upscools
UPPCS (Pre) 2003

Royal Literary Patronage

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Match list-I with list-II and select the correct answer: | List-I (Courtier Poet) | List-II (King) | | :--- | :--- | | A. Amir Khusro | 1. Chandragupta II | | B. Kalidas | 2. Samudragupta | | C. Harisena | 3. Harshvardhan | | D. Banabhatta | 4. Alauddin Khalji |

Solution & Analysis

Answer: B

Concept The patronage of literature was a vital function of the royal court, where poets immortalized their kings through biographies and panegyrics.

Explanation
Amir Khusro: Served Alauddin Khalji (Delhi Sultanate).
Kalidasa: Associated with Chandragupta II (Gupta).
Harisena: Composed for Samudragupta (Gupta).
Banabhatta: Authored the *Harshacharita* for Harshavardhana.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: A matches 4 (Khusro-Khalji).
Logic 2: B matches 1 (Kalidasa-Chandragupta II).
Logic 3: C matches 2 (Harisena-Samudragupta).
Logic 4: D matches 3 (Banabhatta-Harshvardhan).

Active Recall

Question

Which book did Banabhatta write for Harsha?

Answer

He wrote the Harshacharita, a biographical work about the life of King Harshavardhana.

Core Insight

The role of the court poet transitioned from composing inscriptions (Harisena) to full biographical novels (Banabhatta), showing the evolution of the Sanskrit literary tradition.

Practice Navigation