RAS question
The Kalinga Rock Edicts (Separate Edicts I & II) of Ashoka are found at which two locations?
Correct answer: (C) Dhauli and Jaugada.
The Separate Kalinga Edicts I and II of Ashoka are found at Dhauli and Jaugada in Odisha.
Explanation
Ashoka's Kalinga edicts belong to the post-conquest administration of Kalinga, not to the general spread of his inscriptions. The two Separate Kalinga Edicts are at Dhauli and Jaugada in Odisha, where they replace Rock Edicts XI, XII and XIII of the standard Major Rock Edict series and address Kalinga after conquest. NCERT, India: Unity in Cultural Diversity supports this localisation: its Odisha section says the region was known as Kalinga and came into Indian history through Ashoka's conquest of Kalinga in 261 BCE, after which he upheld peace and non-violence; it also records Ashoka's rock edicts at Dhauli and Jaugada. Option C is the only pair that matches both the places and the Kalinga context.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maski and Brahmagiri are associated with Minor Rock Edicts, not with the two Odisha sites of the Separate Kalinga Edicts.
- (B) Sanchi and Sarnath are associated with Pillar Edicts, not with the Kalinga Rock Edicts linked with Dhauli and Jaugada.
- (D) Girnar and Shahbazgarhi belong to the 14 Major Rock Edicts, whereas the Separate Kalinga Edicts replace Rock Edicts XI, XII and XIII in the Kalinga context.
Concept
Mauryan epigraphy requires matching Ashokan edict categories with their find-spots. Location-based inscription problems in RAS connect the Kalinga conquest with Ashoka's message and administration.