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?
- A.Only one
- B.Only two
- C.Only three
- D.All four
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Only two. Pairs 2 and 4 are right; pairs 1 and 3 name the wrong authors.
The Hammira-Mahakavya, a Sanskrit poem on the Chauhan ruler Hammira of Ranthambore, was written by the Jain poet Nayachandra Suri in the fifteenth century. The Nitivakyamrita, a work on statecraft and polity, was written by the tenth-century Jain scholar Somadeva Suri, who also wrote the Yashastilaka. So pairs 2 and 4 are correctly matched.
Pair 1 is wrong: Devichandragupta is a Sanskrit play by Vishakhadatta, who also wrote the Mudrarakshasa; Bilhana wrote the Vikramankadevacharita on the Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI. Pair 3 is wrong: the Milinda-panha records the dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander (Milinda) and the monk Nagasena, not Nagarjuna, who was the Madhyamika philosopher.
Hence A (one), C (three) and D (all four) are wrong.
Exam tip: Vishakhadatta = Mudrarakshasa and Devichandragupta; Milinda-panha = Menander and Nagasena.
Practice Questions
View allWho among the following is the author of the Kiratarjuniya?
- A.Magha
- B.Bharavi
- C.Bhasa
- D.Bhavabhuti
Show answer
The Kiratarjuniya, a Sanskrit epic poem of the sixth century, was written by Bharavi. The Kiratarjuniya tells, in 18 cantos, a story from the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata: Arjuna performs penance to win divine weapons, and Shiva tests him by appearing as a Kirata, a mountain hunter.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is a work attributed to playwright Bhasa ?
- A.Kavyalankara
- B.Natyashastra
- C.Madhyama-vyayoga
- D.Mahabhashya
Show answer
Madhyama-vyayoga is a one-act Sanskrit play by Bhasa, based on an episode from the Mahabharata. Bhasa is one of the earliest known Sanskrit dramatists, admired by Kalidasa himself.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following is the author of the book, Bandi Jivan ?
- A.Rash Behari Bose
- B.Veer Savarkar
- C.Aruna Asaf Ali
- D.Sachindranath Sanyal
Show answer
The revolutionary Sachindranath Sanyal wrote Bandi Jivan, an account of his life as a prisoner. Sanyal was closely linked with Rash Behari Bose in the Banaras conspiracy and was sent to the Cellular Jail in the Andamans.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following is associated with 'Songs from Prison', a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
- A.Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- B.Jawaharlal Nehru
- C.Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- D.Sarojini Naidu
Show answer
While held in Yerwada jail, Gandhi translated old Indian hymns and devotional lyrics into English, and these were published as 'Songs from Prison'.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following pairs of books and their authors is not correctly matched?
- A.Bandi Jiwan : Sachindranath Sanyal
- B.The Philosophy of the Bomb : Bhagwati Charan Vohra
- C.Indian Unrest : Annie Besant
- D.Desher Katha : Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar
Show answer
'Indian Unrest' (1910) was written by the British journalist Valentine Chirol, not by Annie Besant. Chirol, a writer for The Times, collected his articles on the rise of Indian nationalism into this book and called Bal Gangadhar Tilak the 'father of Indian unrest'.
Read the full explanation →