(2) The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka as well as boulders and cave walls made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire during his reign from 269 BCE to 232 BCE. These inscriptions were dispersed throughout the areas of modern-day Bangladesh,India, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan and represent the first tangible evidence of Buddhism. The Edicts are divided into: Pillar Edicts Major Rock Edicts: 14 Edicts (termed 1st to 14th)and 2 separate ones found in Odisha Major Rock Inscriptions: Minor Rock Edicts, the Queen’s Edict, Barabar Caves inscriptions and the Kandahar bilingual inscription.