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Question 15 of 55 · Post-Mauryan & Gupta Age
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The Gupta rulers issued a large number of gold coins called:

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Answer: Option A — Dinaras

Detailed Solution

The Gupta rulers issued a large number of gold coins called "dinaras".

About Gupta gold coins:

  • The word "dinara" is derived from the Roman gold coin "denarius".
  • The Guptas issued more gold coins than any other ancient Indian dynasty.
  • The coins were made of high-quality gold, though their purity declined in the later Gupta period.
  • They are considered among the finest coins of ancient India, for their artistic quality.

Types of Gupta gold coins:

  • The coins show the king in different poses, with Sanskrit inscriptions in verse, praising his qualities.
  • "Archer type": the king holding a bow and arrow (very common).
  • "Ashvamedha type": issued by Samudragupta and Kumaragupta I to celebrate the horse sacrifice; it shows a horse before a sacrificial post.
  • "Tiger-slayer type", "Lion-slayer type" and "Rhinoceros-slayer type": showing the king hunting.
  • "King and Queen type" (Chandragupta-Kumaradevi type): showing Chandragupta I with his queen Kumaradevi; it has the name "Lichchhavayah" on the reverse.
  • "Horseman type" and "Elephant-rider type".
  • The reverse side usually shows a goddess, often Lakshmi, sometimes seated on a lion or a lotus.

Silver and copper coins:

  • The Guptas also issued silver coins (called "rupaka"), especially after conquering western India from the Shakas, following the style of Shaka coins.
  • Copper coins were fewer.

Use of coins:

NCERT notes that gold coins were mainly used for large transactions, such as the sale of land and trade, while ordinary people used cowrie shells and copper coins for small purchases.

Other ancient coins:

  • "Karshapana": punch-marked silver coins of the Mahajanapada and Mauryan periods.
  • "Mohur": a gold coin of the Mughal period.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Karshapanas were earlier silver coins.
  • ✗Tankas were Delhi Sultanate silver coins.
  • ✗Mohurs were Mughal gold coins.

Quick tip

Remember: Gupta gold coins = dinaras (from Roman "denarius"); types = archer, lyrist, Ashvamedha, tiger-slayer, king-queen; silver = rupaka.

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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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