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.”
- (a) Ashoka ✓ UPSC's answer
- (b) Samudragupta
- (c) Harshavardhana
- (d) Krishnadeva Raya
Why the answer is (a)
• The passage is from Ashoka's Major Rock Edict XII, which preaches toleration of all sects and warns that glorifying one's own sect while disparaging others injures one's own sect — option (a).
• Ashoka urged 'samavaya' (concord) and restraint of speech, honouring the essentials of all faiths.
• Samudragupta (b) is known from the Allahabad prashasti, Harsha (c) from Banabhatta and Xuanzang, Krishnadeva Raya (d) from Amuktamalyada — none issued such an edict.
• Hence option (a).
Why the other options are wrong
- (b) Samudragupta
- Samudragupta's inscriptions are eulogies of conquest, not sectarian toleration.
- (c) Harshavardhana
- Harsha left no such edict.
- (d) Krishnadeva Raya
- Krishnadeva Raya's works do not contain this passage.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2020, held on 4 October 2020. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.