Ans: A

Exp: 

Kharavela rose to power in Kalinga in the middle of the 1st century BCE. He dispatched an army to the west without caring for Satakarni; this suggests that early Satavahana power suffered setbacks both at the hands of the Kshatrapas and of Kharavela. It was revived only through the exploits of Gautamiputra Satakarni.

The maximum territorial expansion of the Kushana empire took place during Kanishka I’s reign. The accession of Kanishka is dated between 78 and 144 CE. An Era based on 78 CE has come to be called the Saka Era, but it is also thought by some to be linked to the accession of Kanishka.

The Chalukya kingdom rapidly rose to prominence during the reign of Pulakesin II (AD 610–642). He was the greatest ruler of the Chalukyas. He consolidated his authority in Maharashtra and conquered large parts of Deccan. 

The Cholas came to power after overthrowing the authority of the Pallavas in South India. The founder of the Chola dynasty was Vijayalaya (9th century AD) but the real architects of the glory of the dynasty were Rajaraja I (AD 985–AD 1014) and his son Rajendra I (AD 1014–AD 1044).

Ans: A

Exp:
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Kushanas (c. first century BCEfirst century CE), who ruled over a vast kingdom extending from Central Asia to northwest India. Their history has been reconstructed from inscriptions and textual traditions. 

Statement 2 is correct: The Colossal statues of Kushana rulers have been found installed in a shrine at Mat near Mathura(Uttar Pradesh). Similar statues have been found in a shrine in Afghanistan as well.

Statement 3 is correct: Some historians feel this indicates that the Kushanas considered themselves godlike. Many Kushana rulers also adopted the title devaputra, or “son of god”, possibly inspired by Chinese rulers who called themselves sons of heaven.

Ans: C

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: The Sudarshana (beautiful) lake in Gujarat. The Sudarshan lake was an artificial reservoir known from a rock inscription (c. second century CE) in Sanskrit, composed to record the achievements of the Shaka ruler Rudradaman. The inscription mentions that the lake, with embankments and water channels, was built by a local governor during the rule of the Mauryas. However, a terrible storm broke the embankments and water gushed out of the lake. 

Statement 2 is correct: Rudradaman, who was then ruling in the area, claimed to have got the lake repaired using his own resources, without imposing any tax on his subjects.Another inscription on the same rock (c. fifth century) mentions how one of the rulers of the Gupta dynasty got the lake repaired once again.

Ans: D

Exp: 

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Harshacharita is a biography of Harshavardhana, the ruler of Kanauj, composed in Sanskrit by his court poet, Banabhatta (c. seventh century CE). This is an excerpt from the text, an extremely rare representation of life in a settlement on the outskirts of a forest in the Vindhyas:

Statement 2 is incorrect: Xuan Zang, and other pilgrims spent time studying in Nalanda, (Bihar) the most famous Buddhist monastery of the period. This is how he describes it: The teachers are men of the highest ability and talent. They follow the teachings of the Buddha in all sincerity. The rules of the monastery are strict, and everyone has to follow them. Discussions are held throughout the day, and the old and the young mutually help one another. Learned men from different cities come here to settle their doubts.

Ans: A

Exp:

Literature During the Gupta Period: