WBCS.LIVE practice question

The Ashokan Pillar at Allahabad provides information about the reign of?

Solve this multiple-choice question and check the correct answer with its explanation below.

Answer options

  1. Chandragupta Maurya
  2. Chandragupta- I
  3. Chandragupta- II
  4. Samudragupta

Correct answer and explanation

Correct answer: Samudragupta

Explanation: The correct answer is D. Samudragupta. The Ashokan Pillar at Allahabad is historically significant not only for its original Ashokan edicts (3rd century BCE) but also for an important inscription related to Samudragupta of Gupta dynasty. This inscription is known as the Prayag Prashasti (also called Allahabad Pillar Inscription). It was composed by Harisena, a court poet and minister of Samudragupta. It describes his military campaigns, subjugation of frontier states, and charitable qualities, portraying him as a ‘Napoleon of India’ (as described by historian V.A. Smith).