When california applied for statehood, southern states
they would lose equality in the senate.
enslaved workers would escape.
they would have to pass new laws to maintain slavery.
the gold-mining industry would overtake agriculture.

The correct answer is:  

They would lose equality in the Senate.

Since the Senate had just approved the admission as a free U.S. territory of Iowa in 1846 and Oregon, Wisconsin in 1848, the numerical equality between free and slave states in the Senate had just been restored.  

Southern senators wanted the next state admitted to the Union to support slavery because they feared they would lose equality in the Senate.

the correct answer is "c": the pillars proclaimed his regret at the bloodshed at the battle of kalinga and his conversion to buddhism.

the kalinga war is considered as one of the largest battles in the history of india. it was fought between the between the maurya empire, which ruled the lands of what is now known as india at the time, and the independent feudal kingdom of kalinga.

the army of maurya empire, led by its king ashoka, fought a prolonged war against kalinga. the war ended around 262 bce with the victory of the maurya empire. it is believed that ashoka, after having witnessed the loss of many lives during this war, felt deep responsibility and eventually converted into buddhism.

answer; criterion validity