Answer: Chandragupta II
Notes: The correct answer is [B] Chandragupta II. Fa-hien (Faxian) was the first Chinese Buddhist pilgrim to visit India, arriving during the height of the Gupta Empire (c. 399–414 CE).
- Chandragupta II (Correct): Also known as Vikramaditya, his reign is considered the "Golden Age" of the Gupta dynasty. Fa-hien visited India specifically to collect authentic copies of the Buddhist Vinaya Pitaka (Books of Discipline). Although he spent several years in the Gupta heartland (Pataliputra), he surprisingly does not mention the King by name in his travelogue, Fo-Kwo-Ki (Record of Buddhist Kingdoms).
- Observations of Fa-hien: He described the Middle Kingdom (Magadha) as a prosperous land where people were happy, vegetarianism was common among the elite, and the administration was mild, with no capital punishment and very little state interference.
- Samudragupta (Incorrect): Known as the "Napoleon of India," he was the father of Chandragupta II. His reign focused on extensive military conquests, recorded in the Allahabad Pillar Inscription (Prayag Prashasti).
- Kumaragupta I (Incorrect): The son of Chandragupta II, his reign was relatively peaceful until the Huna invasions toward the end. He is credited with the foundation of the Nalanda University.
- Skandagupta (Incorrect): The last of the great Gupta emperors, he is famous for successfully repelling the Huna (White Huns) invasions, saving the empire from immediate collapse.
