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Question 24 of 55 · Post-Mauryan & Gupta Age
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Gold coins of Samudragupta show him playing which musical instrument?

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Answer: Option A — Veena

Detailed Solution

Some gold coins of Samudragupta, called the "Lyrist type" coins, show him seated on a couch, playing the veena (a stringed instrument).

About the Lyrist type coins:

  • On the front (obverse), Samudragupta is shown sitting cross-legged on a high-backed couch, playing a stringed instrument resting on his lap.
  • The inscription reads "Maharajadhiraja Sri Samudraguptah".
  • On the back (reverse), the goddess Lakshmi is shown seated on a wicker stool, holding a cornucopia and a noose.
  • The instrument shown is usually described as a "veena", though it looks like a harp (lyre), similar to the ancient "vipanchi" or "parivadini" veena.
  • These coins show his love for music and the arts.

Samudragupta's talents:

  • The Allahabad Pillar Inscription (Prayag Prashasti), composed by his court poet, describes him as a great warrior, poet and musician.
  • It praises his poetic skills and calls him "Kaviraja" (king of poets).
  • It says that he surpassed the gods Tumburu and Narada (heavenly musicians) in music.
  • He was also a patron of learning.

Other types of Samudragupta's coins:

  • "Standard type": the king holding a standard (staff).
  • "Archer type": the king holding a bow.
  • "Battle-axe type": the king holding a battle-axe.
  • "Tiger-slayer type": the king killing a tiger.
  • "Ashvamedha type": showing the horse sacrifice.
  • "Chandragupta-Kumaradevi type": issued to commemorate his parents.

About the veena:

  • It is one of the oldest Indian stringed instruments.
  • It is associated with the goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning and music.
  • In Carnatic music, the "Saraswati veena" is a major instrument.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The flute and the mridangam are other Indian instruments.
  • ✗The sitar developed much later.

Quick tip

Remember: Samudragupta's Lyrist type gold coins = playing the veena; Prayag Prashasti calls him "Kaviraja" and says he excelled Tumburu and Narada in music.

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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.

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