Question

What change came upon Ashoka after the Kalinga war?

Answer 1

Hint: From c. 268 to 232 BCE, Ashoka, commonly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian ruler of the Maurya Dynasty who governed practically the entire Indian subcontinent. Ashoka encouraged the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia as the grandson of the dynasty's founder Chandragupta Maurya. In around 260 BCE, Ashoka waged a disastrous war against the state of Kalinga (modern-day Odisha), which he conquered.

Complete answer:
According to legend, when Ashoka went out to walk the city after the conflict ended, all he saw were burned houses and scattered dead. The furious Ruler Ashoka was changed into a calm and peaceful emperor after the bloody war with Kalinga, and he became a Buddhist patron. According to A. L. Basham, a notable Indologist, Ashoka's personal faith became Buddhism after the Kalinga War, if not earlier.

According to Basham, however, Ashoka's officially propagated Dharma was not Buddhism at all. Nonetheless, his encouragement resulted in the spread of Buddhism throughout the Mauryan empire and other nations throughout his reign, as well as internationally beginning around 250 BCE.

The Empire enjoyed nearly half a century of peace and tranquilly following the Kalinga War and Ashoka's conversion. Mauryan India also saw a period of social concord, religious reform, and scientific and intellectual advancement. Chandragupta Maurya's adoption of Jainism aided social and religious renewal and reform in his culture, while Ashoka's adoption of Buddhism is credited with laying the groundwork for India's reign of social and political peace and nonviolence.

Note: One of Ashoka Maurya's most enduring legacies was the model he established for the connection between Buddhism and the state. The model of rulership embodied by Ashoka supplanted the notion of divine kingship that had previously ruled Theravada, Southeastern Asia (in the Angkor kingdom, for instance).