Which of the following dynasties of South India issued their documents first in Prakrit and later in Sanskrit ?
- A.The Cholas of Tamil Nadu
- B.The Pandyas of the post-Sangam Age
- C.The Pallavas of Tondaimandalam
- D.The Gangas of Kalinganagara
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, The Pallavas of Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas, who ruled the Tondaimandalam region around Kanchipuram, issued their earliest copper-plate grants, such as the Mayidavolu and Hirahadagalli plates of Shivaskandavarman, in Prakrit. From about the fifth century they switched to Sanskrit for their charters, and later added Tamil portions for the details of land grants. This change mirrors the wider shift in South Indian royal records from Prakrit to Sanskrit in the early centuries AD. Option A is wrong because the imperial Cholas of Tamil Nadu came later and issued records in Tamil and Sanskrit, not in Prakrit. Option B is wrong because the Pandyas of the post-Sangam age used Tamil and Sanskrit, with Tamil written in the Vatteluttu script. Option D is wrong because the Eastern Gangas of Kalinganagara in Odisha recorded their grants in Sanskrit, later also in Odia and Telugu, with no early Prakrit phase. Exam tip: early Pallava plates in Prakrit, later in Sanskrit; Kanchipuram was the Pallava capital.
Practice Questions
View allWho gifted the Badshah Nama to King George in 1799?
- A.Abul Fazl
- B.Abdul Hamid Lahori
- C.Nawab of Awadh
- D.William Jones
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Read the full explanation →The Truman Doctrine of 1947 was announced to achieve which one of the following ?
- A.Containment of the USSR
- B.Increasing agricultural production in the USA
- C.Offering friendship to Europe
- D.Strengthening the UNO
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1. Women’s Indian Association of 1917 : Margaret Cousins
2. National Council of Women in India of 1925 : Sarala Devi Chaudhurani
3. Bharat Stree Mahamandal of 1910 : Lady Meherbai Tata
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- A.1, 2 and 3
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 2 only
- D.1 only
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Read the full explanation →Which one of the following inscriptions records the history of a guild of silk weavers?
- A.The Hathigumpha inscription
- B.The Mandasor inscription
- C.The Kudumiyamalai inscription
- D.The Udayagiri Cave inscription
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Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about Renaissance Humanist culture is NOT true ?
- A.It slackened the control of religion over human life
- B.It believed that human nature was many-sided
- C.It was concerned with good manners
- D.It criticized material wealth, power and glory
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