Kalinga war, 261 BCE

Raghavan

The Kalinga war is an ancient war that took place in the region of modern-day Odisha, eastern India. It is a war that changed the course of Indian history and is considered to be the bloodiest war ever fought on Indian soil. The war took place between Mauryan king Asoka's army and the kingdom of Kalinga, a small, independent and prosperous kingdom. The war is considered to be a very important event in Mauryan history because it ended the expansionist agenda of the then king Asoka. Mauryan ambition was to create an empire that spanned the whole of the ancient subcontinent, more than 5 million square km. in area - a single political entity representing the whole of ancient India.

Kalinga was the final major frontier! Kalinga and Asoka went head to head in war when negotiations failed and king Asoka became blind in his territorial ambitions. In 261 BCE the end result was a massive tragedy. At the end of the war, the Mauryans won decisively, but lost the human cause. Over 70,000 Mauryans and 150,000 Kalinga warriors were injured or perished. Many more became refugees or died of exposure. Kalinga kingdom was plundered and destroyed.

The war changed Asoka forever, it made him fraught with guilt and sadness beyond comprehension. He stopped further military expansions. He soon adopted the principles of Ahimsa (non-violence) and the ideals of Lord Buddha and devoted the rest of his life to propagating Buddhism to faraway lands. This war not only helped create a politically united India for the first time, but it also opened up moral issues on war and conquest in the minds of ancient generals and kings.

It shows us that even powerful kings like Asoka can bow to their inner conscience. The ancient Kalinga war in India that happened 2,283 years ago, gives the modern world a lesson to learn - to question war and to condemn suffering caused by it...when will we learn?