The Buddhist council held during the reign of Ashoka was the Third Buddhist Council. This council was held at Pataliputra, the capital of the Mauryan Empire, under the patronage of King Ashoka. The council was convened in order to resolve certain disputes within the Buddhist community regarding monastic discipline and the teachings of the Buddha. It was presided over by the Elder Moggaliputta-Tissa and attended by over 1,000 monks. The council is known for its role in the formalization of the Theravada Buddhist tradition, which continues to be the predominant Buddhist tradition in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia to this day.