Question: Who was Samudragupta?
Answer: He was a famous ruler of the Gupta dynasty.
Question: How do we know about him?
Answer: We know about him from a long inscription, which is a poem in Sanskrit composed by his court poet, Harishena.
Question: Where is this poem inscribed?
Answer: This poem is inscribed on the Ashokan pillar at Allahabad.
Question: What were prashastis?
Ans: Prashastis were poems composed by the court poets in praise of their rulers.
Question: During which dynasty did prashastis gain importance?
Answer: Prashastis gained importance during the Gupta dynasty.
Question: What does Samudragupta’s prashasti tell us?
Answer: Samudragupta’s prashasti tells us that he was a great warrior who woned several battles.
Question: Name the four different kinds of rulers described by Samudragupta’s court poet, Harishena.
Answer:
- The rulers of Aryavarta
- The ruler of Dakshinapatha
- The inner circle of neighbouring states
- The rulers of the outlying areas.
Question: Banabhatta wrote Harshavardhana’s biography. What is the name of this book?
Answer: The biography written by Banabatta is called the Harshacharita.
Question: In which language is Harshacharita written?
Answer: Harshacharita is written in Sanskrit.