Historical Rulers and Political Figures
- Anawrahta (1014–1077), founder of Pagan Empire, credited with introducing Theravada Buddhism in Pagan Kingdom and restarting Theravada Buddhism in Ceylon
- Ashoka the Great (304–232 BC), Mauryan Emperor of ancient India, and the first Buddhist ruler to send Buddhist missionaries outside of India throughout the Old World (阿育王)
- Brhadrata, the last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty
- Harshavardhana (606–648), Indian emperor who converted to Buddhism.
- Jayavarman VII (1181–1219), king of Cambodia
- Kanishka, ruler of the Kushan Empire
- Kublai Khan Mongol emperor
- Menander (Pali: Milinda), 2nd century BCE, an Indo-Greek king of northwestern India, who questioned Nāgasena about Buddhism in the Milinda Pañha, and is said to have become an arhat.
- Mindon (1808–1878), king of Myanmar and facilitator of "Fifth World Theravada Buddhist Council" or Fifth Sangayana
- Emperor Ming of Han China.
- Mongkut, king of Thailand and founder of the Thammayut Nikaya
- Shōtoku (574–622), crown prince and regent of Japan
- Theodorus (1st century BCE), Indo-Greek governor, author of a Buddhist dedication.
- Tony Jaa Martial Artist, became a buddhist monk May 28th, 2010.
- Empress Wu of Zhou China (625–705), the only female empress regnant in Chinese history
- Emperor Wu of Liang China (梁武帝) (502–549), Emperor during the Chinese Liang Dynasty
- King Devanampiya Tissa (307 BC – 267 BC) of Sri Lanka
Read more about this topic: List Of Buddhists
Famous quotes containing the words historical, rulers, political and/or figures:
“Historical! Must it be historical to catch your attention? Even though historicity, like notoriety, denotes nothing more than that something has occurred.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
“The rulers of the state are the only persons who ought to have the privilege of lying, either at home or abroad; they may be allowed to lie for the good of the state.”
—Plato (c. 427–347 B.C.)
“Man is naturally a political animal.”
—Aristotle (384–322 B.C.)
“The human heart concerns us more than the poring into microscopes, and is larger than can be measured by the pompous figures of the astronomer.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)