Police · Defence
The Sanskrit play 'Mrichchhakatika' (The Little Clay Cart) was written by:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — Shudraka
Detailed Solution
"Mrichchhakatika" ("The Little Clay Cart") is a famous Sanskrit play in ten acts, attributed to a king called Shudraka. Little is known about him; he is believed to have lived sometime between the 3rd and 5th centuries CE. Other plays attributed to him include "Vinavasavadatta" and "Padmaprabhritaka".
The play is set in the city of Ujjayini (Ujjain). It tells the love story of Charudatta, a noble but poor Brahmin merchant who has lost his wealth through generosity, and Vasantasena, a wealthy and virtuous courtesan. The villain is Samsthanaka, the wicked brother-in-law of the king, who wants Vasantasena for himself. The title comes from an incident in which Vasantasena fills a child's toy clay cart with her jewellery. The play also includes a political revolution in which a cowherd, Aryaka, overthrows the unjust king.
"Mrichchhakatika" is unusual among classical Sanskrit plays because it deals with the life of ordinary people, such as gamblers, thieves, servants and merchants, and includes humour, crime, courtroom scenes and social criticism. It has realistic characters rather than only kings and gods. It has been translated into many languages and performed widely. The Hindi film "Utsav" (1984), directed by Girish Karnad, was based on it.
Other famous classical Sanskrit dramatists:
Kalidasa: "Abhijnanashakuntalam", "Vikramorvashiyam" and "Malavikagnimitram".
Bhasa: "Svapnavasavadattam" and thirteen plays rediscovered in 1912 by T. Ganapati Sastri in Kerala.
Vishakhadatta: "Mudrarakshasa", about Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya, and "Devichandraguptam".
Bhavabhuti: "Uttararamacharita" and "Malatimadhava".
Harsha: "Ratnavali", "Priyadarshika" and "Nagananda".
Ashvaghosha: "Sariputraprakarana", one of the earliest known Sanskrit dramas.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kalidasa wrote "Abhijnanashakuntalam".
- ✗Bhasa wrote "Svapnavasavadattam".
- ✗Vishakhadatta wrote "Mudrarakshasa".
Quick tip
Remember: Mrichchhakatika = Shudraka (Charudatta and Vasantasena, Ujjain); Mudrarakshasa = Vishakhadatta; Svapnavasavadattam = Bhasa; Abhijnanashakuntalam = Kalidasa.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Post-Mauryan & Gupta Age Questions
View all ›- Q1.Chandragupta II of the Gupta dynasty is also known by the title:
- Q2.Harisena was the court poet and minister of:
- Q3.The Shunga dynasty was founded by:
- Q4.The Buddhist text 'Milindapanho' is in the form of a dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander and the monk:
- Q5.Among the following who first acquired the title of 'Maharajadhiraja'?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Post-Mauryan & Gupta Age — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Post-Mauryan & Gupta Age, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the period after the Mauryas: the Shungas, Satavahanas, Indo-Greeks, Shakas and Kushanas, followed by the Gupta Empire, often called the classical age of India, and the reign of Harshavardhana. It includes art, literature, science and administration in these periods. Exams test the rulers and their achievements (Kanishka and the fourth Buddhist council, Samudragupta's Allahabad Pillar inscription, Chandragupta II and Fa-Hien), the Gandhara and Mathura schools of art, and Gupta scholars such as Kalidasa, Aryabhata and Varahamihira. Harsha's reign is usually tested with Hiuen Tsang and Nalanda University. Practise the post-Mauryan and Gupta age questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.