Who among the following rulers in ancient India had assumed the titles 'Mattavilasa', 'Vichitrachitta' and 'Gunabhara'?
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Answer: A. Mahendravarman I (about 600–630 CE) was a Pallava king. He took titles such as Mattavilasa, Vichitrachitta and Gunabhara. He also wrote the Sanskrit play 'Mattavilasa Prahasana'.
Watch for: Narasimhavarman I is the more famous Pallava; the key clue is the play 'Mattavilasa Prahasana', written by Mahendravarman I.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Wrong because Simhavishnu was Mahendravarman's father and is not known by these titles.
- C. Wrong because Narasimhavarman I was known as 'Mamalla' and 'Vatapikonda'.
- D. Wrong because Simhavarman was an earlier Pallava ruler not linked to these titles.
Source to check: Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India; R.S. Sharma, India's Ancient Past (old NCERT)
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.