Which Rock Edict of Asoka provideds a description of the horrors of Kalinga War ?

The 13th Rock Edict (Major Rock Edict XIII) of Ashoka provides the most detailed and vivid description of the horrors and consequences of the Kalinga War [t2][t4]. It records that the war took place eight years after Ashoka's coronation, resulting in the death, deportation, and suffering of hundreds of thousands of people [t5]. This edict is crucial as it expresses Ashoka's profound remorse and his subsequent conversion to Buddhism and the policy of Dhamma [t2][t3]. Interestingly, while this edict is found across various parts of the empire like Shahbazgarhi and Kalsi, it was deliberately omitted from the versions at Dhauli and Jaugada in Kalinga itself [t1][t3]. In those locations, it was replaced by 'Separate Kalinga Edicts' which focused on administrative justice and the king's paternal affection for his subjects, likely to avoid reminding the local population of the war's brutality [t1][t3].

Sources

1. [1] https://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2014/Dec/engpdf/37-43.pdf