Who among the following rulers advised his subjects through this inscr

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
Samudragupta
Harshavardhana
Krishnadeva Raya
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2020
The correct answer is A) Ashoka.
The inscription quoted is characteristic of the edicts of Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE). Ashoka, after his conversion to Buddhism, promoted the principle of Dhamma, which included tolerance and respect for all religious sects (Samavaya).
The quote explicitly warns against sectarianism – praising one’s own sect excessively and blaming others – stating that such behavior actually harms one’s own sect. This message promoting inter-religious harmony and restraint is a recurring theme in Ashoka’s edicts, particularly Major Rock Edict XII.
Samudragupta (Gupta dynasty) was known for his military conquests and religious tolerance, but this specific ethical instruction about inter-sectarian behaviour is uniquely characteristic of Ashoka’s Dhamma policy expressed through his inscriptions. Harshavardhana (Pushyabhuti dynasty) also patronized multiple religions, and Krishnadeva Raya (Vijayanagara Empire) was known for tolerance, but the phraseology strongly points to Ashoka.
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