Editing Ashoka (section)

== Ancestry ==
Ashoka's own inscriptions are fairly detailed but make no mention of his ancestors.{{sfn|Lahiri|2015|p=26}} Other sources, such as the [[Puranas]] and the ''[[Mahavamsa]]'' state that his father was the Mauryan emperor [[Bindusara]], and his grandfather was [[Chandragupta Maurya|Chandragupta]] – the founder of the Empire.{{sfn|Thapar|1961|p=13}} The ''Ashokavadana'' also names his father as [[Bindusara]], but traces his ancestry to Buddha's contemporary king [[Bimbisara]], through [[Ajatashatru]], [[Udayin]], Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, [[Prasenajit]], and [[Nanda Empire|Nanda]].{{sfn|Strong|1989|p=204}} The 16th century Tibetan monk [[Taranatha]], whose account is a distorted version of the earlier traditions,{{sfn|Thapar|1961|p=9}} describes Ashoka as son of king Nemita of Champarana from the daughter of a merchant.{{sfn|Thapar|1961|pp=25–26}}

''Ashokavadana'' states that [[Mother of Ashoka|Ashoka's mother]] was the daughter of a Brahmin from [[Champapuri|Champa]], and was prophesied to marry a king. Accordingly, her father took her to Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's chief empress.{{sfn|Strong|1989|pp=204–205}} The ''Ashokavadana'' does not mention her by name,{{sfn|Lahiri|2015|p=323|ps=:"In the Ashokavadana, Ashoka's mother is not named."}} although other legends provide different names for her.{{sfn|Lahiri|2015|p=31}} For example, the ''Asokavadanamala'' calls her Subhadrangi.{{sfn|Guruge|1993|p=19}}{{sfn|Mookerji|1995|p=2}} The ''Vamsatthapakasini'' or ''Mahavamsa-tika'', a commentary on ''Mahavamsa'', calls her "Dharma" ("Dhamma" in [[Pali language|Pali]]), and states that she belonged to the Moriya [[Kshatriya]] clan.{{sfn|Mookerji|1995|p=2}} A ''[[Divyavadana]]'' legend calls her Janapada-kalyani;{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=332}} according to scholar [[Ananda W. P. Guruge]], this is not a name, but an epithet.{{sfn|Guruge|1993|p=19}}

According to the 2nd-century historian [[Appian]], Chandragupta entered into a marital alliance with the Greek ruler [[Seleucus I Nicator]], which has led to speculation that either Chandragupta or his son Bindusara married a Greek princess. However, there is no evidence that Ashoka's mother or grandmother was Greek, and most historians have dismissed the idea.{{sfn|Thapar|1961|p=20}}