Why are inscriptions preferred over literary texts for genealogy?

Inscriptions are contemporary to the events and less prone to later editorial changes compared to literary manuscripts.

Historical Information from Inscriptions: Elite Families (2018 PYQ)

ID: ANC_HIS_PMPG_2018_117 Ref: Standard Educational Reference

Examine these two statements carefully and select the correct answer using the codes given below: Statement I: For early societies, historians retrieve information about elite families mostly from inscriptions. Statement II: Satavahana inscriptions generally end with the term Putra, a Prakrit word meaning 'son'. Codes:

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Correct Option: C

Historians primarily use inscriptions to gather data on ancient elite families. However, the term 'Putra' in Satavahana records is Sanskrit, not Prakrit, which is an important linguistic distinction.