What Religion Influenced Ashoka's Behavior?

Before he adopted Buddhism, Ashoka's reign had been known to be a blood thirsty and evil tyrant and was called Chandashok. However, after the conquest of Kalinga, when he saw the death and destruction he had caused he was shook by his own tenacity and was deeply moved. He then became a follower of Buddha's teachings and was the first emperor in the world to adopt Buddhism as a polity and spread Buddhism during his reign. After he converted he had become a humanitarian and came to be known as Dhammashoka by the people of his empire. He not just promoted non-violence, ahimsa towards other humans but also encouraged kindness towards animals.