After the war with Kalinga, Ashoka found himself busy with the mission of eradicating sorrow from his land. He called himself Devanam priya priyadarsin, or the beloved of the gods, the one dear to be-hold. His policy of Dharma was carved onto rock pillars and the rest of his life was devoted to charity. He had trees planted, wells dug, and hospitals built for humans and animals. He also made sure that parents were honoured and received respectful treatment from their children.
He made sure that animals were not killed unnecessarily and banned the killing of animals for meat. He also made a long list of animals, birds and fish which were never to be killed; the list included animals with young ones, squirrels, monkeys, boneless fish, and the queen ant. Ashoka appointed officials, known as Dhamma Mahamattas, to see that all this was done.
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