Battle of Kalinga
When was the Kalinga war?
The famous war of Kalinga was fought between Emperor Ashoka and Ananta Nathan, the ruler of Kalinga, on the banks of the Daya River, 8 km south of Bhubaneswar in 261-262 BC. Kalinga was then located in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and parts of Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
What is the significance of the Kalinga war in Indian history?
There have been many wars in Indian history which changed the history itself. One such war was the Kalinga war. It changed the entire period of Indian history. This war is called the worst war of Indian history. Chakravarti Emperor Ashoka invaded Kalinga in the 8th year (261 BC) of his coronation. Kalinga Vijay was his last victory. The devastation of the war made the emperor mournful and he was attracted to the Buddhist ideology in an attempt to make atonement. The Kalinga war changed Ashoka's heart. His heart was stirred with kindness and compassion for humanity. He vowed to cease war activities forever. From here began the era of spiritual and Dhamma conquest. He accepted Buddhism as his religion.
History of Kalinga:
The present state of Orissa was famous as Kalinga in ancient times.
Previously it was a part of the empire of Mahapadmananda, the ruler of the Nanda dynasty. Magadha had been separated from the empire for some time, but Ashoka won it again on the eighth year of the throne. In this war, the Kalingavas made extraordinary resistance to Ashoka's army.
One lakh people of Kalinga were killed, one and a half lakh were imprisoned and more than that, due to the destruction of the war, later died.
Seeing this destruction, Ashoka turned to the victory of religion instead of war.
A fascinating stupa, temple and inscription now exist at the place called Dholagiri where Ashoka's army camp and later where he had initiated Buddhism.
Kalinga saw many changes in the following centuries. Sometimes Kharavela became the ruler of this place, sometimes it was found in the Gupta Empire.
For a short time in the 6th-7th century, the power of this place also remained in the hands of Harshavardhana.
Anantavarma Chodagung who was the chief king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. He ruled Kalinga for 71 years (1076–1147 AD).
Major causes of Kalinga war:
Ashoka, who conquered Kalinga, wanted to expand his empire.
Kalinga was very important even from a strategic point of view. Kalinga was controlled on both the land and sea routes leading to South India.
From here, relations could be made easier with the southeastern countries.
Kalinga war results
The Mauryan Empire expanded. Its capital was made Toshali.
This put an end to Ashoka's policy of empire expansion.
This greatly influenced Ashoka's life. He took the path of non-violence, truth, love, charity, philanthropy.
Ashoka became a follower of Buddhism. He also propagated Buddhism.
He put his resources in the well being of the subjects.
He founded 'Dhamma'.
He made friendly relations with other countries.
The Kalinga war led to the decline of the Mauryan Empire. Due to the policy of non-violence, his soldiers fell behind in the art of war. As a result, his gradual decline began.
Important questions and answers (FAQs):
1.Question: After the Kalinga war, who recorded the conversion of Maharaj Ashoka?
Answer: Rock Edict XIII
2.Question: In which year did the Kalinga war take place?
Answer: In 261 BC
3.Question: Where is the impact of Ashoka's Kalinga war?
Answer: 13th state engraved on rocks
4.Question: In which rock edict, Ashoka has mentioned the casualties of the Kalinga war and declared war renunciation?
Answer: Inscription XIII
5.Question: Which person is called 'Second Ashoka'?
Answer: Kanishka
6.Question: Ancient Kalinga was mainly located -
Answer: Between Mahanadi in the north and Godavari in Dakshina
7.Question: Which religion was patronized by Kalinga ruler Kharavel?
Answer: Jainism
8.Question: What is the main source of information about Ashoka's campaign against Kalinga?
Answer: Inscription XIII
