Q. 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.”

• Ashoka
• Samundragupta
• Harshavardhana
• Krishanadeva Raya

Answer: (a) Ashoka

Notes:

• The statement “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” is a message of religious tolerance and harmony, emphasizing that promoting one’s own religion at the expense of others is ultimately harmful, and was inscribed by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.