RAS question
Ashoka embraced Buddhism after witnessing the horrors of which war?
Correct answer: (A) Kalinga War.
Ashoka embraced Buddhism after the Kalinga War of 261 BCE, whose suffering pushed him towards Dhamma and the values of peace and non-violence.
Explanation
The Kalinga War was the decisive turning point in Ashoka's life. The war's massive bloodshed and suffering led him to turn towards Buddhism and adopt the policy of Dhamma. NCERT, India: Unity in Cultural Diversity gives the same sequence: the conquest of Kalinga in 261 BCE brought Kalinga into the broader picture of Indian history, and after this conquest Ashoka adopted Buddhism while upholding peace and non-violence. Kalinga was not just another Mauryan campaign; it was the war directly tied to Ashoka's moral and religious change.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Ashoka's adoption of Buddhism is linked specifically to the conquest of Kalinga in 261 BCE, not to the Battle of Hydaspes.
- (C) The Battle of Takshashila did not produce Ashoka's turn towards Buddhism; Kalinga was the war whose suffering changed Ashoka's course.
- (D) The war against Seleucus was not the turning point for Ashoka's embrace of Buddhism; the Kalinga conquest was.
Concept
Mauryan history links the Kalinga War with Ashoka's adoption of Buddhism and Dhamma. The Kalinga War recurs in RAS because it is a core turning point in ancient Indian history.