Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s2.t18.5

v2.c10.s2.t18.5

of history, the *Culture and Civilization of Ancient India in Historical Outline*. In this period, China and India had both enormous and varied cultural achievements and it was natural for India to have so great a poet as Kalidasa. A common belief was that Kalidasa was born in the holy city of Ujjayini, present-day Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh in central India. Ujjayini was one of important political, economic, scientific and cultural centres in ancient India. From his works, Kalidasa seemed to be quite familiar with this city, and this indicates that he might have lived there for long. He is said to be one of nine court treasures of Vikramaditya, who was probably also known as Candra Gupta II of Gupta Dynasty. So, Kalidasa might have lived during the reign of both Candra Gupta II and his son Kumara Gupta I (380-455 CE). Although little is known about his life, but there are many legendary stories about him. Based on works of Kalidasa, A L Basham believed this poet to be open and elegant, sympathetic to others’ suffering and to the feelings of women and children, and also fond of plants, birds and animals.