Gupta Age MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Gupta Age - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Samudragupta.

Key Points

• Samudragupta succeeded Chandragupta I as the ruler of the Gupta Empire, marking the beginning of the golden age of Gupta rule.
• He was renowned for his military conquests and is often referred to as the "Napoleon of India" due to his strategic and successful campaigns.
• Samudragupta was a patron of art and culture, and his reign saw significant advancements in literature, science, and architecture.
• His achievements are documented in the Allahabad Pillar Inscription, written by his court poet Harisena.
• Under his rule, the Gupta Empire expanded significantly, covering vast territories across northern and central India.

Additional Information

• Gupta Empire:
  • The Gupta Empire (circa 320-550 CE) is considered a classical era in Indian history, known for its advancements in art, science, and political administration.
  • Key rulers of the Gupta dynasty include Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II, and Kumaragupta.
  • The empire's administration emphasized decentralization, with efficient governance at the local level.
• Allahabad Pillar Inscription:
  • It is one of the primary sources of information about Samudragupta's reign.
  • Written in Sanskrit, it highlights his conquests, administrative policies, and patronage of arts.
  • The inscription was composed by Harisena, his court poet and minister.
• Golden Age of India:
  • The Gupta period is often referred to as the "Golden Age of India" due to its significant contributions to culture, education, and science.
  • Achievements include developments in astronomy, mathematics (introduction of the decimal system), and medicine.
  • Key literary works like Kalidasa's "Shakuntala" and Aryabhata's mathematical treatises emerged during this period.
• Military Conquests:
  • Samudragupta conducted campaigns in both northern and southern India, defeating numerous rulers and expanding the empire.
  • He adopted a policy of "Dharmavijaya" in southern India, where defeated rulers were allowed to retain their territories after acknowledging Gupta suzerainty.

The correct answer is Samudragupta.

Key Points

• Samudragupta, a ruler from the Gupta dynasty, is often referred to as the "Napoleon of Ancient India" due to his unparalleled military conquests and administrative skills.
• He reigned during the 4th century CE and significantly expanded the Gupta Empire across northern, central, and parts of southern India.
• Samudragupta's military campaigns were documented in the Allahabad Pillar Inscription, composed by Harisena, his court poet and minister.
• He adopted a policy of "Digvijaya" (world conquest), defeating numerous kings and annexing vast territories into the Gupta Empire.
• Samudragupta was not only a military genius but also a patron of arts and culture, earning him recognition as a versatile ruler in Indian history.

Additional Information

• Gupta Empire:
  • The Gupta Empire (circa 320-550 CE) is considered a golden age in Indian history due to advancements in science, literature, art, and culture.
  • Prominent rulers include Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II.
  • The empire introduced significant administrative reforms and maintained a centralized governance structure.
• Allahabad Pillar Inscription:
  • This inscription, written in Sanskrit, provides detailed accounts of Samudragupta's conquests and achievements.
  • It is considered an important historical source for understanding the Gupta period.
• Military Strategy:
  • Samudragupta employed strategic diplomacy alongside military tactics, often reinstating defeated kings as tributaries to ensure loyalty.
  • He followed a policy of annexation in northern India and a policy of subjugation in southern India.
• Cultural Contributions:
  • Samudragupta was a skilled musician and poet, earning the title "Kaviraj" (king of poets).
  • He supported Hinduism while respecting other religions, fostering cultural harmony.

The correct answer is Bhitari inscription.

Key Points

• Bhitari inscription is located in Saidpur village in Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh.
• This Pillar inscription describes the reign of Skandagupta and Kumargupta I.
• It is also known from this inscription that Purugupta was the successor of Kumargupta I.
• It also describes a war between Skandagupta and Pushyamitran.

Additional Information

• Bisad Inscription:
  • This inscription is the oldest inscription of the Gupta Period.
  • It holds the record of Kumargupta I reign.
• Mathura Inscription:
  • This inscription is made of stone.
  • It holds the record of Chandragupta II's reign.
• Karamdanda Inscription:
  • It is located in Ayodhya.
  • It holds the record of Kumargupta I reign.
  • This inscription is engraved on a 'Linga' which is of stone.
  • It is found in Bharadhi-Din in Faizabad.

The correct answer is An Acharya who received a land grant from the daughter of Chandragupta II.

Key Points

• Chanalasvamin was an Acharya (teacher) who received a land grant from Prabhavati Gupta, the daughter of Chandragupta II, in the village of Danguna.
• The land grant was documented in an inscription detailing the exemptions and rights associated with the donated land, which was classified as an agrahara (a rent-free village) for religious merit.
• The village was granted to Chanalasvamin, and it specified several exemptions, such as the exemption from various royal dues and obligations.
• Notably, the village was exempt from entry by soldiers and policemen, and there were no obligations to provide supplies to royal officers such as grass, animal hides, charcoal, or fermented liquor.
• The grant also included rights to hidden treasures and deposits, as well as major and minor taxes.
• The inscription was engraved by Chakradasa and was issued in the thirteenth regnal year of an unspecified ruler.

 Additional Information

• Prabhavati Gupta
  • Prabhavati Gupta was the daughter of Chandragupta II and the wife of Vishnu-Shriddha. Her land grants were significant in promoting religious activities and supporting Brahmins and other scholars.
• Agrahara System
  • The agrahara system was a method of granting land to religious institutions, scholars, or Brahmins. This system allowed beneficiaries to receive tax-free lands for religious or educational purposes.
• Significance of the Grant
  • The grant to Chanalasvamin not only highlights the religious merit but also demonstrates the royal patronage given to scholars and teachers during the Gupta period.
  • The inclusion of provisions like the exemption from royal taxes and the right to hidden treasures shows the special privileges granted to land recipients.

The correct answer is the Gupta Dynasty.

Key Points

• The Gupta Dynasty ruled India between 320 AD and 550 AD.
• The Gupta empire was founded by Sri Gupta. 

Additional Information

• The Gupta Empire rose in Magadha around the 4th century AD and covered the greater part of Northern India.
• The Gupta Period is popularly known as the ‘Golden Age of India’.
• There is very little information about the first two rulers of the Gupta dynasty.
• The important rulers of the Gupta dynasty were:
  • Chandragupta I - (320 - 330 A.D.)
  • Samudragupta - (330 - 380 A.D.)
  • Chandragupta II - (380 - 415 A.D.)
  • Kumaragupta - (415 - 455 A.D.)

The correct answer is Sushruta.

Key Points

• Sushruta is the most celebrated physician and surgeon in India.
• He is known for his work on medicine during the Gupta period
• Though he practiced during the 5th century, many of his contributions to medicine and surgery preceded similar discoveries in the Western world.
• Susrutha Samitha was written by Susrutha.
• He was said to have been the best surgeon during the Gupta period.
• Sushruta devotes a complete volume of his experiences to ophthalmologic diseases.
• The Gupta Dynasty ruled the mid-to-late 3rd century (approximately) to 543 AD. Founded by Sri Gupta.

Important Points

Gupta Dynasty:

• The founder of the Gupta dynasty was Sri Gupta. 
• He was succeeded by Ghatotkacha. These two were called Maharajas.
• The next ruler was Chandragupta I and he was the first to be called Maharajadhiraja.
• Chandragupta, I was succeeded by Samudragupta in about 330 A.D., who reigned for about fifty years.
• He was a great military genius and is said to have commanded a military campaign across the Deccan, and also subdued the forest tribes of the Vindhya region. 
• Samudragupta's successor Chandragupta II, also known as Vikramaditya, conquered the extensive territories of Malwa, Gujarat and Kathiawar.

Key Points

Some famous events during the rule of Gupta Kings:

• The famous Chinese pilgrim, Fahien visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II.
• Out of his nine years of stay in India, he spent six years in the Gupta empire.
• Chandragupta II waged war against the Saka satraps of western India.
• Rudrasimha III, the last ruler of the Saka satrap was defeated, dethroned, and killed. His territories in western Malwa and the Kathiawar Peninsula were annexed into the Gupta Empire.
• Kumaragupta laid the foundation of Nalanda University.

The correct answer is Chandragupta I.

• Chandragupta I was the first ruler of the Gupta dynasty to adopt the title of Maharajadhiraja.
• Chandragupta I was a son of the Gupta king Ghatotkacha, and a grandson of the dynasty's founder Gupta, both of whom are called Maharaja in the Allahabad Pillar inscription.
• He was also the father of Samudragupta, his next successor.

Additional Information

• Chandragupta I married the Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi.
• Lichchhavi is the name of an ancient clan that was headquartered at Vaishali in present-day Bihar during the time of Gautama Buddha. 

Important Points

Gupta Dynasty:

• The founder of the Gupta dynasty was Sri Gupta. 
• He was succeeded by Ghatotkacha. These two were called Maharajas.
• The next ruler was Chandragupta I and he was the first to be called Maharajadhiraja.
• Chandragupta, I was succeeded by Samudragupta in about 330 A.D., who reigned for about fifty years.
• He was a great military genius and is said to have commanded a military campaign across the Deccan, and also subdued the forest tribes of the Vindhya region. 
• Samudragupta's successor Chandragupta II, also known as Vikramaditya, conquered the extensive territories of Malwa, Gujarat and Kathiawar.

Key Points

Some famous events during the rule of Gupta Kings:

• The famous Chinese pilgrim, Fahien visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II.
• Out of his nine years of stay in India, he spent six years in the Gupta empire.
• Chandragupta II waged war against the Saka satraps of western India.
• Rudrasimha III, the last ruler of the Saka satrap was defeated, dethroned, and killed. His territories in western Malwa and the Kathiawar Peninsula were annexed into the Gupta Empire.
• Kumaragupta laid the foundation of Nalanda University.

The correct answer is Kautilya.

Key Points

• Kautilya was also called ‘Indian Machiavelli’.
• Arthasastra a book on economy and polity in Sanskrit was written by Kautilya, a contemporary of Chandragupta Maurya.
• The manuscript of Arthasastra was first discovered by R. Shama Sastri in 1905.
• Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, politician, historian, and writer. 
• He is called the father of modern political philosophy and political science.
• The Prince (Il Principe) was the famous book of Machiavelli written in 1513 A.D.

Additional Information

• Vishakhadatta
  • The Mudrarakshasa was the drama written by Vishakhadatta in Sanskrit.
  • It gives an account on the socio-economic condition under the Mauryas.
• Megasthenes:
  • Megasthenes was the Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
  • He wrote Indica which gives a detailed account about the Mauryan administration, particularly the administration of the capital city of Pataliputra and also the military organization.
• Chandragupta Maurya (322 – 298 B.C.):
  • Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan Empire.
  • Chandragupta embraced Jainism towards the end of his life.
  • He went to Sravana Belgola, near Mysore along with Jain monks led by Bhadrabhahu and starved himself to death.

The correct answer is Sushruta.

Confusion Points

• Charaka was known to be a physician in the court of King Kanishka during the 2nd century AD.

Important Points

• The Gupta Era (320 AD- 550 AD) considered to be the golden era of India in terms of Art, Literature, Astronomy, Medical science etc.
• Sushruta is known for his work on medicine during the Gupta period.
• About Sushruta:
  • Sushruta is known for his work on medicine during the Gupta period. Sushruta was the first Indian surgeon.
  • The Sushruta Samhita is a Sanskrit text on surgery.
    • The work is attributed to Sushruta, a historical physician of 6th century BCE, although the text as preserved dates to the 3rd or 4th century CE. It is one of the three foundational texts of Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine).
  • The Sushruta Samhita, in its extant form, is divided into 186 chapters and contains descriptions of 1,120 illnesses, 700 medicinal plants, 64 preparations from mineral sources and 57 preparations based on animal sources.

Additional Information

• About the Gupta Era (320-550 AD):
  • The Gupta age in ancient India has been called the ‘Golden Age of India’ because of the many accomplishments  in the field of arts, science, and literature that Indians made under the Guptas.
  • The affluence under the Guptas initiated a period of distinguished accomplishments in arts and sciences.
    • The Gupta Empire lasted from 320 AD to 550 AD.
  • Sanskrit literature thrived under the Guptas. Kalidasa, the great poet, and playwright were in the court of Chandragupta Vikramaditya.
    • He composed great epics such as Abhijnanashaakuntalam, Kumarasambhavam, Malavikagnimitram, Ritusamharam, Meghadootam, Vikramorvashiyam, and Raghuvamsham.
  • Vishnu Sharma of Panchatantra fame lived during this era.
  • Vishakhadatta composed Mudrarakshasa. Other philologists who contributed to the Sanskrit language include Vararuchi and Bhartrihari.
  • Aryabhatta, the great Indian mathematician and astronomer wrote Surya Siddhanta and Aryabhattiya. 
    • He also gave the value of Pi.
    • He also gave the distance between earth and sun which is remarkably close to the actual value.
    1. He wrote on geometry, astronomy, mathematics and trigonometry.
  • These are some of the achievments during the Gupta Era.

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. 390 AD.

• The scholars at his court were the astronomer Varahamihira and the Sanskrit poet and dramatist Kalidasa.
• Chandragupta II is known as Vikramaditya, a powerful emperor (380-415 AD) of northern India.
• He was the son of Samudra Gupta who established a vast empire.
• Chandragupta II subjugated (From 388 to 409 AD) Gujarat, the north of Bombay, Saurashtra, in western India, and Malwa.
• The famous astronomer Varahamihira and the Sanskrit poet and dramatist Kalidasa were lived in the court of Chandragupta II.

The correct answer is option 4) i.e. Dinaras.

• During the Gupta Period, gold coins were called Dinaras.
• After the Kushanas, the Guptas were the most important dynasty.
• The Gupta period has been described as the Golden Age of Indian history.
• The first famous king of the Gupta dynasty was Ghatotkacha's son Chandragupta I. He married Kumaradevi, the daughter of the chief of the Licchavis.
• Chandragupta I was succeeded by Samudragupta in about 330 A.D., who reigned for about fifty years.
• Samudragupta's successor Chandragupta II, also known as Vikramaditya, conquered the extensive territories of Malwa, Gujarat and Kathiawar.
• Kalidasa, the greatest Sanskrit poet and dramatist prospered during his reign.

Important Points 

Gupta Dynasty:

• The founder of the Gupta dynasty was Sri Gupta. 
• He was succeeded by Ghatotkacha. These two were called Maharajas.
• The next ruler was Chandragupta I and he was the first to be called Maharajadhiraja.
• He was a great military genius and is said to have commanded a military campaign across the Deccan, and also subdued the forest tribes of the Vindhya region. 

Key Points

Some famous events during the rule of Gupta Kings:

• The famous Chinese pilgrim, Fahien visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II.
• Out of his nine years of stay in India, he spent six years in the Gupta empire.
• Chandragupta II waged war against the Saka satraps of western India.
• Rudrasimha III, the last ruler of the Saka satrap was defeated, dethroned, and killed. His territories in western Malwa and the Kathiawar Peninsula were annexed into the Gupta Empire.
• Kumaragupta laid the foundation of Nalanda University.

The correct answer is Chandragupta I.

Key Points

• Chandragupta I was a king of the Gupta dynasty, who ruled in northern India.
• He was known as the Maharajadhiraja due to the powerful alliances he made in the Ganges region.
• It is not certain how he turned his small ancestral kingdom into an empire, although a widely accepted theory among modern historians is that his marriage to the Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi helped him extend his political power.
• Their son Samudragupta further expanded the Gupta empire. 

Additional Information

• Samundra Gupta is also known as Kaviraj.
• Samundra Gupta was named Napolean of India by V A Smith.
• Chandragupta II is the Vikramaditya. He also issued Silver coins (the first Gupta ruler to do this).
• Kumargupta founded the Nalanda University.

The Correct Answer is Option 2 i.e Vishnugupta.

• Bimbisara was the founder of the Haryanka Dynasty. He started the policy of annexation and expansion.
• Mauryan Empire was founded by Chandragupta Maurya.
  • Ashoka is the greatest of the Mauryan rulers
  • He was well known for the Kalinga war in 261 B.C.
• Gupta Empire was founded by Sri Gupta.
  • Samudragupta was one of the greatest rulers of the Gupta Empire and he was also called Napoleon of India. 
  • Vishnugupta was the last recognized king of the Gupta Empire.

The correct answer is Option 4.

Key Points

• Gupta Empire:
  • The Gupta dynasty was founded by Srigupta in 240 AD.
  • The period of the Gupta Empire is known as the ‘Classical Age’ or the ‘Golden Age’ of Indian history.
  • Fa-Hien was a Chinese pilgrim who visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II on a religious mission.
  • Many literary works were composed during this period. They were:
    • Kalidasa wrote plays such as Abhijnan Shakuntalam and Meghdootam.
    • Bhasa wrote 13 plays with themes drawn from Ramayana and Mahabharat.
    • Dandin wrote Kavyadarsha and Dasakumaracharita.
    • Bhairavi composed Kiratarjuniya which describes the battle between Kirat and Arjuna.  
    • Vishnu Sharma wrote Panchtantra. It is a compilation of various stories with themes or messages.

Additional Information

• Chandragupta-II was known for his deep interest in art and culture and nine gems or Navratna adorned his court. The various fields of these 9 gems prove that Chandragupta gave patronage to arts and literature. A brief description of the nine Ratnas is as follows: