Which of the following events changed the heart of Emperor Ashoka to choose the path of spirituality and peace?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The Kalinga War
Ashoka, the Mauryan emperor, fought the Kalinga War (in present-day Odisha) around 261 BCE, in the eighth year of his reign. His own Rock Edict XIII records the result: about 1,50,000 people were carried away, 1,00,000 were killed and many more died afterwards.
The suffering filled him with remorse. He gave up conquest by war, turned to Buddhism and spread the message of dhamma — non-violence, tolerance and care for all living beings — through his edicts and officials.