Which of the following is an early example of the Nagara style stone temple built in the Gupta period?
- A.Kailasa temple at Ellora
- B.Dashavatara temple at Deogarh
- C.Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur
- D.Sun temple at Konark
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, the Dashavatara temple at Deogarh in Uttar Pradesh. Built in the early sixth century, it is one of the first stone temples to carry a shikhara over the sanctum, the feature that defines the Nagara style, and its panels of Vishnu reclining on Shesha and of Nara-Narayana are standard illustrations of Gupta sculpture. Other Gupta temples often paired with it are the brick temple at Bhitargaon and temple number 17 at Sanchi.
Option A, the Kailasa temple at Ellora, was cut from the rock in the eighth century under the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I. Option C, the Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur, is a Dravida style temple of the Chola king Rajaraja I, completed in 1010 CE. Option D, the Sun temple at Konark, was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I in the thirteenth century.
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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