Asoka DBQ

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Asoka was an enlightened ruler because he added Kalinga to India, made many reforms, and spreaded welfare.
Asoka added Kalinga to India. Kalinga was awkwardly located in the middle of India which made it arduous to travel from one side to the other (Doc A). And by strategically adding Kalinga, Asoka made traveling throughout the Indian empire much easier. Indians could take a direct route, rather than rerouting and significantly lengthening their trek. Asoka also prevented India from invasion, as Kalinga was India’s only enemy. Furthermore, Kalinga was “a powerful maritime area” (Doc B). This meant that Kalinga had a bustling fishing industry, was rich in natural resources, and was a powerful trading nation. And when added to the empire, Kalinga provided a significant economic boost to India. Asoka added Kalinga to India, not simply to expand. He added Kalinga because he …show more content…

But some argue that he was ruthless. They say that Asoka was responsible for 200,000 deaths during his conquest of Kalinga. They also say that he displaced 150,000 Kalingans after his conquest. They claim that he had already killed hundreds of thousands of Kalingans and still forced the remaining Kalingans off their land, suggesting that he had no compassion for human life. But Asoka was not ruthless: “…if a hundredth or a thousandth part of those people who were killed or died or were deported when Kalinga was annexed were to suffer…, it would weigh heavily on the mind of the Beloved of the Gods [Asoka]” (Doc E). Asoka had pity for the deaths he caused; and therefore had ruth. And after the war, Asoka realized that the killing of thousands of people was wrong and made it his duty to spread welfare: “…Asoka gave rich gifts to the poor. He consulted with local communities about proper governance, about good conduct…” (Doc C). Asoka overwhelmed his wrongdoings with his many righteous deeds. He killed thousands of people, but he was not

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