RAS question
Which Gupta ruler successfully repelled the Huna invasion and is considered the last great Gupta emperor?
Correct answer: (D) Skandagupta.
Skandagupta was the Gupta ruler who defeated the Hunas and is regarded as the last strong ruler of the Gupta dynasty.
Explanation
Skandagupta fits both parts of the question. He ruled in 455-467 CE and defeated the Hunas while keeping the Gupta Empire intact. eGyanKosh Unit 11: Gupta Dynasty supports this directly: after Kumaragupta I, Skandagupta halted the growing threat from enemies, defeated the Huns, and preserved the empire inherited from his father and grandfather. This also explains why the title "last great" is attached to him: after Skandagupta, the Gupta Empire began to crumble, and no later ruler had the strength to check enemy invasions. His death therefore marks the point after which Gupta power moved into rapid decline.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Buddhagupta appears in the later succession after Skandagupta, when the dynasty was already waning, and is not identified as the ruler who checked the Huna invasion.
- (B) Chandragupta II strengthened and expanded the Gupta Empire against the Shakas, but the Huna invasion belongs to Skandagupta's reign.
- (C) Kumaragupta I ruled before Skandagupta; trouble in his final days was handled by his son Skandagupta, who later faced the Huns as ruler.
Concept
This tests the Gupta phase of Ancient Indian history, especially the link between external invasions and imperial decline. It recurs in RAS because one ruler's military success, Skandagupta against the Hunas, is also used to date the weakening of Gupta power.