Ancient Literature & Textual Sources

The person who first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka was James Prinsep. James Prinsep (1799-1840) was an English philologist, antiquary and administrator who served in the British East India Company. He played a crucial role in deciphering and interpreting the inscriptions and edicts of Emperor Ashoka, which were written in the Brahmi script. In the 1830s, Prinsep was able to decipher the Brahmi script and translate Ashoka's inscriptions, which provided valuable insights into the reign and policies of the Mauryan emperor. His groundbreaking work helped establish the historical significance of Ashoka and the Mauryan empire.

Malavikagnimitra: A play by Kalidasa, narrates the love story of King Agnimitra, the son of Pushyamitra Shunga, the founder of the Sunga dynasty. Swapnavasavadatta: This Sanskrit play by Bhasa does not revolve around the Sunga dynasty. Meghadoota: This poem by Kalidasa focuses on the pining of a separated Yaksha and doesn't involve historical figures. Ratnavali: This play by Sri Harsha also doesn't have a connection to the Sunga dynasty or its rulers.

The memorizing of chronicles, dynastic histories, and Epic tales was the profession of Maagadha. To make it easier to remember, let's break it down
- Chronicles These are the records of historical events in chronological order.
- Dynastic histories These detail the histories of dynasties or royal families.
- Epic tales These are long, narrative poems about heroic deeds. So, a Maagadha was essentially a historical storyteller or a keeper of history and legends. Shramana: This term refers to ascetics and monks in Indian religious traditions like Jainism and Buddhism. They renounced worldly life to pursue spiritual enlightenment. Parivraaj: Also known as Parivrajaka, this term refers to wandering mendicants or ascetics who renounced material life and traveled in search of spiritual wisdom. Agrahaarika: This term is related to administrators or managers of agraharas (land grants given to Brahmins) and does not relate to the memorization of histories.

Historical Context (2015): At the time this question was originally asked, Odia was the latest language to be granted Classical status (notified in February 2014). It was the 6th language to receive this honor. Criteria: To be eligible, a language must have a recorded history of 1500–2000 years, a body of ancient literature, and an original literary tradition not borrowed from another speech community. Timeline of Classical Languages: 2004: Tamil 2005: Sanskrit 2008: Telugu & Kannada 2013: Malayalam 2014: Odia Note for the Current Exam Cycle (2025-26): While Odia was the correct answer for the 2015 paper, the list was significantly expanded in October 2024. If this question were asked today, Assamese (along with Marathi, Bengali, Pali, and Prakrit) would be the correct answer as the most recent additions to the list.

Kosala: Buddha was born in Lumbini, which is located in the present-day borders of Nepal, but during his time, it was part of the Kosala kingdom. His mother, Maya Devi, was a princess of Kosala. Magadha: Though Buddha wasn't born in Magadha, he spent a significant portion of his life traveling and teaching in this kingdom. He visited Rajgir, the then capital of Magadha, and interacted with King Bimbisara. Therefore, the correct answer is 3 and 4 only.

In a leap year, Chaitra has 31 days and Chaitra 1 coincides with March 21.
In a normal year Chairta 1 coincides with March 22. The Saka era calendar, also known as the Shaka calendar or the Indian national calendar, is a solar calendar used alongside the Gregorian calendar in India. It is based on the Saka era, believed to have begun in 78 CE.

Mimamsa and Vedanta: These are both orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy within the six systems. Nyaya and Vaisheshika: These are also part of the six orthodox systems, known for their focus on logic and epistemology. Sankhya and Yoga: These are considered two of the six orthodox systems, with Sankhya focusing on dualism and Yoga on achieving liberation through practices like meditation. Lokayata: This was a materialistic philosophy that is not considered part of the six orthodox systems of Hindu philosophy. It emphasized materialism and scepticism towards spiritual concepts. Kapalika: While the exact nature and origin of Kapalika are debated, it's generally not considered among the six orthodox systems. It's associated with tantric practices and rituals that deviate from the mainstream Hindu philosophy. Therefore, Lokayata and Kapalika are not part of the six established systems of Indian philosophy.

The Manganiyars are professional Muslim folk musicians belonging to Jaisalmer, Barmer, parts of Jalore, Bikaner and Jodhpur districts in Western Rajasthan. Like other hereditary caste musicians, they cultivate a close relationship with their patrons. For generations, they provide musical service to their patrons to receive cattle, camels, goats or cash as a gift. On the other side, they function as record keepers and keep the different family histories alive through their songs, based on pure oral tradition.

* The Government of India has awarded the distinction of classical language to Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Sanskrit, Tamil, and Telugu. Classical language status is given to languages that have a rich heritage and an independent nature. Hence, Gujarati is not a classical language. * "In addition to these classical languages, Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, and their works of literature too must be preserved for their richness and for the pleasure and enrichment of posterity," according to India's National Education Policy, 2020.

* 'Satyameva Jayate' (Truth alone triumphs ) is a mantra from the ancient Indian scripture Mundaka Upanishad. * Following the independence of India, it was adopted as the national motto of India on 26 January 1950. It is inscribed in the script at the base of the national emblem. The emblem and the words 'Satyameva Jayate' are inscribed on one side of all Indian currency. * The emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka which was erected around 250 BCE at Sarnath, near Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is inscribed on all currency notes and national documents.