The History of the Gupta Period: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Ancient History)
1 previous year UPSC Prelims question on The History of the Gupta Period (Ancient History). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
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UPSC 1999Ancient History · The History of the Gupta Period
Q1. Which one of the following ports handled the north Indian trade during the Gupta period?
Explanation
The Gupta Empire, despite being primarily centered in the northern Indian subcontinent, had vast commercial connections with East Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The period saw the flourishing of maritime trade, which was facilitated by the strategic location of Indian ports along the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.
Option (a) is correct: Tamralipta or Tamralipti was the name of an ancient Gupta port city on the Bay of Bengal corresponding with Tamluk in modern-day India. Tamralipta may have been one of the most important urban centers of trade and commerce of early historic India, trading along the Silk Road with China, by Uttarapatha, the northern high road, the main trade route into the Middle East and Europe; and by seafaring routes to Bali, Java and the Far East.
Additional insight:
During the Gupta Period, the ports on the east coast were Ghantasala (Andhra Pradesh), Arikamedu (Puducheri) and Tamralipti (Odisha). On the west coast Bharuch and Cambay (Gujrat), Sopara and Kalyan (Maharashtra) were the key ports.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
1999
(a) Tamralipti
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on The History of the Gupta Period?
This page covers 1 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on The History of the Gupta Period (Ancient History), asked from 1995 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
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Questions on The History of the Gupta Period (Ancient History) are available for 8 years, from 1995 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
