Silence in Kalinga, Voice at the Frontier: A Comparative Study of Spatial Messaging in the Edicts of Ashoka

Abstract

This study examines the spatial distribution of the edicts of Ashoka and argues that they reflect a deliberate strategy of differentiated political communication rather than a uniform expression of moral governance. While the Kalinga War is described in detail in Major Rock Edict XIII at northwestern frontier sites such as Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra, it is notably absent in inscriptions located within the conquered region of Kalinga, including Dhauli and Jaugada. This asymmetry raises critical questions regarding the intended audience and function of these texts. Drawing on a comparative spatial-textual analysis of selected inscriptions, this article demonstrates that Ashoka’s proclamations were strategically calibrated according to regional political contexts. In newly annexed territories, the omission of conquest narratives functioned to stabilize authority and suppress traumatic memory. In contrast, at imperial frontiers, the articulation of remorse served to project moral legitimacy and reinforce imperial authority. Building on recent scholarship by Nayanjot Lahiri and Upinder Singh, this study introduces the concepts of asymmetrical spatial messaging and the geopolitics of inscription to reinterpret Ashoka’s edicts as instruments of governance. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of how ancient empires used spatially differentiated communication to manage power, memory, and legitimacy.