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

Key Points

• Agrahara was a term used in ancient India to refer to land that was donated by kings or wealthy patrons to Brahmins, who were members of the priestly caste.
• These lands were typically used for farming or other agricultural purposes, and the income generated from them was used to support the Brahmins and their families.
• The practice of donating land to Brahmins was common during the Gupta period, which was a time of great cultural and intellectual flourishing in India.
• The Agrahara system played an important role in supporting the Brahmins, who were seen as custodians of knowledge and culture, and helped to preserve and promote the traditions of ancient India.

Thus, the land donated to Brahmins in the Gupta period was called Agrahara.

Additional Information

• Vellanvagai
  • ​Vellanvagai was land for non-Brahmins, peasant proprietors, and others during Chola period.
• Shalabhoga
  • Shalabhoga was the land grant for the maintenance and management of schools during Chola period.
• Devadana
  • ​Grants to the temple, either plots of land or a whole village, were known as devadana in the south Indian context.

Confusion Points

 Agrahara and Brahmadeya were two types of land grants that were prevalent in ancient India. While both were land grants, there were some differences between the two:

• Purpose: Agrahara was a land grant given to Brahmins for religious and educational purposes, whereas Brahmadeya was a land grant given to Brahmins for their personal use and maintenance.
• Ownership: Agrahara land was owned by the deity or temple and was managed by the Brahmins for the benefit of the temple. Brahmadeya land, on the other hand, was owned by the Brahmin recipient who received the land grant.
• Taxation: Agrahara lands were exempted from taxes and were usually revenue-free lands. Brahmadeya lands, on the other hand, were subject to taxation and other land revenue obligations.
• Size: Agrahara lands were usually smaller in size as compared to Brahmadeya lands.
• Location: Agrahara lands were usually located close to the temples, while Brahmadeya lands were located in different areas.

Nalanda University was founded by Kumaragupta I.

Key Points

• The records of the Chinese traveller Xuan Zang (Hsuan Tsang) gives a huge amount of information about Nalanda University.
• As per the records, the foundation of this learning centre was laid down by Kumaragupta I, the Gupta king in the 5th century CE. 
• Kumaragupta I was the son of Chandragupta II who ruled from 415 CE to 455 CE.
• The term Nalanda means “giver of knowledge”.
• Though it was a Mahayana University, different religious subjects like the Vedas, Hinayana doctrine, Sankhya and Yoga philosophies were also taught.
• In addition to that, general subjects like logic, grammar, astronomy, medicine and art were in the syllabus.
• It attracted students not only from different parts of India but from different countries of the east.
• The famous library of Nalanda University was known as ‘Dharmaganj’ - Mountain of Truth.
• University consisted of three multistorey building named - Ratnasagar, Ratnodadhi and Ratna Ranjak.

• Due to repeated invasions, the infrastructure of this marvelous institution was destroyed.

Therefore, we can conclude that Kumaragupta I founded the Nalanda University.

Additional Information

• Samudragupta:
  • ​He ruled the Gupta empire from 335/336 CE to 375 CE.
  • He is called ‘Napolean of India’ by V.A. Smith (Irish Indologist and Art Historian).
  • His campaigns are mentioned in the Eran inscription (Madhya Pradesh).
• Skandagupta:
  • He was the son of Kumaragupta I.
  • He ruled from 455 AD – 467 AD
  • He was a ‘Vaishnavite'.
  • He repulsed an attack by the Hunas but this strained his empire’s coffers.
• Harshavardhana:
  • He was the son of Prabhakar Vardhana, the founder of the Pushyabhuti Dynasty or the Vardhana Dynasty. ​
  • He was a Hindu who later embraced Mahayana Buddhism.
  • He built a huge empire that extended from north & northwestern India till the Narmada in the South.
  • His capital was at Kannauj.

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) 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 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 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 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 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:

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.