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		<id>https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Dasharatha_Maurya&amp;diff=444990</id>
		<title>Dasharatha Maurya</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Dasharatha_Maurya&amp;diff=444990"/>
		<updated>2026-03-16T05:02:41Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;104.22.48.134: &lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;div&gt;{{Short description|Mauryan Emperor}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{about|Mauryan king|character from Hindu Epic Ramayana|Dasharatha}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox royalty&lt;br /&gt;
|succession = 4th [[List of Mauryan rulers|Mauryan emperor]] &lt;br /&gt;
|image =Dasaratha Maurya Empire.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
|caption = Emperor Dasaratha Maurya Empire&lt;br /&gt;
|reign = {{circa|232|224 BCE}}&lt;br /&gt;
|coronation = &lt;br /&gt;
|full name = Dasharatha Maurya&lt;br /&gt;
|religion = [[Ajivika]]&lt;br /&gt;
|predecessor = [[Ashoka]]&lt;br /&gt;
|successor = [[Samprati]]&lt;br /&gt;
|spouse =&lt;br /&gt;
|issue=&lt;br /&gt;
|dynasty = [[Maurya Empire|Maurya]]&lt;br /&gt;
|father = &lt;br /&gt;
|mother =&lt;br /&gt;
|birth_date = 252 BCE&lt;br /&gt;
|birth_place = &lt;br /&gt;
|death_date = 224 BCE&lt;br /&gt;
|death_place = &lt;br /&gt;
|date of burial = &lt;br /&gt;
|place of burial =&lt;br /&gt;
|title=Devanampiya}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Maurya}}&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Dasharatha&#039;&#039;&#039; ({{IAST3|Daśaratha}}) was a [[Mauryan Empire|Mauryan]] emperor from 232 to 224 BCE. He was a grandson of [[Ashoka]] and is commonly held to have succeeded him as the imperial ruler of [[Greater India|India]]. Dasharatha  presided over a declining imperium and several territories of the empire broke away from central rule during his reign. He had continued the religious and social policies of Ashoka. Dasharatha was the last ruler of the [[Mauryan dynasty]] to have issued imperial inscriptions—thus the last Mauryan Emperor to be known from epigraphical sources.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dasharatha died in 224 BCE and was succeeded by his brother [[Samprati]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Background==&lt;br /&gt;
Dasharatha was a grandson of the Mauryan ruler [[Ashoka]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;ML&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Asha Vishnu; &#039;&#039;Material Life of Northern India: Based on an Archaeological Study, 3rd Century B.C. to 1st Century B.C. Mittal Publications&#039;&#039;. 1993. {{ISBN|978-8170994107}}. pg 3.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He is commonly held to have succeeded his grandfather as imperial ruler in [[Greater India|India]] although some sources including the [[Vayu Purana]] have given different names and numbers of Mauryan Emperors after Ashoka.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;ML&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; Of the grandsons of Ashoka, the two most frequently mentioned are [[Samprati]] and Dasharatha.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Sailendra Nath Sen; &#039;&#039;Ancient Indian History And Civilization&#039;&#039;. New Age International. 1999. {{ISBN|978-8122411980}}. pg 152-154.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The latter is described in the [[Vishnu Purana]] as the son and imperial successor of Suyashas (a son of Ashoka).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; It has been suggested that Suyashas was an alternative name of Ashoka&#039;s son and presumptive heir [[Kunala]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Administration==&lt;br /&gt;
Historians [[Vincent Arthur Smith|Vincent Smith]] and [[Romila Thapar]] advanced the popular theory of a division of the Mauryan Empire amongst Kunala and Dasharatha after the death of Ashoka.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;SII&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Buddha Prakash; &#039;&#039;Studies in Indian history and civilization&#039;&#039;. Shiva Lal Agarwala. 1962. pg 148-154.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In some of the sources the division is recorded as having been between Samprati and Dasharatha, the latter holding the eastern parts with the capital at [[Pataliputra]] and the former the western imperium with the capital at [[Ujjain]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HO&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rama Shankar Tripathi; &#039;&#039;History Of Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass  Publishers&#039;&#039;. 1942. pg 179.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; However, Smith also wrote that &amp;quot;there is no clear evidence to support [the] hypothesis.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;TE&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Vincent A. Smith; &#039;&#039;The Early History of India&#039;&#039;. Atlantic Publishers &amp;amp; Dist. 1999. {{ISBN|978-8171566181}}. pg 193-207.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Vayu and [[Brahmanda Purana|Brahmanda]] Puranas mention three Mauryan rulers—Bandhupalita, Indrapalita and Dasona—whose identification is rather difficult.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; It has been suggested that they may have been members of a branch line of the Maurya dynasty whom Dasharatha had appointed as regional governors for the convenience of administration.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The political unity of the Mauryan Empire did not long survive Ashoka&#039;s death.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; One of Dasharatha&#039;s uncles, Jalauka, set up an independent kingdom in [[Kashmir]]. According to [[Taranatha]], another Mauryan prince, Virasena declared himself king in [[Gandhara]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; [[Vidarbha]] also seceded. Evidence from [[Greece|Greek]] sources confirm the loss of the north-western provinces which was then ruled by the Mauryan ruler [[Sophagasenus]] (Subhagasena, probably a successor of Virasena).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; There is also much modern speculation about a possible east–west division of the empire involving Dasharatha and another Mauryan ruler.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;SII&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; Epigraphic evidence indicates that Dasharatha retained imperial power in [[Magadha]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;THO&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Kenneth Pletcher; &#039;&#039;The History of India&#039;&#039;. The Rosen Publishing Group. 2010. {{ISBN|978-1615302017}}. pg 70.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He was a weak monarch and not much of an able military leader.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Various dynasties of the [[South India|south]] including the [[Satavahana dynasty|Satavahana]] had been feudatories of the Mauryan Empire. These kingdoms are mentioned in Ashoka&#039;s edicts (256 BCE) and were considered part of the outer circle of the imperium—subject to the rule of the Mauryan Emperor, although doubtless enjoying a considerable degree of autonomy under their local rulers.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;TE&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; The death of Ashoka began the decline of imperial power in the south. Dasharatha was able to maintain some command of the home provinces, but the distant governments, including areas in the south, broke away from imperial rule and reasserted their independence.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;TE&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; The [[Mahameghavahana dynasty]] of [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] in central-eastern India also broke away from imperial rule after the death of Ashoka.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;TE&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to a [[Jain]] text, the provinces of [[Surashtra]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Andhra Pradesh|Andhra]], and the [[Mysore]] region broke away from the empire shortly after Ashoka&#039;s death, but were reconquered by Dasharatha&#039;s successor, [[Samprati]] (who supposedly deployed soldiers disguised as Jain monks).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Chandra1977&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite book|author=Moti Chandra|title=Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rDL4kA7SWkEC&amp;amp;pg=PA75|year=1977|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-81-7017-055-6|pages=75–}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Religion==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Barabar Caves - Cave Entrance with Dorjee (9227649922).jpg|left|thumb|Entrance corridor of the [[Barabar Caves|Gopika Cave]], with polished [[granite]] walls, built and dedicated by Dasharatha Maurya.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Ashoka had displayed divine support in his [[Ashoka inscriptions|inscriptions]]; although a [[Buddhist]] ruler, he was  called [[Devanampiya (title)|Devanampiya]], which means &amp;quot;Beloved of the Gods&amp;quot; in [[Pali]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;PI&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Ram Sharan Sharma; &#039;&#039;Perspectives in social and economic history of early India&#039;&#039;. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. 1995. {{ISBN|978-8121506724}}. pg 107.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The title of Devanampiya and religious adherence of the Mauryan ruler to Buddhism was continued by Dasharatha.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;PI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;SI&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Lal Mani Joshi; &#039;&#039;Studies in the Buddhistic Culture of India During the 7th and 8th Centuries A.D.&#039;&#039; Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. 1977. {{ISBN|978-8120802810}}. pg 362.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dasharatha is known to have dedicated three caves in the [[Barabar Caves|Nagarjuni Hills]] to the [[Ajivikas]]. Three inscriptions at the caves refer to him as &amp;quot;&#039;&#039;Devanampiya&#039;&#039;&amp;quot; and state that the caves were dedicated by him shortly after his accession.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Romila Thapar; &#039;&#039;{{IAST|Aśoka}} and the Decline of the Maurya&#039;&#039;. Oxford University Press. 2001. {{ISBN|0-19-564445-X}}. pg 186.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Nagarjuni caves inscriptions by Dasaratha Maurya===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File: Dasaratha Maurya inscription on entrance of Vadathika cave.jpg|thumb|Dedicatory inscription of Dasaratha Maurya above the entrance of the Vadathika cave.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Dasaratha Maurya]], Ashoka&#039;s grandson and regnal successor, wrote dedicatory inscriptions in the three forming the Nagarjuni group (Gopika, Vadathi and Vapiya caves) of the [[Barabar Caves]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HP&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Buddhist Architecture par Huu Phuoc Le [https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&amp;amp;pg=PA102 p.102]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It is generally considered that their construction dates from his reign.&amp;lt;ref name = &amp;quot;HP&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three caves were offered to the [[Ajivikas]] upon the accession to the throne of Dasaratha, confirming that these were still active around 230 BCE, and that [[Buddhism]] was not the exclusive religion of the Mauryas at that time.&amp;lt;ref name = &amp;quot;HP&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three caves are also characterized by an extremely advanced finish of the granite walls inside, which again confirms that the technique of &amp;quot;Mauryan polish&amp;quot; did not die out with the reign of Ashoka.&amp;lt;ref name = &amp;quot;HP&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clr}}&lt;br /&gt;
{| class = &amp;quot;wikitable center&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|+ Inscriptions of Dasaratha (grandson of Ashoka)&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! scope = &amp;quot;col&amp;quot; align = center | English translation !! [[Prakrit]] in [[Brahmi]] script&amp;lt;br&amp;gt; &amp;lt;small&amp;gt; (original text of the Nagarjuni Caves) &amp;lt;/small&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| align = left |&lt;br /&gt;
{{Block quote | Inscription of [[Barabar Caves|Gopika cave]]: &amp;lt;br&amp;gt; &#039;&#039; &amp;quot;The cave of Gopika, a refuge that will last as long as the sun and the moon, was dug by Devanampiya (beloved of the gods) Dasaratha at from his elevation to the throne, to make it a hermitage for the most pious Ajivikas &amp;quot;&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name = &amp;quot;HP&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; [[File: Dasaratha_Maurya_inscription_on_entrance_of_Gopika_cave.jpg | 30px]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Inscription of [[Barabar Caves|Vapiyaka Cave]]: &amp;lt;br&amp;gt; &#039;&#039; &amp;quot;Vadathi Cave, a refuge that will last as long as the sun and the moon, was dug by Devanampiya (beloved of the gods) Dasaratha during his elevation to the throne, to make it a hermitage for the most pious Ajivikas &amp;quot;&#039;&#039;.&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot; HP &amp;quot;/&amp;gt; [[File:Vapiyaka inscription of emperor Dasaratha Maurya.jpg|30px]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Inscription of [[Barabar Caves|Vadathika Cave]]: &amp;lt;br&amp;gt; &#039;&#039; &amp;quot;Vadathi Cave, a refuge that will last as long as the sun and the moon, was dug by Devanampiya (beloved of the gods) Dasaratha during his elevation to the throne, to make it a hermitage for the most pious Ajivikas &amp;quot;&#039;&#039;.&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot; HP &amp;quot;/&amp;gt; [[File:Dasaratha Maurya inscription on entrance of Vadathika cave.jpg|30px]]&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
| align = center width = &amp;quot;30%&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dasaratha Maurya Nagarjuni caves inscriptions in Barabar.jpg|200px]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Succession==&lt;br /&gt;
Samprati, who succeeded Dasharatha, was according to the [[Hindu]] [[Puranas]],&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; the latter&#039;s son and according to the Buddhist and [[Jain]] sources,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; Kunala&#039;s son (making him possibly a brother of Dasharatha). The familial relationship between the two is thus not clear although evidently they were closely related members of the imperial family.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AI&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Notes ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist|30em}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-start}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-hou|[[Maurya Dynasty]]||||}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-bef|before=[[Ashoka]]}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-ttl|title=[[Maurya Dynasty|Maurya Emperor]]|years=232–224 BCE}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-aft|after=[[Samprati]]}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-end}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Mauryan emperors]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:3rd-century BC Indian monarchs]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:224 BC deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Indian Buddhists]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Indian Buddhist monarchs]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>104.22.48.134</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Kalinga_War&amp;diff=444928</id>
		<title>Kalinga War</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Kalinga_War&amp;diff=444928"/>
		<updated>2026-03-14T04:07:10Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;104.22.48.134: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Short description|Conflict in ancient India}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox military conflict&lt;br /&gt;
| conflict          = Kalinga War &lt;br /&gt;
| partof            = Conquests of [[Mauryan Empire]]&lt;br /&gt;
| image             = File:Chandragupta Maurya Empire.png&lt;br /&gt;
| caption           = [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] (adjacent to the [[Bay of Bengal]]) and the [[Maurya Empire]] (blue) before the attack of [[Ashoka The Great]]&lt;br /&gt;
| date =        {{circa|261 BCE}}, in the 8th year of [[Ashoka]]&#039;s coronation of 268 BCE&amp;lt;ref name=BA30/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
| place             = [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]]&lt;br /&gt;
| territory         = [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]] annexed by [[Mauryan Empire]]&lt;br /&gt;
| result            = Mauryan victory&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/AtlasOfAncientWorldsDKPublishing2009 |title=Atlas Of Ancient Worlds |date=2009 |publisher=[[DK Publishing]], 375 Hudson Street, New York |isbn=978-0-7566-4512-0 |pages=55 |language=English |quote=The third Mauyran king was Ashoka the Great (ruled 268-232 BCE). In about 265 BCE, Ashoka conquered the kingdom of Kalinga.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
| combatant1        = [[Mauryan Empire]]&lt;br /&gt;
| combatant2        = [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]]&lt;br /&gt;
| commander1        = [[Ashoka]]&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last=Stephen |first=Becky |url=http://archive.org/details/india0000step |title=India |date=2010 |publisher=North Babylon Public Library|others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-85733-525-5 |pages=20 |quote=Ashoka the Great, born in 304 BCE, was emperor of all of the Indian subcontinent or nearly all. His decision to extend his rule to the unconquered kingdom of Kalinga on the Bay of Bengal brought about a conversion of the man and his empire.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
| commander2        = Unknown&lt;br /&gt;
| strength1         = Unknown&lt;br /&gt;
| strength2         = Unknown&lt;br /&gt;
| casualties1       = Unknown&lt;br /&gt;
| casualties2       = 100,000 Kalinga soldiers died, 150,000 deported (figures by Ashoka)&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[[Ashoka]] ({{reign|268|231}} BCE), &#039;&#039;[[Edicts of Ashoka]]&#039;&#039;, [[Ashoka&#039;s Major Rock Edict|Major Rock Edict]] 13.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[[Radhakumud Mookerji]] (1988). &#039;&#039;Chandragupta Maurya and His Times&#039;&#039;. [[Motilal Banarsidass]] Publ. {{ISBN|81-208-0405-8}}.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
| casualties3       = 250,000 killed &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite book | last1=Raychaudhuri | first1=Hemchandra | title=Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty | date=2006 | publisher=Cosmo Publications | isbn=978-81-307-0291-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h1KObc_qaXYC&amp;amp;pg=PA252 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The &#039;&#039;&#039;Kalinga War&#039;&#039;&#039; (ended {{circa|261 BCE}})&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot; BA30&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Le Huu Phuoc, Buddhist Architecture, Grafikol 2009, p.30&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; was fought in ancient India between the [[Mauryan Empire]] under [[Ashoka the Great]] and [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]], an independent feudal kingdom located on the east coast, in the present-day state of [[Odisha]] and northern parts of [[Andhra Pradesh]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last=Ringmar |first=Erik |url=http://archive.org/details/oapen-20.500.12657-24805 |page=53|title=History of International Relations - A Non-European Perspective |date=2019 |language=English |quote=Above all, the spectacular bloodshed which took place at the battle of Kalinga in 260 BCE, in which, reputedly, no fewer than a quarter of a million soldiers died, made him change his ways. Remorseful and disgusted with his previous way of life,..Ashoka the Great, 268-232 BCE, renounced violence, converted to Buddhism, and started a number of projects to improve the lot of the poor, the aged and the widowed.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It is presumed that the battle was fought on Dhauli hills in [[Dhauli]] which is situated on the banks of [[Daya River]]. The Kalinga War was one of the largest and deadliest battles in Indian history.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;WorldAtlas 2016&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web | title=Greatest Battles In The History Of India | website=WorldAtlas | date=2016-09-19 | url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/greatest-battles-in-the-history-of-india.html | access-date=2019-06-28}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This is the only major war Ashoka fought after his accession to the throne, and marked the close of the empire-building and military conquests of ancient India that began with the Mauryan Emperor [[Chandragupta Maurya]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot; Raychaudhuri 2006 p. 268&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite book | last=Raychaudhuri | first=H. | title=Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty | publisher=Cosmo Publications | year=2006 | isbn=978-81-307-0291-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h1KObc_qaXYC&amp;amp;pg=PA252 | accessdate=2019-06-27 | page=268,305}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The war cost nearly 250,000 lives.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot; Raychaudhuri 2006 p. 268&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Background ==&lt;br /&gt;
According to political scientist Sudama Misra, the Kalinga [[janapada]] originally comprised the area covered by the [[Puri district|Puri]] and [[Ganjam district|Ganjam]] districts.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite book|author=Sudāmā Miśra|title=Janapada state in ancient India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dua1AAAAIAAJ|year=1973|publisher=Bhāratīya Vidyā Prakāśana}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The reasons for invading Kalinga were to bring peace and for power. Kalinga was a prosperous region consisting of peaceful and artistically skilled people. The northern part of Kalinga was known as the [[Utkala Kingdom|Utkala]] (Uttar: North, Kal: Kalinga), they were the first from the region to use a navy and traveled offshore to [[Southeast Asia]] for trade. For that reason, Kalinga was able to develop several ports and a skilled navy. The culture of Kalinga was a blend of [[Adivasi|tribal religions]], [[Śramaṇa]] (i.e. [[Buddhism]], [[Jainism]], [[Ajivika]] etc.) and [[Brahmanism]] co-existing peacefully.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Ramesh Prasad Mohapatra 1986 Page 10&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[[Ramesh Prasad Mohapatra]](1986) Page 10. &#039;&#039;Military History of Orissa&#039;&#039;. Cosmo Publications, New Delhi {{ISBN|81-7020-282-5}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Kalinga was under the rule of the [[Nanda Empire]] who ruled over the region from their capital in [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] until their fall in 321 BCE.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;(Raychaudhuri &amp;amp; Mukherjee 1996, pp. 204-209, pp. 270–271)&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Ashoka&#039;s grandfather [[Chandragupta Maurya|Chandragupta]] had possibly attempted to conquer Kalinga but had been repulsed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last=Nagendra |first=Jaya S. |url=http://archive.org/details/indiaatglance0000nage |title=India at a glance |date=2013 |publisher=Delhi : Kalpaz Publications |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-81-7835-935-9 |pages=87 |quote=Chandragupta’s son Bindusara expanded the kingdom Turkestan down to modern Mysore and comprised most of the northern India and the Deccan. Only Kalinga remained independent.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Ashoka set himself to the task of conquering and annexing Kalinga to the vast [[Maurya Empire]] as soon as he securely established himself as the Emperor.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Ramesh Prasad Mohapatra 1986 Page 10&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Some scholars argue that Kalinga was a strategic threat to the Mauryas. It could interrupt communications between Mauryan capital [[Pataliputra]] and possessions in the central Indian peninsula. Kalinga also controlled the coastline for trade in the [[Bay of Bengal]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot; Roy 2015 p.15 &amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite book | last=Roy | first=K. | title=Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia | publisher=Taylor &amp;amp; Francis | series=Warfare, Society and Culture | year=2015 | isbn=978-1-317-32128-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q5JECgAAQBAJ | access-date=2019-06-28 | page=15}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==Course of the war==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Quote|text=No war in the history of India is as important either for its intensity or for its results as the Kalinga war of Ashoka. No wars in the annals of human history have changed the heart of the victor from one of wanton cruelty to that of exemplary piety as this one. From its fathomless womb, the history of the world may find out only a few wars to its credit which may be equal to this war and not a single one that would be greater than this. The political history of mankind is really a history of wars and no war has ended with so successful a mission of peace for the entire war-torn humanity as the war of Kalinga.|author=[[Ramesh Prasad Mohapatra]]|title=&#039;&#039;Military History of Odisha&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[[Ramesh Prasad Mohapatra]] (1986) Page 12. &#039;&#039;Military History of Odisha&#039;&#039;. Cosmo Publications, New Delhi {{ISBN|81-7020-282-5}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
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The war was completed in the eighth year of Ashoka&#039;s reign, according to his own [[Edicts of Ashoka]], probably in 261 BCE.&amp;lt;ref name=BA30/&amp;gt;  After a bloody battle for the throne following the death of his father, Ashoka was successful in conquering Kalinga – but the consequences of the savagery changed Ashoka&#039;s views on war and led him to pledge to never again wage a war of conquest.&lt;br /&gt;
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According to [[Megasthenes]], the Greek historian at the court of [[Chandragupta Maurya]], the ruler of Kalinga had a powerful army comprising infantry, cavalry and elephants.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=Sequeira|first=Dolly E.|title=Total History and Civics|publisher=Morning Star|year=2020|location=Delhi|pages=45, 46}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; According to Indian archaeologist [[Dilip K. Chakrabarti]], the Mauryan army marched to Kalinga via [[Sarguja]], a route that was later followed by [[Samudragupta]] during his campaign against Kalinga.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last=Chakrabarty |first=Dilip K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EIAyDwAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA46 |title=The Geopolitical Orbits of Ancient India: The Geographical Frames of the Ancient Indian Dynasties |date=2010-10-18 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-908832-4 |pages=42–43 |language=en |quote=The march of the Mauryan army through Sarguja and the hilly jungle which separates it from Chhattisgarh, and finally through the forests of Dandakaranya to the Kalinga coast. Of course, this reconstruction of the march of the Mauryan army from Pataliputra to the Kalinga coast is hypothetical but logical and probable in view of the fact that a few centuries later, Samudragupta of Magadha followed the same route to march to the Kalinga coast.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==Aftermath==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File: Dhauli Shanti Stupa, Bhubaneswar.jpg|thumb|left|Shanti Stupa, [[Dhauli]] hill is presumed to be the area where the Kalinga War was fought.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Ashoka had seen the bloodshed and felt that he was the cause of the destruction.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Roy 2015 p. 16&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite book | last=Roy | first=K. | title=Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia | publisher=Taylor &amp;amp; Francis | series=Warfare, Society and Culture | year=2015 | isbn=978-1-317-32128-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q5JECgAAQBAJ | access-date=2019-06-28 | page=16}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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{{Quote|[[Devanampriya|Beloved-of-the-Gods]], King [[Priyadarsin|Priyadarsi]] (Ashoka) conquered the Kalingans eight years after his coronation. One hundred and fifty thousand were deported, one hundred thousand were killed and many more died (from other causes). After the Kalingans had been conquered, Beloved-of-the-Gods came to feel a strong inclination towards the [[Dharma]], a love for the Dharma and for instruction in Dharma. Now Beloved-of-the-Gods feels deep remorse for having conquered the Kalingans.|Ashoka|[[Edicts of Ashoka|Rock Edict]] No. 13&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite book|last1=Allen|first1=Charles|title=Ashoka: The Search for India&#039;s Lost Emperor|date=2012|publisher=Little, Brown Book Group|isbn=9781408703885|page=82|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K4vHjbUtf_4C&amp;amp;pg=PT82|access-date=1 May 2018|language=en}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
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Ashoka&#039;s response to the Kalinga War is recorded in the [[Edicts of Ashoka]]. The Kalinga War prompted Ashoka, already a non-engaged Buddhist, to devote the rest of his life to [[ahimsa]] (non-violence) and to &#039;&#039;dharma-vijaya&#039;&#039; (victory through [[dharma]]). Following the conquest of Kalinga, Ashoka ended the military expansion of the empire and began an era of more than 40 years of relative peace, harmony, and prosperity.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last=Narayan |first=Shovana |url=http://archive.org/details/dancelegacyofpat00nara |title=Dance legacy of Patliputra |date=1999 |publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India |others=Public Resource |isbn=978-81-230-0699-4 |pages=2 |quote=Commenting upon the achievements of Ashoka the Great, historian Radha Kamal Mukerji says “not only did Emperor Asoka achieve the consolidation of a vast Indian empire based on a unified Indian culture, but he also spread the message of universal peace and concord to the independent Dravidian countries and to the Greek rulers of Asia”.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==In popular culture==&lt;br /&gt;
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* The 2001 Indian [[Hindi cinema|Hindi]]-language film &#039;&#039;[[Aśoka (film)|Aśoka]]&#039;&#039;, is based on Kalinga war&lt;br /&gt;
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* The book &amp;quot;Ashok and the nine unknown&amp;quot; by author Anshul Dupare is based on the aftermath of Kalinga war.&lt;br /&gt;
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==See also ==&lt;br /&gt;
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* [[List of battles by casualties]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kalinga (historical region)]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==References==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Reflist}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081210080315/http://www.mssu.edu/projectsouthasia/history/primarydocs/Foreign_Views/GreekRoman/Megasthenes-Indika.htm Megasthenes: &#039;&#039;Indika&#039;&#039;] (archived 10 December 2008)&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140328144411/http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/ashoka.html The Edicts of King Ashoka] (archived 28 March 2014)&lt;br /&gt;
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{{Authority control}}&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Category:260s BC conflicts]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Wars involving the Maurya Empire]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Maurya Empire]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Kalinga (India)]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:3rd century BC in India]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Conflicts in India]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Ashoka]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
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