the kalinga war (ended ) was fought in what is now india between the maurya empire under ashoka and "king raja anantha" (some historians opined the king name was suratha) of the state of kalinga, an independent feudal kingdom located on the east coast, in the present-day state of odisha and north parts of andhra pradesh. the kalinga war included one of the largest and bloodiest battles in indian history. kalinga did not have a king as it was culturally run without any.