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Question 50 of 55 · Post-Mauryan & Gupta Age
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The founder of the Kanva dynasty, who was a minister of the last Shunga king, was:

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Answer: Option B — Vasudeva Kanva

Detailed Solution

Vasudeva Kanva, a Brahmana minister of the last Shunga king, founded the Kanva dynasty around 73 BCE.

How the Kanva dynasty began:

  • According to the Puranas and Banabhatta's "Harshacharita", the last Shunga king was a pleasure-loving ruler.
  • Vasudeva, his minister, had him killed (according to the Harshacharita, by a slave girl disguised as a queen), and seized the throne.
  • He founded the Kanva (Kanvayana) dynasty, which ruled Magadha.

About the Kanva dynasty:

  • It ruled for about 45 years (about 73 BCE to 28 BCE).
  • It had four kings: Vasudeva, Bhumimitra, Narayana and Susharman.
  • The Kanvas were Brahmanas.
  • The Puranas call them "Shungabhrityas" (servants of the Shungas), because they had served the Shungas before seizing power.
  • They ruled only a small kingdom, mainly in Magadha and the surrounding area.

The end of the Kanvas:

  • The last Kanva king, Susharman, was overthrown by the Satavahanas (called "Andhras" in the Puranas) around 28 BCE, according to the Puranas.
  • Some scholars believe that the Satavahana king Simuka was responsible for this.

The dynasties of Magadha after the Mauryas:

  • Shunga dynasty (about 185-73 BCE): founded by Pushyamitra Shunga.
  • Kanva dynasty (about 73-28 BCE): founded by Vasudeva.
  • After this, Magadha lost its importance for some time, until the rise of the Guptas in the 4th century CE.

About the Shungas:

  • Pushyamitra Shunga founded the dynasty after killing the last Mauryan king.
  • His son Agnimitra is the hero of Kalidasa's play "Malavikagnimitra".

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Pushyamitra founded the Shunga dynasty.
  • ✗Simuka founded the Satavahana dynasty.
  • ✗Agnimitra was the son of Pushyamitra.

Quick tip

Remember: Kanva founder = Vasudeva (minister of the last Shunga king, about 73 BCE); Kanvas = "Shungabhrityas"; ended about 28 BCE (Satavahanas); Simuka = Satavahana founder.

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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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