Which Gupta-age astronomer stated in his work of 499 CE that the earth rotates on its own axis?
- A.Varahamihira
- B.Brahmagupta
- C.Aryabhata
- D.Bhaskara II
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Aryabhata. Aryabhata completed the Aryabhatiya in 499 CE at the age of twenty-three. In it he held that the apparent daily movement of the stars is caused by the rotation of the earth on its axis, explained solar and lunar eclipses as shadows rather than as the work of Rahu and Ketu, and gave a close approximation for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
Option A, Varahamihira, belongs to the sixth century and wrote the Brihat Samhita and the Panchasiddhantika, works on omens, astrology and the five earlier astronomical systems. Option B, Brahmagupta, wrote the Brahmasphutasiddhanta in 628 CE and is famous for rules on zero and negative numbers. Option D, Bhaskara II, is a twelfth century mathematician, the author of Siddhanta Shiromani, which includes the Lilavati.
Read the full article: Gupta Empire: Rulers, Administration and PYQs
Practice Questions
View allWhich dynasty ruled India between 320 AD and 550 AD?
- A.Mauryan Dynasty
- B.Hoysala Dynasty
- C.Magadha Dynasty
- D.Gupta Dynasty
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Gupta imperial rule is conventionally dated from about 320 CE, the epoch of the Gupta era that begins with the accession of Chandragupta I, and it faded out by about 550 CE after the Huna invasions.
Read the full explanation →During the Gupta Period, gold coins were called by which of the following names?
- A.Rupaka
- B.Tanka
- C.Drama
- D.Dinaras
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Gupta gold coins were called dinaras, a name borrowed from the Roman denarius that had already reached India through trade and through Kushana coinage.
Read the full explanation →Who was the first ruler of the Gupta Dynasty who claimed the title of Maharajadhiraja?
- A.Ramagupta
- B.Chandragupta I
- C.Samudragupta
- D.Skandagupta
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The first two members of the family, Sri Gupta and Ghatotkacha, used only the modest title Maharaja, which historians read as a sign that they were subordinate rulers.
Read the full explanation →The Allahabad Pillar Inscription, also known as the Prayag Prashasti, was composed by which court poet?
- A.Kalidasa
- B.Harishena
- C.Banabhatta
- D.Vishakhadatta
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Harishena was the court poet and a high officer of Samudragupta, and he composed the Prayag Prashasti in ornate Sanskrit, partly in verse and partly in prose.
Read the full explanation →Which Gupta ruler defeated the Shaka Kshatrapas of western India and assumed the title Shakari?
- A.Samudragupta
- B.Kumaragupta I
- C.Chandragupta II
- D.Skandagupta
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He ended the long rule of the Shaka Kshatrapas over Gujarat, Kathiawar and Malwa, took the title Shakari meaning enemy of the Shakas, and is also known by the title Vikramaditya.
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