Which empire is associated with a Golden Age of learning and early use of zero?

• A. Maurya Empire
• B. Gupta Empire
• C. Mughal Empire
• D. Chola Dynasty

Answer: (B)

Recognizing a Golden Age of learning and the early use of zero. The Gupta Empire, flourishing roughly from 320 to 550 CE, is celebrated for a revival of science, mathematics, literature, and arts, with centers of learning like Nalanda helping to make this a high point in Indian intellectual history. In mathematics, this era is linked to the development of the decimal place‑value system and the concept of zero as a number, with scholars such as Brahmagupta contributing formal rules for arithmetic that involve zero. This combination of scholarly activity and mathematical innovation epitomizes the Golden Age. By contrast, the Maurya period is known for political unification and Ashoka’s spread of Buddhism, the Mughal era for later architectural and cultural achievements, and the Chola dynasty for maritime prowess and temple-building, not for early zero use. So the Gupta Empire best fits the description.