Consider the following statements about the Gupta administrative system : 1. The Gupta kings assumed imperial titles such as Maharajadhiraja, Parama-bhattaraka and Parameshvara. 2. The Gupta kings also connected themselves with the Gods through epithets such as Parama-daivata and Parama-bhagavata. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Both statements are correct regarding the Gupta administrative system. The Gupta period saw the adoption of high-sounding imperial titles and the divine legitimation of kingship.

• Statement 1: Gupta rulers like Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II adopted titles such as Maharajadhiraja (King of Kings), Parameshvara, and Parama-bhattaraka to emphasize their supreme power over a network of feudatories and lesser kings.
• Statement 2: The Guptas claimed divine status or close association with the divine. They used epithets like Parama-bhagavata (devout worshipper of Vishnu) and Parama-daivata. In the Allahabad Pillar Inscription (Prayag Prashasti), Samudragupta is described as a god living on earth and compared to deities like Dhanada (Kubera), Varuna, Indra, and Antaka (Yama).

This practice of divinization helped legitimize their rule and was a distinct feature of the Gupta political ideology compared to the Mauryas.