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Q14 (IAS/2021) History & Culture › Ancient India › Post-Gupta regional kingdoms Official Key

From the decline of Guptas until the rise of Harshavardhana in the early seventh century, which of the following kingdoms were holding power in Northern India? 1. The Guptas of Magadha 2. The Paramaras of Malwa 3. The Pushyabhutis of Thanesar 4. The Maukharis of Kanauj 5. The Yadavas of Devagiri 6. The Maitrakas of Valabhi Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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Q. From the decline of Guptas until the rise of Harshavardhana in the early seventh century, which of the following kingdoms were holding po…

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Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 5/10

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This is a classic 'Chronological Cluster' question. It rewards knowing the *era* of a dynasty rather than just its name. It is directly solvable from the Tamil Nadu Class XI History textbook (Chapter 8), which explicitly lists these specific dynasties as the 'sub-regional kingdoms' filling the vacuum after the Guptas.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1: Did the Guptas of Magadha hold political power in Northern India during the period from the decline of the Gupta Empire (c. 6th century CE) to the rise of Harshavardhana (early 7th century CE)?
Statement 2: Did the Paramara dynasty of Malwa hold political power in Northern India during the period from the decline of the Gupta Empire (c. 6th century CE) to the rise of Harshavardhana (early 7th century CE)?
Statement 3: Did the Pushyabhuti dynasty of Thanesar hold political power in Northern India during the period from the decline of the Gupta Empire (c. 6th century CE) to the rise of Harshavardhana (early 7th century CE)?
Statement 4: Did the Maukharis of Kanauj hold political power in Northern India during the period from the decline of the Gupta Empire (c. 6th century CE) to the rise of Harshavardhana (early 7th century CE)?
Statement 5: Did the Yadavas of Devagiri hold political power in Northern India during the period from the decline of the Gupta Empire (c. 6th century CE) to the rise of Harshavardhana (early 7th century CE)?
Statement 6: Did the Maitraka dynasty of Valabhi hold political power in Northern India during the period from the decline of the Gupta Empire (c. 6th century CE) to the rise of Harshavardhana (early 7th century CE)?

Statement 1

Did the Guptas of Magadha hold political power in Northern India during the period from the decline of the Gupta Empire (c. 6th century CE) to the rise of Harshavardhana (early 7th century CE)?

Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable

From standard books

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms > I Harsha > p. 115

Presence: 5/5

“• The period between the Guptas and the Vardhanas saw many independent principalities. North India lacked a strong central power. • The Huns, Maithrakas of Valabhi, Maukharis of Kanauj, Yasodharman of Mandasor, Pushyabhutis of Thaneswar and Later Guptas of Magadha were sub-regional kingdoms. • Harsha maintained cordial relations with China and the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang recorded the socio-religious conditions of the people of that period.”

Why this source?

Explicitly identifies Later Guptas of Magadha as sub-regional kingdoms in the interregnum between the imperial Guptas and the Vardhanas.
States North India lacked a strong central power in this period, implying regional Gupta authority persisted at a sub-imperial level.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Fahien's account on Mathura and Pataliputra > p. 93

Presence: 4/5

“He was able to repulse an attack by the Huns, but the recurrence of Huns' invasion strained his empire's coffers. The Gupta Empire declined after the death of Skanda Gupta in 467 CE. He was followed by many successors who hastened the end of the Gupta Empire. The last recognised king of the Gupta line was Vishnu Gupta who reigned from 540 to 550 CE. The origin of Huns is not definitely known. According to Roman historian Tacitus, they were a barbarian tribe living near Caspian Sea and contributed to the fall of Roman Empire. They organized under Attila and were known for their savagery and bestiality in Europe.”

Why this source?

Places the decline of the Gupta Empire in the 5th–6th century and records successors continuing into the mid-6th century (last recognised king c. 540–550 CE).
Provides a timeline anchor showing Gupta line persisted into the 6th century, consistent with later local/regional Gupta presence.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity > The Decline of the Guptas > p. 161

Presence: 4/5

“By the 6th century CE, the Gupta Empire began showing signs of decline as the later rulers faced challenges from external invasions. The fierce Hūṇa tribe from central Asia repeatedly attacked the empire, weakening its control over north India. At the same time, the rise of powerful regional rulers led to internal conflicts. However, was this truly the end, or the beginning of a period that marked a turning point in Indian history? We will explore this question in the next part of this book.”

Why this source?

Notes the Gupta Empire showed signs of decline by the 6th century due to Hūṇa invasions and the rise of powerful regional rulers.
Supports the context of weakening imperial control while regional (including Magadha) actors continued to exert political power.

Statement analysis