Question map
Which one of the following was the official language of Gupta period?
Explanation
The Gupta period is widely recognized as the 'Golden Age' of Sanskrit literature. While Prakrit was the vernacular language spoken by the common people, the Guptas adopted Sanskrit as their official court and administrative language [t1][t2]. All major epigraphic records and royal inscriptions of the Gupta dynasty, such as the famous Allahabad Pillar inscription of Samudragupta, were composed in refined Classical Sanskrit [c1][t2]. This era witnessed the final recension of the great epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the flourishing of secular literature by scholars like Kalidasa [c1][t5]. Although regional dialects like Magadhi Prakrit existed, Sanskrit served as the medium for official communication, religious texts (Smritis and Puranas), and intellectual discourse among the elite [c1][t2][t5]. Consequently, Sanskrit is established as the official language of the Gupta Empire.
Sources
- [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Sanskrit Literature > p. 99