(a) Ashoka
(b) Samudragupta
(c) Harshavardhana
(d) Krishnadeva Raya
Answer: a
Explanation:
According to the 12th major rock edict – The beloved of gods, the King Piyadassi honour all sects and both ascetics and laymen, with gifts and various forms of recognition.
“On each occasion, one should honour another man’s sect, for by doing so one increase the influence of one’s own sect and benefits that of the other man; while by doing otherwise one diminishes the influence of one’s own sect and harm the other man’s. Again, whosoever honours his own sect or disparages that of another man, wholly out of devotion to his own, with a view to showing it in a favourable light, harms his own sect even more seriously. Therefore, concord is to be commended, so that men may hear one another’s principle and obey them.
Hence, option a is correct.
Read: Previous Year UPSC History Questions (PYQs) With Explanation 2020