Lion was one of the motifs used in Ashokan pillars. Lion is a solar symbol and it also represents the Buddha, as he is referred to as Sakyasimha which also means a lion among the Sakyas.
The term ‘Aryan’ means ‘noble’. It was used as a self designation by Indo-Iranian people. It was used in vedic period i India as an ethnic label for themselves as well as to refer noble class.