Kalinga War
Dhauli hills by the Daya River, near Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
What happened
The Mauryan Empire under Emperor Ashoka fought the independent kingdom of Kalinga on India's east coast. Ashoka sent his army to conquer Kalinga, a kingdom that controlled trade on the Bay of Bengal. The Mauryan army won, and Kalinga became part of Ashoka's empire. The battle is believed to have been fought on the Dhauli hills beside the Daya River.
Why it matters
Why it matters: In his own rock inscriptions, Ashoka wrote that the suffering of the war filled him with deep regret. He turned to 'dharma', a way of ruling through fairness and non-violence, and stopped expanding his empire by war.
What came next
Ashoka had messages carved on rocks across his empire. At Dhauli, special edicts told officials to judge fairly, avoid cruelty and haste, and reassure neighbouring peoples that the king wanted their trust, not their fear.
Did you know?
In 1972 Japanese and Indian Buddhist groups built a white Peace Pagoda, the Shanti Stupa, on the Dhauli hill.
Timeline
- c. 261 BCEAshoka conquers Kalinga in the eighth year of his reign.
- After the warAshoka turns to dharma and ends his wars of conquest.
- Ashoka's reignEdicts are carved at Dhauli telling officials to treat people fairly.
- 1972The Shanti Stupa (Peace Pagoda) is built at Dhauli.