History of India - 2

The theory that Aryans originated from the Mediterranean sea region is not the widely accepted historical consensus; most theories point to Central Asia or the Eurasian Steppes.

Pushyamitra Sunga was the founder and first king of the Sunga dynasty, having overthrown the last Mauryan emperor, Brihadratha.

The Gandhara School of Art flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, particularly under the patronage of the Kushan Empire, especially Kanishka.

The Kalinga War, which had a profound impact on Ashoka and led to his conversion to Buddhism, took place in 261 BC.

Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, established his capital at Pataliputra (modern-day Patna). Taxila and Ujjain were important provincial centers, but not the primary capital.

Kanishka the Great, a ruler of the Kushan Empire, had his capital at Purushapura, which is modern-day Peshawar in Pakistan.

Rajaraja Chola I, a powerful Chola king, expanded his influence and territory significantly, including parts of modern-day Sri Lanka and the Maldives, marking a notable expansion of Indian political power outside the subcontinent.

Gupta Empire is known as golden period of Indian history. 

The title 'Maharajadhiraja' or King of Kings was used by Gupta rulers, with Chandragupta I, the dynasty founder, being particularly associated with it. The question uses 'Chandragupta' without specifying which one.

Kalidasa, the renowned Sanskrit poet and dramatist, is widely believed to have flourished during the reign of Chandragupta II, who was also known as Vikramaditya.

Sri Gupta is traditionally considered the founder of the Gupta dynasty, but among the choices provided, Chandragupta I is the most prominent early ruler often associated with the dynasty's rise to imperial status.

Faxian (Fahien) was a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India during the reign of Chandragupta II to collect Buddhist scriptures.

Dantidurga was the founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, having overthrown the Chalukyas of Badami in the mid-8th century.

The Iron Pillar of Delhi, known for its resistance to corrosion, is attributed to the reign of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) of the Gupta dynasty.

Ashoka is widely recognized for uniting almost the entire Indian subcontinent under the Mauryan Empire, following his conquest of Kalinga.

Alexander the Great invaded the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent in 326 BC, leading to the Battle of the Hydaspes against King Porus.

Vijayalaya Chola revived the Chola dynasty in the 9th century by capturing Thanjavur, making it the capital of the medieval Chola Empire.

Xuanzang (Hieun Tsang) was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India and visited the court of Emperor Harshavardhana in the 7th century.

Qutb-ud-din Aibak, a former general of Muhammad Ghori, established the Slave dynasty (also known as the Mamluk dynasty) in 1206 AD.

The Pallava dynasty, which ruled parts of southern India, had their capital at Kanchipuram (Kanchi).

Mahmud of Ghazni is traditionally recorded as having conducted 17 invasions of India between 1000 and 1027 AD.

Mahmud of Ghazni's primary objectives were to plunder the immense wealth of Indian temples and cities to finance his empire in Central Asia, and to spread Islam, rather than establishing a permanent empire in India.

Muhammad Ghori's first major invasion of India is generally cited as occurring in 1175 AD with his attack on Multan.