SSC CGL History · Ancient India
Ancient Indian Literature and Inscriptions
The Sanskrit and Tamil works SSC asks about with their authors, the medical texts, and the great inscriptions: whose they are, where they stand and what script they use.
Why this matters
Eleven questions in the bank: three from the 2023 shifts, five from the 2024 shifts and three from the 2025 shifts. Each one asks for a work's author, an inscription's king or place, or a script, so the two tables are the page.
Concept 1 of 2: Books and their authors
Definition
Sanskrit:
- Panini: the Ashtadhyayi, on Sanskrit grammar.
- Shudraka: the play Mrichchhakatika (The Little Clay Cart).
- Kalidasa: Abhijnanashakuntalam, Vikramorvasiyam and the Meghaduta. Bhasa: Svapnavasavadattam. Amarasimha: the lexicon Amarakosha.
- Harshavardhana: the plays Nagananda, Ratnavali and Priyadarshika.
- Mahendravarman I (Pallava): the farce Mattavilasa-prahasana.
Tamil: the Tolkappiyam, by Tolkappiyar, a work on grammar, is the earliest Tamil text.
Medicine: Charaka (Charaka Samhita, medicine), Sushruta (Sushruta Samhita, surgery) and Vagbhata (Ashtanga Sangraha and Ashtanga Hridaya).
Practice this conceptself-check · 5 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 1 · Ancient India · Ancient Indian Literature and Inscriptions
Bhaskaracharya was a mathematician
Concept 2 of 2: Inscriptions and scripts
Definition
Ashoka's edicts:
- Mostly in Prakrit in the Brahmi script. In the north-west some use Kharosthi; in Afghanistan, Greek and Aramaic.
- The Maski edict, in Raichur district, Karnataka, is the first that names him as Ashoka.
Later inscriptions:
- Junagadh (Girnar), about 150 CE: Rudradaman I (Shaka). It records his repair of the Sudarshana lake and is the first long royal inscription in chaste Sanskrit.
- Allahabad (Prayag) Pillar: Samudragupta's conquests, composed by Harisena; a main source for the Guptas.
- Nasik: the Satavahana Gautamiputra Satakarni, by his mother Gautami Balashri.
- Aihole: the Chalukya Pulakeshin II. Hathigumpha: Kharavela of Kalinga.
| Inscription | King or dynasty | Remember for |
|---|---|---|
| Maski | Ashoka | Names him as Ashoka; in KarnatakaQ |
| Junagadh (Girnar) | Rudradaman I | First long inscription in chaste SanskritQ |
| Allahabad Pillar | Samudragupta | His conquests; by Harisena |
| Nasik | Satavahanas | Gautamiputra Satakarni's deeds |
| Aihole | Pulakeshin II | Chalukyas of Badami |
| Hathigumpha | Kharavela | Kalinga |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 2 · Ancient India · Ancient Indian Literature and Inscriptions
Kharosthi only in the north-west
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (2)
Books and their authors6 rows
Inscriptions and scripts6 rows
| Inscription | King or dynasty | Remember for |
|---|---|---|
| Maski | Ashoka | Names him as Ashoka; in KarnatakaQ |
| Junagadh (Girnar) | Rudradaman I | First long inscription in chaste SanskritQ |
| Allahabad Pillar | Samudragupta | His conquests; by Harisena |
| Nasik | Satavahanas | Gautamiputra Satakarni's deeds |
| Aihole | Pulakeshin II | Chalukyas of Badami |
| Hathigumpha | Kharavela | Kalinga |
Watch out for (2)
- Bhaskaracharya was a mathematician→ Books and their authors
- Kharosthi only in the north-west→ Inscriptions and scripts
Test yourself on Ancient India
20 past SSC CGL questions from this chapter, timed at 12 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.