SSC
Chandragupta II of the Gupta dynasty is also known by the title:
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Answer: Option A — Vikramaditya
Detailed Solution
Chandragupta II (ruled about 375-415 CE) was one of the greatest rulers of the Gupta dynasty. He was the son of Samudragupta and Queen Dattadevi. He took the title "Vikramaditya", meaning "Sun of valour" or "one whose valour is like the sun".
Chandragupta II expanded the Gupta Empire through conquests and alliances:
His most famous achievement was the defeat of the Western Kshatrapas (Shakas) of western India around 409 CE. He annexed Gujarat, Malwa and Saurashtra, gaining access to ports on the western coast, which boosted trade with the Roman world. He was therefore also called "Shakari", meaning "destroyer of the Shakas".
He married his daughter Prabhavatigupta to the Vakataka king Rudrasena II, which gave him influence over the Deccan.
He also married Kuberanaga, a Naga princess.
He made Ujjain a second capital, along with Pataliputra.
Chandragupta II issued gold coins called dinaras and was the first Gupta ruler to issue silver coins, following the Shaka tradition. The Iron Pillar at the Qutub complex in Delhi, famous for not rusting for about 1,600 years, has an inscription about a king named "Chandra", generally identified with Chandragupta II.
His court is said to have had nine gems called the "Navaratnas", including the great poet and dramatist Kalidasa ("Abhijnanashakuntalam", "Meghaduta" and "Raghuvamsha"), the astronomer Varahamihira, the lexicographer Amarasimha ("Amarakosha"), and the physician Dhanvantari. Historians consider this tradition partly legendary.
The Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Fa-Hien (Faxian) visited India during his reign (about 399-414 CE) and described the country as peaceful and prosperous, with good administration and charitable hospitals.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Lichchhavi-dauhitra (grandson of the Lichchhavis) was a title of Samudragupta.
- ✗Kaviraja (king of poets) was a title of Samudragupta.
- ✗Mahendraditya was a title of Kumaragupta I.
Quick tip
Remember: Chandragupta II = Vikramaditya and Shakari (defeated the Shakas), Navaratnas (Kalidasa), Fa-Hien's visit; Samudragupta = Kaviraja, "Napoleon of India" (Allahabad Pillar by Harisena).
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Post-Mauryan & Gupta Age — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Post-Mauryan & Gupta Age, 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 the period after the Mauryas: the Shungas, Satavahanas, Indo-Greeks, Shakas and Kushanas, followed by the Gupta Empire, often called the classical age of India, and the reign of Harshavardhana. It includes art, literature, science and administration in these periods. Exams test the rulers and their achievements (Kanishka and the fourth Buddhist council, Samudragupta's Allahabad Pillar inscription, Chandragupta II and Fa-Hien), the Gandhara and Mathura schools of art, and Gupta scholars such as Kalidasa, Aryabhata and Varahamihira. Harsha's reign is usually tested with Hiuen Tsang and Nalanda University. Practise the post-Mauryan and Gupta age 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.