NCERT 6th Class (CBSE) Social Science: India from the 4th Century CE to the 7th Century CE

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:

1. The rulers of Aryavarta
2. The ruler of Dakshinapatha
3. The inner circle of neighbouring states
4. 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.