Ancient and Medieval Indian Rulers

Lumbini, located in present-day Nepal, is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama who became the Buddha. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major Buddhist pilgrimage site. Pataliputra (Patna) was the Mauryan capital, while Gandhara was a Buddhist art center.

Nara Chandra Babu Naidu served as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for 9 years and 9 months in total. His first term was from September 1995 to May 2004 (8 years 8 months), and his second term was from June 2014 to May 2019 (4 years 11 months), totaling approximately 9 years and 9 months of tenure.

Chandragupta II of the Gupta Empire adopted the title 'Vikramaditya' (Sun of Power), which became associated with a legendary ideal king in Indian tradition. His reign (c. 380-415 CE) is considered the golden age of the Gupta Empire, marked by great cultural and literary achievements including Kalidasa's works.

Alauddin Khilji, the Delhi Sultanate ruler (1296-1316), adopted the title "Sikandar-i-Sani" meaning "The Second Alexander" to project his imperial ambitions and compare himself to Alexander the Great's conquests. Samudragupta was called "Indian Napoleon", Chandragupta founded the Mauryan Empire, and Kanishka was a Kushan ruler.

Before becoming emperor in 268 BCE, Ashoka served as viceroy of Taxila (and later Ujjain) during his father Bindusara's reign. Taxila was an important northwestern provincial capital and center of learning. This administrative experience in distant regions prepared him for ruling the vast Mauryan Empire after his father's death.

The Sanchi Stupa was commissioned by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. It is one of the oldest stone structures in India and an important Buddhist monument containing relics of the Buddha.

Ibn Battuta visited India during the reign of Mohammad Bin Tughlaq (1325-1351 CE). The Moroccan explorer spent several years in India (1333-1341) and even served as a qazi (judge) in the Tughlaq administration.

The Wodeyar dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from the 14th century until 1947. Mysore was a major princely state in British India, and the Wodeyars were known for their patronage of arts, culture, and administrative reforms under rulers like Tipu Sultan and later under British suzerainty.

Bhishma (Bheesma) was the first commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army in the Kurukshetra war. He led the army for the first 10 days before falling. After him, Drona took command, followed by Karna, and finally Shalya.

King Bharat was the son of King Dushmanta (also spelled Dushyant) and Shakuntala, according to the Mahabharata tradition. Bharat was a legendary king after whom India (Bharat) is named. Dasharatha was Ramas father, Dhritarashtra was from the Mahabharata but not Bharats father, and Dhruva was a devotee, not a king in this lineage.

Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE) ruled the Magadha kingdom, which had its capital at Pataliputra (modern Patna). The Mauryan dynasty, founded by Chandragupta Maurya, was based in Magadha. Ujjayini was an important city but Ashoka was governor there before becoming emperor of the entire Mauryan Empire centered on Magadha.

Hue En Sung (a Chinese traveler) visited India during the reign of Emperor Harshavardhana (Harsha) of Kannauj (7th century CE). Harsha ruled a large empire in northern India from 606-647 CE. Kanishka ruled earlier (2nd century CE), Ashok was much earlier (3rd century BCE), and Samudragupta ruled in the 4th century CE.

Kanishka (2nd century CE) was the most famous ruler of the Kushana Empire (also spelled Shaka or Shakas in some Indian texts). The Kushanas controlled parts of Central Asia and northern India. The Gupta Empire came later (4th-6th century), the Huns were different invaders (6th century), and Kanishka definitively belonged to the Kushana/Shaka dynasty.

Sanghamitra (or Sanghamitta), Emperor Ashoka's daughter and a Buddhist nun, went to Sri Lanka in 247 BCE to spread Buddhism. She carried a sapling of the Bodhi tree and established the Bhikkhuni Sangha (order of nuns) in Sri Lanka. Her brother Mahendra had already introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka earlier. While Ashoka sent them (making A partially relevant), Sanghamitra personally went and established Buddhism there. Option C is correct. Samudragupta was a later Hindu ruler, and Chitragupta is a mythological figure.

The Brihadishwara Temple (also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil) in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, was built by the Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest temples in India. Rajendra Chola was his son, and Vengi refers to a territory, not a person.