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Question 59 of 94 · Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms
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Bhaskaravarman of the Varman dynasty, an ally of Harshavardhana, ruled over:

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Answer: Option D — Kamarupa (Assam)

Detailed Solution

Bhaskaravarman, the last and greatest king of the Varman dynasty, ruled over Kamarupa (present-day Assam) in the first half of the 7th century CE.

About Bhaskaravarman:

  • He ruled from about 600 to 650 CE.
  • He was a contemporary and ally of Harshavardhana of Kannauj.
  • He formed an alliance with Harsha against Shashanka, who was their common enemy.
  • After Shashanka's death, he extended his control over parts of Bengal, including Karnasuvarna, Shashanka's capital.
  • He was a follower of Hinduism (Shaivism), but respected Buddhism.
  • He invited the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang to visit Kamarupa, and Xuanzang stayed at his court.
  • He attended Harsha's assembly at Kannauj, and walked in the procession dressed as the god Brahma.
  • He is described by Xuanzang as a learned king who loved scholars.
  • His inscriptions include the Nidhanpur copper plates and the Dubi copper plates, which give the genealogy of the Varman dynasty.
  • He never married, and was therefore called "Kumara" (bachelor) by Xuanzang.
  • After his death, the Varman dynasty ended, and the kingdom was taken over by the Mlechchha (Salastambha) dynasty.

About the Varman dynasty:

  • It was founded by Pushyavarman in the 4th century CE.
  • It ruled Kamarupa from about 350 to 650 CE.
  • The Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta mentions Kamarupa as a frontier state that paid tribute.

About Kamarupa:

  • It covered the Brahmaputra valley and parts of present-day Bengal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
  • Its capital was near present-day Guwahati.
  • The famous Kamakhya Temple is located on the Nilachal hill in Guwahati.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Kalinga (Odisha), Gauda (Bengal) and Malwa were ruled by other dynasties.

Quick tip

Remember: Bhaskaravarman = Varman king of Kamarupa (Assam), ally of Harsha against Shashanka; hosted Xuanzang; called "Kumara"; Varman founder = Pushyavarman.

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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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