According to Ashokan edicts, how many years after becoming the king did Ashoka wage war on Kalinga?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CGL 2020 Tier-I Official Paper 16 (Held On : 23 Aug 2021 Shift 1)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Eight.

Key Points

Ashoka edicts
- In Ashoka edicts, the emperor (Ashoka) refers to himself as Devnampiya Piyadasi which means beloved of Gods.
- Ashoka was the first king to make a direct connection to the people via his inscriptions.
- Ashoka edicts are the 33 inscriptions engraved on the rocks and pillars by the Mauryan Empire.
- They were the proclamation by the emperor to the public at large which carried the message about the idea and practice of dharma.
- Ashoka inscriptions were scattered throughout Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
- There are four types of Ashoka edicts:
  1. Major rock edicts
  2. Minor rock edicts
  3. Major pillar edicts
  4. Minor pillar edicts
Kalinga War
- The major rock edict XIII describes the victory of Ashoka in the Kalinga war.
- It explains the conquest through dhamma instead of war.
- Ashoka fought the Kalinga war, which was completed in the 8th year of Ashoka’s reign in 261 BC.