The Kalinga Edict

Manindra Mohan Bose

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The Kalinga Edict

By Manindra Mohan Bose

Vol. 3 · No. 1March - 1927pp. 73–88English

Epigraphic Text Interpretation

Summary

This study analyses Emperor Ashoka’s Kalinga edict, inscribed after the bloody conquest of Kalinga. The author interprets the edict’s appeals for dhamma (righteousness) as a response to the horrors of war and argues that Ashoka adopted non‑violence policies to integrate conquered peoples. He compares different versions of the edict found in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and examines their linguistic peculiarities. The article discusses Ashoka’s administrative reforms, including the appointment of dhamma‑mahamatras, and situates the edict within broader imperial propaganda. It concludes that the Kalinga edict illustrates the Mauryan emperor’s shift from conquest to moral governance and remains a key source for early Indian statecraft.

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Conclusion

The edict emerges not as a directive on governance, but as a carefully reasoned moral discourse that redefines Aśoka’s dharma as a balanced social ethic—rejecting both extreme renunciation and moral negligence in favour of disciplined, relational living.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

“In dealing with this edict we shall begin with that portion of it which contains the real teaching of the sermon. Asoka begins thus :—”
“We are, moreover, confirmed in this our belief when we find that the edict deals with subjects like envy, cruelty and idleness, the vices that obstruct spiritual insight.”
“Thus જહ find that only three natural dispositions are referrad to here, instead of .seven, as has been hitherto understood and they are envy, eruelty, and sloth or idleness.”

Works cited in this article

Burnouf (Letus de la Bonme Loi, pp. 671ff.)
Bibler in 1887 (ZDMG,; 41, pp. iff, also in English in Amaravati, 114
Senart (Ins. de Piyadasi, 11, 105ff)
Bhandarkar’s Iuscriptions of Asoka, part 11, pp. 82-88
A. C. Waolner's Asoka [mscriptions and Glossary

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In this issue

Vol. 3 · No. 1

1–12The Final Defeat of MihirakulaH. Heras 13–24Some Old Bengali Books and Periodicals in the British MuseumSushil Kumar De 25–47Some Lights on Ancient World History from the PuranasJwala Prasad Singhal 48–53Ancient South Indian Gold CoinageR. Srinivasa Raghava Ayyangar 53–59Method of Plastering Walls for Painting ( Sudhalepavidhanam )V. Venkatarama Sharma 60–68Taranatha's History of Buddhism in IndiaA. Schiefner 68–72The Ramayana of Valmiki Mentions Two KosalasL. P. Pandeya Sharma 73–88The Kalinga EdictManindra Mohan BoseCurrent article 89–96The Lost Bhowal Copper-Plate of Laksmana Sena Deva of BengalNalini Kanta Bhattasali 97–120The Origin and Development of NumeralsSukumar Ranjan Das 121–133On Metals and Metallurgy in Ancient IndiaManindra Nath Banerji 134–143Siege of Bednore, 1783Surath Charan Sengupta 143–151Indian Literature AbroadPrabhat Kumar Mukherji 152–160The Nyayapravesa of DinnagaVidhushekhara Bhattacharya 161–169Tibetan Translation of the Sadhanamala: A ReplyK. S. Ramaswami Sastri 169–171Bharavi and DandinG. Harihara Sastri 171–173The BhagavadajjukiyamP. Anujan Achan 173–176Balpur Copper-Coins of PratapamalladevaL. P. Pandeya Sharma 176–180Kautalya and MachiavelliV. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar 180–181The Malla Era of VisnupurHariprasad G. Shastri 181–182Patanjali and His Knowledge of ScienceK. Chattopadhyaya 183–184Did Madhvacarya Tour in Bengal?Ramesh Basu 185–186Jataka Representations in SiamPhanindra Nath Bose 186–189Date of Accession of King LaksmanasenaChintaharan Chakravarti 189–214On Some Methods and Conclusions in Hindu PoliticsBenoy Kumar Sarkar 214–218The Family-Seats of the Candras of Bengal and of the (so-called) Tungas of OrissaHaridas Mitra 219–225Reviews and Nalavilasa-NatakaNalinaksha Dutt, D. Bhattacharya, T. K. Krishna Menon 226–228Select Contents of Oriental Journals 229–230Bibliographical Notes 231–234Obituary NoticesNalinaksha Dutt

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