"If Ashoka never converted"! Frankly Ashokas choice was made far before his time when Chandragupta converted to Jainism and set the president of being a pacifist, Ashoka was perhaps a prisoner of trends and only a copy cat and tried to walk his grandfathers foot steps. He had no choice really, perhaps Chandragupta was so venerated it became a social trend for him to change his philosophy to pacifism to be seen as equal to his Great grandfathers selfless demeanor. Most of what Ashoka did was to ape his grandfather.
We make no choices and there are no choices, This is like asking why did i end up in Chennai and do business when everyone else is working and end up an Atheist just like my grand dad? well frankly i had no choice my grandfather started it.lol. We have no say, we control nothing. Everything you do is a reaction, there is no action, pure action or spontaneous action, whether you choose to read this and respond or not respond it will still be a reaction to this. There is no way out of it, you make no choice. Even if you are dumb and just wondering what is he saying, it is a reaction to what i just said.
Frankly i am interested in what about "if you where born a White british dude" would you have better self-esteem or be happier with the British empire history or still be a miserable troll on the net typeing your opinion in the middle of the night in depressingly cold british winter? lol
Frankly i suggest "what if you lost couple of pounds, had a plastic surgery and bleached your ugly indian skin and get over yourself. Would long dead Ashoka of 300BC matter then? or is that for another topic.