical evidence of the Buddhist faith. The inscriptions assert Ashoka's Buddhism and support his desire to spread the dharma throughout his kingdom.
