Previous Year Question

Ashoka's Major Rock Edict XII most explicitly expresses the policy of tolerance, mutual respect and religious harmony among different religious sects.

In this edict, Ashoka states that a person should not merely praise his own sect and condemn another sect. By acting in this manner, a person actually harms his own sect.

Instead, other religious sects should be duly respected. Ashoka's objective was that followers of different sects should listen to, understand and respect the religious teachings of one another.

A central idea of the edict is restraint in speech. According to Ashoka, while respecting one's own religion, unnecessary condemnation of other religions should be avoided. Such conduct contributes both to the growth of one's own religion and to the welfare of other religions.

For this reason, Major Rock Edict XII is regarded as an important epigraphic expression of Ashoka's policy of religious tolerance and religious harmony.

Among the other options, Rock Edict II deals with medical treatment for humans and animals and other welfare measures; Rock Edict XI explains the importance of the gift and practice of Dhamma; while Rock Edict XIII deals with the Kalinga War, Ashoka's remorse and conquest through Dhamma.