The political history of Odisha opens with the rule of Nanda, Emperor of Magadha. The Hathigumpha inscription of Emperor Kharavela at Udaygiri refers to a Nanda king twice. When Chandragupta Maurya succeeded to the throne of Nanda, Kalinga did not form part of his empire. Asoka's invasion of Kalinga was an epoch-making event of ancient times of far-reaching consequences. The battle was described by Asoka himself in his thirteenth Rock Edict which records: "One hundred and fifty thousand men were carried away captive from that country, as many as one hundred thousand were killed there in action and many times that number perished." Kalinga was conquered but the conquest changed the heart of the conqueror. This change in Asoka changed the course of religion and cultural history not only of India but also of the whole of Asia.
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