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Difficulty: Very hardAncient Indian Civilizations and Early Empires

Chronological precision regarding epigraphic records, royal accessions, and major geopolitical turning points is essential for understanding Ancient Indian history. Consider the following significant developments from the Mauryan to the Gupta periods:

1. Erection of the Heliodorus Garuda Pillar at Besnagar during the reign of Shunga ruler Bhagabhadra
2. Composition of the Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription) by court poet Harishena
3. The Kalinga War waged by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka
4. Ascension of Kushan Emperor Kanishka I and the commencement of the Shaka Era

Which of the following sequences correctly arranges these historical events in chronological order, from the earliest to the latest?

  1. 1The Kalinga War waged by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka
  2. 2Erection of the Heliodorus Garuda Pillar at Besnagar during the reign of Shunga ruler Bhagabhadra
  3. 3Ascension of Kushan Emperor Kanishka I and the commencement of the Shaka Era
  4. 4Composition of the Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription) by court poet Harishena

Answer

The correct chronological order from earliest to latest is: The Kalinga War waged by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (c. 261 BCE) → Erection of the Heliodorus Garuda Pillar at Besnagar (c. 113 BCE) → Ascension of Kushan Emperor Kanishka I and the commencement of the Shaka Era (78 CE) → Composition of the Prayaga Prashasti by court poet Harishena (c. 350 CE).
The correct chronological sequence begins with the Kalinga War (c. 261 BCE) during the Mauryan period. Following the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the Indo-Greek envoy Heliodorus set up the Besnagar Garuda Pillar dedicated to Vasudeva during the reign of Shunga King Bhagabhadra in c. 113 BCE. Next, Kushan King Kanishka I ascended the throne in 78 CE, initiating the Shaka Era. Finally, during the expansion of the Gupta Empire in the mid-4th century CE (c. 350 CE), Harishena authored the Prayaga Prashasti praising Samudragupta.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the date of the Mauryan event
The Kalinga War took place in c. 261 BCE (8th regnal year of Ashoka). This places it in the 3rd century BCE, making it the earliest event among the options.
Ashoka's coronation occurred around 268 BCE, and Major Rock Edict XIII explicitly dates the Kalinga campaign to eight years after his coronation.
2
Determine the date of the Post-Mauryan/Shunga epigraphic event
The Garuda Pillar at Besnagar was erected by Heliodorus, an ambassador sent by the Indo-Greek King Antialcidas of Taxila to King Bhagabhadra of the Shunga dynasty, in c. 113 BCE (late 2nd century BCE).
The Shunga dynasty succeeded the Mauryas around 185 BCE, placing this contact between Indo-Greeks and Shungas in the post-Mauryan era.
3
Determine the date of the Kushan imperial landmark
Kanishka I ascended the throne in 78 CE, an era epoch later recognized as the Shaka Era used in historical Indian calendrical calculations.
The Kushan Empire flourished in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, post-dating the Shunga-Indo-Greek interaction phase.
4
Determine the date of the Gupta imperial inscription
The Prayaga Prashasti was composed by Harishena during the height of Samudragupta's reign in the mid-4th century CE (c. 350 CE).
The Imperial Gupta dynasty was established by Chandragupta I in 319–320 CE, making Samudragupta's eulogy the latest event in the sequence.

Key Concept

Chronological Sequence of Ancient Indian Dynasties, Foreign Incursions, and Epigraphic Records
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Ancient Indian Civilizations and Early Empires

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