RAS question
The Aihole inscription was composed by Ravikirti during the reign of:
Correct answer: (B) Pulakeshin II.
The Aihole inscription was composed by the poet Ravikirti in 634 CE during the reign of the Badami Chalukya king Pulakeshin II.
Explanation
The Aihole inscription is tied to Pulakeshin II because this Sanskrit inscription was composed by the poet Ravikirti in 634 CE on the wall of the Meguti temple under the Badami Chalukya king Pulakeshin II. Ravikirti was Pulakeshin II's court poet, and the inscription praises Pulakeshin II, records his victory over Harsha, and describes his other achievements. That is why it is treated as an important source for Chalukya history: it links a named author, a clear date, and a major Chalukya ruler with political and cultural claims from his reign.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Pulakeshin I is not the answer because he was the founder of the Chalukya dynasty, while the inscription is linked to Pulakeshin II.
- (C) Vikramaditya I is not the answer because he is associated with recapturing Vatapi from the Pallavas, not with Ravikirti's Aihole inscription.
- (D) Vikramaditya II is not the answer because he was a later Chalukya ruler, whereas the inscription belongs to Pulakeshin II's reign.
Concept
This tests ancient Indian epigraphy as a source for political history. RAS often asks such inscription-ruler links because they connect authors, dates, dynasties, and events in one factual anchor.