Question

Identify the person from the following description :

a. Founder of a great empire.

b. Cultured, scholar and a poet.

c. The famous poet Harisena was his court poet and Buddhist scholar Vasubandhu was in his court.

d. Vincent Smith praises him as the 'Indian Napoleon'.  

1. Harisena
2. Kanishka
3. Samudragupta
4. Chandragupta Maurya 

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 3 : Samudragupta

The correct answer is Samudragupta.

• Samudragupta: 
  • The most important source for the reign of Samudragupta is the Allahabad Pillar inscription.
  • Asvamedha sacrifice was performed by Samudra Gupta.
  • His gold coins and inscriptions suggest that he was an accomplished poet, and also played music.
  • Samudragupta’s rule extended over the greater part of modern U.P., a portion of central India and the southwestern part of Bengal and some tributary states were also administered by him in the south.
  • Samudragupta was a patron of many poets and scholars, one of whom was Harisena.
  • Vincent Smith praises him as the 'Indian Napoleon'. 
    • This comparison was done by European historians because he was actually influenced by Napoleon's rise to power from a soldier. 

• Harisena:
  • Allahabad Pillar inscription also consists of 33 lines composed by Harisena. 
  • Samudragupta was a patron of many poets and scholars, one of whom was Harisena.
• ​Kanishka:
  • Kanishka was the most important ruler of the Kushana dynasty.
  • He was the founder of the Saka era which starts in 78 A.D. 
  • He was not only a great conqueror but also a patron of religion and art.
  • The empire of Kanishka was very vast extending from Gandhara in the west to Benares in the east, and from Kashmir in the north to Malwa in the south. His capital was Purushapura or modern-day Peshawar.
  • He adopted tolerant aptitude towards not only Buddhism but also against Hindu and other religions. 
• Chandragupta Maurya: 
  • Kautilya’s Arthasastra, who was contemporary of Chandragupta provides detailed text about his rule.
  • Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan Empire.
  • He, at the young age of 25, captured Pataliputra from the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty, Dhanananda. In this task, he was assisted by Kautilya.
  • The northwestern frontier was demarcated by Chandragupta Maurya.
  • He had embraced Jainism and is said to have starved himself to death according to the Jain tradition at Shravanabelagola.