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Q46 (IAS/2023) History & Culture › Culture, Literature, Religion & Philosophy › Ancient and classical literature Official Key

With reference to ancient Indian History, consider the following pairs : Literary work Author 1. · Devichandragupta : Bilhana 2. Hammira-Mahakavya : Nayachandra Suri 3. Milinda-panha : Nagarjuna 4. Nitivakyamrita : Somadeva Suri How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2 (Only two) because only pairs 2 and 4 are accurately matched.

  • Pair 1 is incorrect: Devichandragupta is a celebrated Sanskrit play authored by Vishakhadatta, not Bilhana. Bilhana is known for writing the Vikramankadevacharita.
  • Pair 2 is correct: The Hammira-Mahakavya, an important Jaina epic describing the life of the Chauhan king Hammira, was indeed composed by Nayachandra Suri.
  • Pair 3 is incorrect: The Milinda-panha (Questions of Milinda) records the dialogue between King Menander and the Buddhist sage Nagasena. While Nagarjuna was a famous philosopher, he is not the author of this specific text.
  • Pair 4 is correct: Nitivakyamrita, a significant treatise on statecraft and ethics, was authored by the 10th-century Jain scholar Somadeva Suri.

Since only two pairs (2 and 4) are correct, Option 2 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 ancient Indian History, consider the following pairs : Literary work Author 1. · Devichandragupta : Bilhana 2. Hammira-…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 0/10
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This question is a classic '2+2' mix: two standard NCERT facts (Devichandragupta, Milinda-panha) combined with two niche reference-book facts (Hammira-Mahakavya, Nitivakyamrita). The strategy is not to know everything, but to have absolute clarity on the 'Standard' options to force the probability in your favor. If you can't distinguish Nagarjuna from Nagasena, you are failing the basics, not the advanced material.

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
In ancient Indian history, was the literary work "Devichandragupta" authored by Bilhana?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > I. Literary sources > p. 89
Strength: 5/5
“• Narada, Vishnu, Brihaspati and Katyayana smritis. • Kamandaka's Nitisara, a work on polity addressed to the king (400 CE) • El Devichandraguptam and Mudrarakshasa by Vishakadutta provide details about the rise of the Guptas. • Buddhist and Jaina texts • Works of Kalidasa • Accounts of the Chinese traveller Fahien”
Why relevant

Explicitly lists 'El Devichandraguptam and Mudrarakshasa by Vishakadutta' as works that provide details about the Guptas, giving an attribution of Devichandraguptam to Vishakhadatta.

How to extend

A student could treat this as a primary textbook attribution and compare with other standard lists of Sanskrit dramatists to see if Bilhana is ever named for this play.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Secular Literature > p. 99
Strength: 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 relevant

States that Visakhadatta's works include 'Mudraraksasa and Devichandraguptam', reinforcing the pattern that scholarship/teaching attributes the play to Visakhadatta.

How to extend

Use this repeated attribution as a basis to check chronological plausibility (e.g., Visakhadatta's era vs Bilhana's) using standard historical timelines.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Art and Culture > p. 60
Strength: 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 relevant

Notes that many Sanskrit literary works from early periods have not survived and are known only through later mentions, indicating that attributions can be uncertain or preserved differently in later sources.

How to extend

A student could use this rule to be cautious: seek multiple independent attributions (epigraphy, other authors, catalogues) before accepting Bilhana as author.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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