Previous Year Question
Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer from the codes given below:
List-I (Samudra Gupta's Contemporary Kings of South India) | List-II (Their Kingdoms) |
A. Dhananjaya | 1. Avamukta |
B. Nilaraja | 2. Kanchi |
C. Ugrasena | 3. Kusthalapura |
D. Vishnugopa | 4. Palaka |
Code:
A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
The principal basis of this question is the Prayaga Prashasti or Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta. It was composed by his court poet and officer Harisena. It mentions twelve southern rulers and their kingdoms who were defeated during Samudragupta's Dakshinapatha campaign.
A. Dhananjaya — Kusthalapura (3): The Prayaga Prashasti mentions Dhananjaya of Kusthalapura among the rulers of the Dakshinapatha. Therefore, Dhananjaya ruled Kusthalapura or Kausthalapura.
B. Nilaraja — Avamukta (1): The inscription refers to Nilaraja of Avamukta. Thus, Nilaraja was the ruler of Avamukta. The precise modern identification of Avamukta is not completely settled among scholars, but the epigraphic pairing itself is clear.
C. Ugrasena — Palaka (4): The Prayaga Prashasti describes Ugrasena as the ruler of Palakka. The question prints it as Palaka. It is generally associated with the south-eastern Deccan region.
D. Vishnugopa — Kanchi (2): Vishnugopa was the Pallava ruler of Kanchi. He was one of the important rulers encountered by Samudragupta during his southern campaign. Kanchi is associated with present-day Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.
According to the Prayaga Prashasti, Samudragupta defeated these southern rulers but, instead of directly annexing their kingdoms to the Gupta Empire, allowed them to rule again. This policy is generally explained as the policy of Grahana–Moksha–Anugraha.