Uttarakhand P.C.S. Prelims 2016

Historiography of India

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Who was called as 'Sandrocottos' by Justin, the Greek Writer?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: A

Concept Synchronization of Greek names with Indian kings provided the 'anchor sheet' for scientific ancient Indian chronology.

Explanation Classical Greek writers like Justin, Strabo, and Megasthenes refer to the founder of the Maurya dynasty as Sandrocottos (or Androcottus).

Logical Breakup
Chandragupta Maurya (A): Sir William Jones in 1793 correctly identified Sandrocottos as Chandragupta Maurya, helping to fix the date of his accession to c. 322 BCE.
Exclusions: Chandragupta I and II are Gupta rulers who lived centuries later and do not feature in classical Greek literature.

Active Recall

Question

Which Greek writer refers to Sandrocottos meeting Alexander the Great?

Answer

Plutarch mentions that Sandrocottos (Chandragupta) met Alexander while he was a young man in the Northwest.

Core Insight

The identification of Sandrocottos is the single most important event in reconstructing the timeline of pre-colonial Indian history.