In the mid-200s BCE, a man named Asoka helped Buddhism spread throughout India. He ruled India as the Mauryan emperor. In the mid-200s BCE, he conquered much of the east coast of India. In the coast of India he learned about Buddhism and soon converted to it. Asoka encouraged others to convert as well. He stopped his violent conquests and tried to relieve his people's suffering. Asoka was tolerant of all religions, but he devoted himself to Buddhism. He built monasteries. He also supported the work of Buddhist missionaries. They carried Buddhism south to Ceylon and north to Kashmir. Later, missionaries traveled with traders to more distant parts of Asia, such as China, Korea, and Japan.
Thanks to trading contact with southeast Asia, Hinduism