Question map
Who among the following rulers advised his subjects through this inscription ? "Whosoever praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of excessive devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely."
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 1 (Ashoka).
This profound message is inscribed in Major Rock Edict XII of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. Following the Kalinga War, Ashoka embraced Dhamma, a moral code centered on religious tolerance, non-violence, and mutual respect. In this edict, he emphasizes that the "growth of the essentials" of all religions is possible only through restraint in speech.
Ashoka argued that by disparaging other sects, an individual not only shows a lack of understanding but also causes significant harm to their own faith. While other rulers like Samudragupta and Harshavardhana were known for religious patronage, it was Ashoka who uniquely used inscriptions as a medium to institutionalize the concept of Sarva Dharma Sambhava (equal respect for all religions). His approach aimed at maintaining social harmony in a diverse empire, making his edicts a cornerstone of ancient Indian political ethics.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Source Box' question. It rewards reading the primary source excerpts in NCERTs, not just the main narrative. Ashoka's edicts are the single most quoted primary sources in Indian history exams; if a quote sounds like a moral sermon carved in stone, it is almost always Ashoka.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is the inscription containing the sentence "Whosoever praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of excessive devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely." attributed to Emperor Ashoka?
- Statement 2: Is the inscription containing the sentence "Whosoever praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of excessive devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely." attributed to Samudragupta?
- Statement 3: Is the inscription containing the sentence "Whosoever praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of excessive devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely." attributed to Harshavardhana?
- Statement 4: Is the inscription containing the sentence "Whosoever praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of excessive devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely." attributed to Krishnadeva Raya?
- Contains a first‑person Ashokan inscription opening ('Thus speaks the Beloved of the Gods, the king Piyadasi'), linking the ruler directly to statements about handling different sects.
- Explicitly records Ashoka assigning officers to engage with Buddhists, brahmans, Ajivikas, Jains and various sects — matching the theme of regulating sectarian behavior.
- Summarizes Ashoka's claim that he encouraged all sects to accept each other's best teachings, which aligns with a prohibition on partisan praise/blame.
- Frames Ashoka's inscriptions as statements of policy promoting inter‑sect mutual respect.
- Describes Ashoka's edicts (Major Rock Edict 3) instructing officials to teach dhamma to the populace, indicating official inscriptions dealt with moral conduct and social harmony.
- Connects the administrative mechanism (yuktas, rajjukas, pradesikas) to dissemination of Ashoka's moral injunctions, supporting attribution to the emperor.
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This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
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This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
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