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Q66 (IAS/2020) History & Culture › Culture, Literature, Religion & Philosophy › Ancient and classical literature Official Key

With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements : 1. Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga. 2. Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana. 3. Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta - II. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3 because only the third statement is chronologically and historically accurate.

  • Statement 1 is incorrect: Panini, the celebrated Sanskrit grammarian who authored the Ashtadhyayi, is generally dated between the 6th and 4th century BCE. Pushyamitra Shunga, however, ruled much later in the 2nd century BCE. It was Patanjali, the author of Mahabhasya, who was contemporary to Pushyamitra Shunga.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: Amarasimha, the author of the Sanskrit lexicon Amarakosha, was one of the "Nine Gems" (Navaratnas) in the court of Chandra Gupta II (Gupta Dynasty). Harshavardhana (Vardhana Dynasty) ruled in the 7th century CE and was associated with scholars like Banabhatta.
  • Statement 3 is correct: Kalidasa, the legendary poet and playwright (author of Shakuntala and Meghaduta), is traditionally and historically recognized as the most prominent of the "Nine Gems" in the court of Chandra Gupta II (Vikramaditya).

Therefore, since only statement 3 is valid, Option 3 is the right choice.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements : 1. Panini is associated with Pushyamitr…
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10

This is a classic 'Timeline Mismatch' trap. The examiner took famous figures and paired them with rulers from completely different centuries. If you had memorized the standard 'Navaratnas' list of the Gupta period and the basic chronology of Sanskrit grammar (Panini → Patanjali), this was a free hit.

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
For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court was the grammarian Panini associated with?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: The Rise of Empires > DON'T MISS OUT > p. 95
Presence: 5/5
“The famed Sanskrit grammarian Pāṇini lived around the 5th century BCE, during the time of the Nandas. He is known for composing the Aṣhṭādhyāyi, an ancient text that lists the rules of Sanskrit grammar in 3,996 short sūtras. Sūtras: Sutras are concise, carefully crafted phrases that capture knowledge and important ideas (from ancient Indian text) in a way that's easy to remember and pass on.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly places Pāṇini around the 5th century BCE and states this was during the time of the Nandas.
  • Names Pāṇini as the author of the Aṣṭādhyāyī, tying his activity to that historical period.
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Art and Culture > p. 60
Presence: 4/5
“Most of the literature and art of the period have not survived. Sanskrit language and literature. Emergence of State and Empire were enriched by the work of the grammarian Panini (c. 500 BCE), and Katyayana, who was a contemporary of the Nandas and had written a commentary on Panini's work. Buddhist and Jain texts were primarily written in Pali. Evidently many literary works in Sanskrit were produced during this period and find mention in later works, but they are not available to us. The Arthasastra notes the performing arts of the period, including music, instrumental music, bards, dance and theatre.”
Why this source?
  • Gives Panini's date (c. 500 BCE), providing chronological support for association with the Nanda era.
  • Links later grammarians (Katyayana) as contemporaries of the Nandas, reinforcing the temporal-cultural milieu.
Statement 2
For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court was the lexicographer Amarasimha (author of the Amarakosha) associated with?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Fahien's account on Mathura and Pataliputra > p. 93
Presence: 5/5
“Vikramaditya and Sakari. His court had nine jewels or navaratnas, that is, nine eminent people in various fields of art, literature and science. This included the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, the Sanskrit scholar Harisena, the lexicographer Amarasimha, and the physician Dhanvantari. Fahien, the Buddhist scholar from China, visited India during his reign. He records the prosperity of the Gupta Empire. Chandragupta II was the first Gupta ruler to issue silver coins. Chandragupta II was succeeded by his son Kumara Gupta I, who founded the Nalanda University. He was also called Sakraditya. The last great king of the Gupta dynasty, Skanda Gupta, was the son of Kumara Gupta I.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly places Amarasimha among the 'nine jewels' (navaratnas) of Vikramaditya's royal court.
  • Groups Amarasimha with other eminent Gupta-period scholars (e.g., Kalidasa, Harisena), tying him to that courtly milieu.
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Sanskrit Grammar > p. 99
Presence: 5/5
“The Gupta period also saw the development of Sanskrit grammar based on Panini who wrote Ashtadhyayi and Patanjali who wrote Mahabhashya on the topic. This period is particularly memorable for the compilation of the Amarakosa, a thesaurus in Sanskrit, by Amarasimha. A Buddhist scholar from Bengal, Chandrogomia, composed a book on grammar named Chandravyakaranam.”
Why this source?
  • States that the Amarakosha, a Sanskrit thesaurus, was compiled by Amarasimha during the Gupta period.
  • Connects Amarasimha's lexicographical work to the broader Gupta-era development of Sanskrit grammar and literature.
Statement 3
For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court was the poet Kalidasa associated with?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Fahien's account on Mathura and Pataliputra > p. 93
Presence: 5/5
“Vikramaditya and Sakari. His court had nine jewels or navaratnas, that is, nine eminent people in various fields of art, literature and science. This included the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, the Sanskrit scholar Harisena, the lexicographer Amarasimha, and the physician Dhanvantari. Fahien, the Buddhist scholar from China, visited India during his reign. He records the prosperity of the Gupta Empire. Chandragupta II was the first Gupta ruler to issue silver coins. Chandragupta II was succeeded by his son Kumara Gupta I, who founded the Nalanda University. He was also called Sakraditya. The last great king of the Gupta dynasty, Skanda Gupta, was the son of Kumara Gupta I.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly names Kalidasa as one of the nine jewels (navaratnas) of Vikramaditya's court.
  • Links the title Vikramaditya with the Gupta imperial context, connecting Kalidasa to the Gupta royal court.
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Secular Literature > p. 99
Presence: 4/5
“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?
  • States it is widely believed that Kalidasa adorned the court of a Gupta ruler (Samudragupta) as one of the navaratnas.
  • Lists Kalidasa's major works, reinforcing his identification as a prominent court poet of the classical (Gupta) age.
Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity > A New Power Emerges > p. 149
Presence: 4/5
“The inscription on the iron pillar in Delhi speaks of a king named 'Chandra', who has been identified with Chandragupta II (not to be confused with Chandragupta Maurya from the Maurya dynasty, whom we met earlier). Chandragupta II, also known as 'Vikramāditya', was one of the renowned rulers of the Gupta dynasty. He was a devotee of Viṣhṇu and his mount (vāhana) Garuḍa often appears on many inscriptions.”
Why this source?
  • Identifies Chandragupta II with the royal epithet Vikramāditya, clarifying which Gupta ruler is meant by 'Vikramaditya'.
  • Strengthens the link between Kalidasa and the Gupta imperial court when combined with references to Vikramaditya's navaratnas.
Pattern takeaway: UPSC loves swapping 'BCE figures' with 'CE rulers'. They deliberately confused Panini (500 BCE) with Patanjali (150 BCE) in Statement 1. The pattern is to test if you can distinguish the Mauryan/Pre-Gupta intellectual era from the Gupta 'Golden Age' consolidation.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Directly solvable from TN Class XI History (Ch 4 & 7) or RS Sharma. If you missed this, your Ancient History core is weak.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Patronage & Court Literature. The recurring theme is 'Who adorned whose court?' and the chronological evolution of Sanskrit literature.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize these specific Patron-Scholar pairs: (1) Pushyamitra Shunga → Patanjali (Mahabhasya); (2) Kanishka → Ashvaghosha, Nagarjuna, Charaka; (3) Harsha → Banabhatta (Harshacharita), Mayura; (4) Pulakeshin II → Ravikirti; (5) Yashovarman → Bhavabhuti; (6) Lakshmanasena → Jayadeva.
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not read names in isolation. Always tag a scholar with their 'Century' and 'Patron'. Panini (5th C. BCE) cannot be with Shunga (2nd C. BCE). Amarasimha is a Gupta-era lexicographer (Classical Sanskrit), distinct from the later Harsha era.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Panini — 5th century BCE and the Nanda period
💡 The insight

Pāṇini lived around the 5th century BCE and his career falls within the era identified with the Nanda dynasty.

High-yield for chronology questions: mastering Panini’s dating links literary history to political history (state formation under the Nandas). Useful for matching cultural developments with dynastic timelines and answering source-based questions on periodisation.

📚 Reading List :
  • Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: The Rise of Empires > DON'T MISS OUT > p. 95
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Art and Culture > p. 60
🔗 Anchor: "For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Ashtadhyayi and the Sanskrit grammatical tradition
💡 The insight

Panini authored the Aṣṭādhyāyī, which became the foundational text for later grammarians and commentators.

Important for questions on intellectual history and continuity: shows how a primary work (Ashtadhyayi) established a grammatical tradition that later scholars (e.g., Katyayana, Patanjali) expanded — links to cultural continuity across dynasties.

📚 Reading List :
  • Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: The Rise of Empires > DON'T MISS OUT > p. 95
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Sanskrit Grammar > p. 99
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Art and Culture > p. 60
🔗 Anchor: "For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Royal patronage and literary courts (Gupta example)
💡 The insight

Gupta courts patronized Sanskrit scholars and compiled major works, illustrating dynastic roles in fostering literary activity.

Helps answer questions on patronage and the role of courts in cultural production; connects literary output (grammar, poetry, lexicons) to political centres and enables comparative questions about royal support across periods.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Fahien's account on Mathura and Pataliputra > p. 93
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Sanskrit Grammar > p. 99
🔗 Anchor: "For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Navaratnas — courtly patronage under Vikramaditya (Gupta court)
💡 The insight

Vikramaditya's court included nine eminent scholars (navaratnas), and Amarasimha is listed among them.

High-yield for culture and history questions: explains how royal courts institutionalized literary patronage and lets candidates attribute specific scholars to particular rulers/dynasties. Connects cultural institutional history with identification of major literary figures and their patrons.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Fahien's account on Mathura and Pataliputra > p. 93
🔗 Anchor: "For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Amarakosha — Gupta-era Sanskrit lexicon by Amarasimha
💡 The insight

Amarakosha is recorded as compiled by Amarasimha during the Gupta period.

Essential for answering questions on Sanskrit literature, lexicography and periodization; helps assign major literary works to historical contexts and supports comparative questions about intellectual production across dynasties.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Sanskrit Grammar > p. 99
🔗 Anchor: "For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Gupta period as a high point for Sanskrit grammar and lexicography
💡 The insight

The Gupta era fostered developments in Sanskrit grammar and produced lexicographical works such as the Amarakosha.

Useful for essays and source-based questions linking political stability to cultural florescence; aids in framing arguments about the Gupta 'golden age' in literature and linguistics and connects to studies of Panini, Patanjali, and later lexicographers.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Sanskrit Grammar > p. 99
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Fahien's account on Mathura and Pataliputra > p. 93
🔗 Anchor: "For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Navaratnas (nine jewels) in royal courts
💡 The insight

Kalidasa is named as one of the navaratnas associated with a Gupta ruler's court, illustrating the concept of a royal 'nine jewels' group of eminent scholars.

High-yield for understanding patterns of royal patronage and cultural prestige in ancient India; helps answer questions on how courts promoted literature and identified eminent scholars. It connects to topics on court culture, literary history, and identification of patron-poet relationships.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Fahien's account on Mathura and Pataliputra > p. 93
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Secular Literature > p. 99
🔗 Anchor: "For scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, which ruler, dynasty, or royal court..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

The 'Sibling Trap' in Statement 1: The scholar actually associated with Pushyamitra Shunga was Patanjali (who wrote the commentary on Panini's work). UPSC swapped the commentator (Patanjali) with the original author (Panini). Expect a future question on Patanjali's 'Mahabhasya' or Bhadrabahu (associated with Chandragupta Maurya).

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

The 'Timeline Gap' Hack. Panini is the 'Father of Linguistics' (Vedic to Classical transition, ~500 BCE). Pushyamitra Shunga is the 'Destroyer of Mauryas' (~185 BCE). That is a ~300-year gap—impossible. Eliminate Statement 1 immediately. This leaves only Options B and C. Knowing Kalidasa is a Gupta legend (Chandragupta II) confirms Statement 3 is correct.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS1 (Art & Culture): Use this to discuss 'Royal Patronage as a driver of Standardization'. Just as the Guptas (Vikramaditya) institutionalized Sanskrit via the Navaratnas (Amarasimha's dictionary, Kalidasa's poetry), state patronage is essential for language codification and cultural unification.

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