Who among the following rulers in ancient India had assumed the titles 'Mattavilasa', 'Vichitrachitta' and 'Gunabhara'?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Mahendravarman I
The Mandagapattu inscription mentions the Pallava king Mahendravarman I, who ruled in the seventh century, with numerous titles such as Vichitrachitta (curious-minded), one of the three titles the question names. He was also a fine poet who left a satirical Sanskrit play.
- ✓ (a) Mahendravarman I, who ruled in the seventh century and built temples at Panamalai, Mandagapattu and Kanchipuram, is the king the Mandagapattu inscription credits with titles such as Vichitrachitta (curious-minded) and Chitrakarapuli (tiger among artists).
- ✗ (c) Narasimhavarman I, the son of Mahendravarman I, was also known as Mamalla ('wrestler' or 'warrior'); NCERT notes that he defeated Pulakeshin II and went on to capture Badami. That is not the set of titles in the question.
- ✗ (b) Simhavishnu is not the Pallava king whom NCERT links with the Mandagapattu inscription's titles such as Vichitrachitta; that is Mahendravarman I.
Remember · Mahendravarman I (Pallava, 7th century): titles such as Vichitrachitta and Chitrakarapuli at Mandagapattu; poet of a satirical Sanskrit play; rock-cut temples at Mandagapattu. His son Narasimhavarman I = Mamalla.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 5 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 5 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 5 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 5 “The inscription at Mandagapattu mentions Mahendravarman I with numerous titles such as Vichitrachitta (curious-minded),”
- NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 3 “Mahendravarman I himself was a fine poet who left a satirical Sanskrit play.”
- NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 3 “The latter was also known as 'Mamalla', which means 'wrestler' or 'warrior'; indeed, it was he who defeated Pulakeshin II and went on to capture Badami.”
- NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 5 “Chitrakarapuli (tiger among artists), Chaityakari (temple builder), which show his interest in art activities.”
- NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 5 “Mahendravarma I who ruled in the seventh century was responsible for building temples at Panamalai, Mandagapattu and Kanchipuram.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·