RAS question
Which Ashokan edict deals with religious tolerance and respect for all sects?
Correct answer: (D) Rock Edict XII.
Rock Edict XII of Ashoka deals with religious tolerance by asking people to honour other religions, restrain praise of their own religion, and respect doctrines professed by others.
Explanation
Rock Edict XII is the edict linked to this theme because it turns tolerance into a rule of conduct, not a vague sentiment. Ashoka urges restraint in praising one's own sect and criticising others, and promotes the growth of the essentials of all religions. World History Encyclopedia labels Edict XII as a decree on religious tolerance and mutual respect among adherents of different faiths. The method is restraint in speech, avoiding needless condemnation of another religion, honouring other religions, and listening to and respecting the doctrines professed by others. That is why the answer is Rock Edict XII: its core point is that one's own religion benefits when other religions are treated with respect.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Rock Edict I is wrong because the religious-tolerance rule belongs to Edict XII, where Ashoka links restraint in speech with respect for other religions.
- (B) Pillar Edict IV is wrong because the question asks for the edict on tolerance among sects, and that principle belongs to Edict XII's appeal to honour other religions and avoid condemning them.
- (C) Rock Edict VI is wrong because the idea of avoiding self-praise and criticism of other religions belongs to Edict XII, not Edict VI.
Concept
This tests Ashoka's dhamma and the Major Rock Edicts: candidates must match a named edict with its specific moral message. It recurs in RAS Ancient History because Ashokan inscriptions are a compact way to test Mauryan polity, ethics, and administrative communication.