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Q10 (IAS/2016) History & Culture › Culture, Literature, Religion & Philosophy › Ancient and classical literature Official Key

Which one of the following books of ancient India has the love story of the son of the founder of Sunga dynasty?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

Kalidasa's famous dramas include Malavikagnimitram[1], which is the correct answer. Pushyamitra was the Sunga emperor who had usurped the throne after the last Mauryan ruler[2], making him the founder of the Sunga dynasty. Malavikagnimitram tells the love story of Agnimitra, who was Pushyamitra's son and successor. The play revolves around King Agnimitra's romantic involvement with Malavika, a palace servant who is later revealed to be a princess. The other options are incorrect: Swapnavasavadatta is a play by Bhasa about Udayana; Meghadoota is Kalidasa's lyrical poem about a yaksha sending a message through a cloud; and Ratnavali is attributed to Harsha, dealing with King Udayana's story. Only Malavikagnimitram specifically features the son of the Sunga dynasty's founder.

Sources
  1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Secular Literature > p. 99
  2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period > Demetrius > p. 78
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Q. Which one of the following books of ancient India has the love story of the son of the founder of Sunga dynasty? [A] Swapnavasavadatta …
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10
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This is a classic 'Sitter' question. It rewards basic reading of Ancient History standard texts (RS Sharma or TN Board). The question sits at the intersection of Political History (Sunga Dynasty) and Cultural History (Sanskrit Literature), a favorite zone for UPSC.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Which ancient Indian play/book contains the love story of Agnimitra, the son of Pushyamitra Sunga (founder of the Sunga dynasty)?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Secular Literature > p. 99
Presence: 5/5
“Samudragupta himself had established his fame as Kaviraja. It is widely believed that his court was adorned by the celebrated navaratnas like Kalidasa, Amarasimha, Visakadatta and Dhanvantri. Kalidasa's famous dramas are Sakunthalam, Malavikagnimitram and Vikramaurvashiyam. The works of Sudraka (Mrichchhakatika), Visakhadatta (Mudraraksasa and Devichandraguptam) and the lesser known dramatists and writers also contributed to the literary and social values in the classical age.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly lists the classical drama title 'Malavikagnimitram' among Kalidasa's famous plays.
  • The play title contains the element 'Agnimitram', indicating a central role or subject named Agnimitra.
  • Places the play within the established classical (Kalidasa) repertoire, supporting its identification as an ancient play.
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period > Demetrius > p. 78
Presence: 4/5
“They ceded land to Pushyamitra, the Sunga emperor who had usurped the throne after the last Mauryan ruler. Numismatic evidence also proves Demetrius's”
Why this source?
  • Identifies Pushyamitra as the Sunga emperor who usurped the throne after the last Mauryan ruler.
  • Provides the historical figure (Pushyamitra Sunga) referenced in the statement, linking the royal context for Agnimitra.
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects > Decline of Buddhism in India > p. 44
Presence: 3/5
“Buddhism also lost its royal patronage after Harshavardhana. In contrast, the Vedic religion got royal patronage first from Pushyamitra Sunga and later from imperial Guptas. The role of the exponents of Bhakti movement like Ramanuja, Ramananda also helped to restore the glory of Vedic religion.”
Why this source?
  • Notes Pushyamitra Sunga's patronage and prominence (Vedic religion received royal patronage from him).
  • Reinforces the historical significance of Pushyamitra within the Sunga period mentioned in the statement.
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