History · From State to Empire
UGC NET December 2013 History
Passage
Asoka (c. 273-236 BC), the grandson of Chandragupta, styled the beloved of the gods and of lovable appearance, succeeded to the throne of Pataliputra by winning a fratricidal war. Nine years after his accession he rounded off the empire he had inherited from his grandfather by annexing Kalinga. The Kalinga war brought to the emperor a violent reaction, no doubt under the influence of the Buddha's teachings. He regretted the vast numbers of men killed or taken prisoner, and bemoaned the lot of pious men and women to whom befell personal violence, death or banishment from loved ones, and he eschewed war for ever as an instrument of governance. He embarked on a career of Dharma Vijaya, conquest through Dharma. He set up a network of missions to preach Dharma, declared that all men were his children, and constituted himself the guardian of the moral and material welfare of the world.
Which is that source which gives a lie to the tradition of a fratricidal war of Asoka?
AAsokavadana
BDipavamsa
CAsokan Rock Edict IV ✓ Correct
DAsokan Pillar Edict VII
Correct answer: (C) Asokan Rock Edict IV — Following the book key, the answer is the Asokan Rock Edict IV.
Explanation
★Following the book key, the answer is the Asokan Rock Edict IV.
★The later tradition says that Asoka killed his brothers to seize the throne.
★But Asoka's own edicts speak with care of the welfare of his kinsmen.
★The edict cited here is held to contradict the story of a bloody fratricidal war.
★The legends like the Asokavadana, by contrast, repeat the harsh tradition.
★So the king's own words are treated as the more reliable source.
Want more like this? Create a free account to practise a full test, track your progress, and get spaced-repetition review.
Shared by Mcqkart · via Mcqkart.in