Kalidas who is honoured as 'Kavikulaguru' has left no reliable trace of his personal life and family history or the period during which he lived and wrote. The gloom and obscurity which encompasses kalidas's life is however so profound that scholars, both Indian and European, in spite of colossal efforts, have been as yet unable to penetrate into and unravel the mystery, and various dates have been ascribed to him ranging from the 8th century B.C to the 8th century A.D Some scholars assume that Kalidas was the king of poet in the court of king Vikramaditya. On the other side some scholars say that, Kalidas existed during the reign of Chandragupta 2. Some suppose that he was a protégé of King Bhoja who lived in the 11th century A.D.
Kalidas was also known as other names,e.g "Rudragupta", "Megharudra","Kotijit". Kalidas has been given a place of honour therein as 'Matrugupta'. Matrugupta means "one under the protection of the mother( Kali).A poet named Vatsabhatti is said to have imitated some verses of Kalidasa.His famous dramas are 'Malvikagnimitra',' Vikramorvashiyam', ' Abhidnyanashakuntalam'. Kalidas has also written the poetic composition named 'Raghuvansham', 'Kumarsambhav' and 'Rutusamhar' insists the description of nature. His poetic composition 'Meghdoot' is the most famous. By studying the Meghadoot we come to know how scholar the Kalidas was in geography.
Many western poets praised Kalidas. One of the French poet danced by placing the book 'Abhidnyanashakuntalam' after reading the English translation of it.
Even the Goethe commented on thAbhdnyanashakuntalam as follows:-

Wouldst thou (you) the young year's blossoms
and the fruits of its decline
And all by which the soul is charmed
enraptured, feasted and fed,
Wouldst thou the Earth and Heaven
itself in one sole name combine,
I name thee, Oh Shakuntala,
and all at once is said.

पुरा कवीनां गणना प्रसंगे कनिष्ठिकाधिष्ठित कालिदास।
अद्यापि ततुल्यकवेरभावात् अनामिका सार्थवतीबभूव।।