The Gupta Empire: Golden Age of India: 18 MCQs with answers

C · Chandragupta I

Chandragupta I founded the Gupta dynasty and strengthened it by marrying Kumaradevi of the Lichchhavi clan.

C · Samudragupta

The Allahabad Pillar Inscription, composed by Harishena, records Samudragupta's conquests.

A · Chandragupta II

Chandragupta II was also called Vikramaditya; he extended Gupta control westward and patronised culture.

D · Aryabhata

Aryabhata wrote the Aryabhatiya, in which he explained the rotation of the Earth and calculated the length of the year.

C · Abhijnanashakuntalam

Kalidasa wrote Abhijnanashakuntalam, along with Meghaduta and Raghuvamsha.

B · Nalanda

Nalanda University flourished as a centre of learning during the Gupta period.

A · True

The Allahabad Pillar Inscription, composed by Harishena, records the conquests of Samudragupta.

A · The Guptas allowed more local autonomy and gave land grants

The Gupta administration was less centralised than the Mauryan system, with local autonomy and widespread land grants.

D · They increased the power of local elites

Land grants increased the power of local elites, which over time contributed to the empire's fragmentation.

B · Because the label reflects elite cultural and intellectual achievements

The 'Golden Age' label mainly reflects elite achievements in art, science, and literature, not universal prosperity.

C · Succession disputes, decentralisation, and Hun invasions weakened it gradually

The decline was gradual, caused by succession disputes, decentralisation through land grants, and Hun invasions.

D · Both internal and long-distance trade brought wealth

Trade with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Roman world, along with internal trade, supported a prosperous economy.

B · An extensive bureaucracy larger than the Mauryan one

The Gupta bureaucracy was smaller than the Mauryan one; administration was less centralised.

B · Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A.

Both statements are true, and the building of stone temples is exactly what the shift refers to.

C · II and III only

Statement I is false: the Gupta administration was less centralised than the Mauryan system. Statements II and III are true.

D · Caste divisions hardened and women's status declined in some respects

Social inequality, hardening caste divisions, and declining status of women show the 'Golden Age' was not golden for everyone.

D · I. Increased centralisation led to stronger governance. II. Widespread land grants empowered local elites. III. Decentralisation weakened the king's authority.

The correct combination highlights how widespread land grants (II) contributed to local elites gaining power, which, along with decentralisation (III), weakened the king's authority and led to the empire's decline.

C · The decimal place-value system and the concept of zero were foundational to later mathematical developments worldwide.

The correct statement emphasizes that the Gupta scholars' innovations, particularly the decimal system and zero, were crucial for the development of mathematics globally, influencing future civilizations.