Which one of the following was NOT a way in which kings in ancient Ind

Which one of the following was NOT a way in which kings in ancient India attempted to claim a higher status ?

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Identifying with a variety of deities

Assuming pompous titles

Imposing high taxes

Conquests and annexation of territories

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-2 – 2023

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Ancient Indian kings used various methods to elevate their status and legitimize their rule. Identifying with deities (e.g., claiming divine lineage or being representatives of gods) was a common way to reinforce authority. Assuming grand and pompous titles (like Maharajadhiraja, Samrat, Chakravartin) directly proclaimed their power and superiority. Conquests and annexation of territories demonstrated military strength and expanded their influence, bringing prestige and validating their claim to a higher status. Imposing high taxes, while a means of extracting resources and exercising power, was primarily an administrative and economic function rather than a method for *claiming* higher inherent status. High taxes could even lead to resentment rather than being a source of popular legitimacy for elevated status.

Claiming higher status often involved symbolic actions, assertions of divine connection, military prowess, and grand pronouncements, distinguishing it from the practical exercise of administrative power like taxation.

Examples include the Kushana rulers adopting titles like ‘Devaputra’ (son of god), Gupta emperors using titles like ‘Maharajadhiraja’, and numerous dynasties performing Ashvamedha sacrifices after conquests to assert their paramountcy.

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