Contacts established with the Hellenistic world during…

Contacts established with the Hellenistic world during the reign of Ashoka's predecessors serve him well.

He sends diplomatic-cum-religious missions to the rulers of Syria, Macedon, and Epirus, who learn about India's religious traditions, especially Buddhism.

India's northwest retains many Persian cultural elements, which might explain Ashoka's rock inscriptions—such inscriptions are commonly associated with Persian rulers.

Ashoka's Greek and Aramaic inscriptions found in Kandahar in Afghanistan may also reveal his desire to maintain ties with people outside of India.