Prithivimahadevi, Dharmamahadevi, Dandimahadevi and Vakulamahadevi, who became rulers due to the absence of a male heir, belonged to the

The correct answer is C, Bhauma-Kara dynasty. Prithivimahadevi, Dharmamahadevi, Dandimahadevi and Vakulamahadevi were queens of the Bhauma-Kara dynasty of Odisha, which is known for several women ruling in their own right. The Bhauma-Karas ruled coastal Odisha, then called Utkala or Tosali, from about the 8th to the 10th century CE, with their capital at Guhadeva-pataka near Jajpur. When male heirs were lacking, widowed queens and princesses took the throne themselves and issued land grants in their own names, which makes the dynasty unusual in early Indian history. The early kings were patrons of Buddhism, and the monasteries of Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri and Udayagiri flourished in their time. Option A is wrong because the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi in Andhra were ruled by kings, without such a line of queens. Option B is wrong because the Kadambas of Banavasi in Karnataka were founded by Mayurasharman and ruled by kings. Option D is wrong because the Gonanda dynasty belongs to Kashmir and is known from Kalhana's Rajatarangini, not from Odisha. Exam tip: Bhauma-Kara of Odisha, many ruling queens; Kashmir's famous queen ruler was Didda.