UPSC Prelims · General Studies

Ancient, medieval & culture

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Indian art and culture / Literature, languages and sources

Sanskrit drama and kavya

Kalidasa (court of Chandragupta II): Abhijnanashakuntalam, Malavikagnimitram (love story of Agnimitra, son of Pushyamitra Shunga), Vikramorvashiyam, Meghaduta, Raghuvamsha, Kumarasambhava
Bhasa (thirteen plays: Svapnavasavadatta, Madhyamavyayoga, Urubhanga, Pratijnayaugandharayana), Shudraka's Mrichchhakatika
Vishakhadatta: Mudrarakshasa (Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya) and Devichandraguptam (Ramagupta and Dhruvadevi)
Bhavabhuti (Uttararamacharita, Malatimadhava; Yashovarman of Kanauj), Harsha (Ratnavali, Priyadarshika, Nagananda), Banabhatta (Kadambari, Harshacharita)
Later playwrights: Kshemeshvara (Chandakaushika), Hastimalla (Jain, Vikranta Kaurava), Rajashekhara (Karpuramanjari), Krishnamishra (Prabodhachandrodaya)
Mahakavya poets Bharavi, Magha, Kumaradasa; Dandin's Dashakumaracharita; Somadeva's Kathasaritsagara; Jayadeva's Gitagovinda

Where to study

ch. 11 Buildings, Paintings and Books, pp. 1-13 (printed 114-126)
ch. 11 Buildings, Paintings and Books, The world of books; A verse from the Meghaduta (Kalidasa), pp. 6-7 (printed 119-120)

Lesson 7 The Guptas, Sanskrit Literature (Kalidasa), pp. 120-121 (printed 116-117)
Lesson 7 The Guptas, Sanskrit Literature (Sudraka's Mrichchhakatika), p. 121 (printed 117)
Lesson 7 The Guptas, Sources; Sanskrit Literature (Visakhadatta's Mudrarakshasa and Devichandraguptam), p. 121 (printed 117)
Lesson 4 Emergence of State and Empire, Sources (the Mudrarakshasa), pp. 62-63 (printed 58-59)
Lesson 8 Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms, Sources; Harsha as a Patron of Art and Literature (Bana's Harshacharita, Harsha's plays), pp. 129-134 (printed 125-130)
Lesson 7 The Guptas, Sanskrit Literature (Kalidasa and the dramatists and writers of the Gupta age), pp. 120-121 (printed 116-117)

ch. 10 New Empires and Kingdoms, Harshavardhana and the Harshacharita, pp. 4-5 (printed 106-107)