RAS question
The Ashvamedha Yajna in the Vedic period was performed to:
Correct answer: (C) Assert sovereignty and expand territory.
The Ashvamedha Yajna in the Vedic period was performed by kings to assert sovereignty and expand authority over rival territories.
Explanation
Ashvamedha was a royal sacrifice, not a devotional or agrarian ritual. A horse was allowed to roam freely for a year, and any ruler whose territory it entered had either to submit or fight. Successful completion therefore demonstrated the king's superior authority. eGyanKosh states that Asvamedha was performed by a ruler claiming the status of a universal monarch. It links the idea to subordination of rivals, extension of authority over their territories, and expansion of empire. So the ritual mattered because it publicly converted a king's claim of supremacy into a recognised display of political power.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Moksha is a spiritual goal, while Ashvamedha in this context is a kingly assertion of sovereignty and superior political authority.
- (B) The ritual involved a horse, but its purpose was tied to royal power, not to worship of horse gods.
- (D) A good harvest is an agricultural aim, whereas Ashvamedha is tied here to subordination of rivals and expansion of authority over territories.
Concept
This tests the political meaning of Vedic rituals, especially how ritual authority and kingship overlapped. It recurs in RAS because ancient Indian polity often asks candidates to connect terms like Ashvamedha with sovereignty, territorial expansion, and royal legitimacy.