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Yashovarman, who sent an embassy to China and was patron of the poets Bhavabhuti and Vakpati, was the ruler of:

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Answer: Option A — Kannauj

Detailed Solution

Yashovarman was the ruler of Kannauj (Kanyakubja) in the first half of the 8th century CE (about 725-752).

About Yashovarman:

  • He came to power after the decline of Harsha's empire, which had made Kannauj the most important city of north India.
  • He was a powerful ruler who restored the prestige of Kannauj.
  • He is said to have led campaigns to the east, defeating the king of Magadha (Gauda), which is described in the Prakrit poem "Gaudavaho".
  • He sent an embassy to the Tang emperor of China in 731.

His court poets:

  • Vakpati (Vakpatiraja): wrote the Prakrit poem "Gaudavaho" ("The Slaying of the King of Gauda"), which describes Yashovarman's victory over the king of Gauda (Bengal).
  • Bhavabhuti: the great Sanskrit dramatist, who wrote "Uttararamacharita", "Mahaviracharita" and "Malatimadhava"; he is regarded as second only to Kalidasa among Sanskrit dramatists.

The importance of Kannauj:

  • After Harsha (who ruled from Kannauj in the 7th century), Kannauj became the symbol of power in north India.
  • Whoever controlled Kannauj was regarded as the most powerful ruler of north India.
  • In the 8th-10th centuries, the Pratiharas, the Palas and the Rashtrakutas fought for control of Kannauj (the "tripartite struggle").
  • The Pratiharas finally made it their capital.
  • Later, the Gahadavalas ruled Kannauj in the 11th-12th centuries.

About Kannauj today:

  • It is a town in Uttar Pradesh, on the Ganga.
  • It is famous for its perfumes ("ittar"), and is called the "perfume capital of India".

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Kashmir, Bengal and Malwa were separate kingdoms with their own rulers.

Quick tip

Remember: Yashovarman = king of Kannauj (8th century; embassy to China 731; poets Vakpati (Gaudavaho) and Bhavabhuti).

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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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