With reference to the Puranas, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Information about the Mauryan dynasty is found in the Vishnu Purana.
2. The Vayu Purana throws light on the governan

Question

With reference to the Puranas, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Information about the Mauryan dynasty is found in the Vishnu Purana.
2. The Vayu Purana throws light on the governance system of the Guptas.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — A, Both 1 and 2. The Puranas preserve dynastic genealogies (vamshanucharita), and historians use them to reconstruct ancient dynasties. The Vishnu Purana contains an account of the Mauryan dynasty (including the rise of Chandragupta Maurya), so statement 1 is correct. The Vayu Purana carries information about the Guptas — their territory and rule in the Ganga valley — throwing light on the Gupta period, so statement 2 is correct. Hence both statements are correct.

Why the other options are wrong — (b) Understates the case — the Vayu Purana also carries information on the Guptas, so statement 2 is correct too.  (c) Ignores that the Vishnu Purana is a well-known Puranic source for the Mauryan genealogy, so statement 1 is correct.  (d) Both statements are correct — the Puranas are standard sources for Mauryan and Gupta dynastic history.

Concept: The Puranas (18 Mahapuranas) are not merely religious texts. Several — Vishnu, Vayu, Matsya, Bhagavata, Brahmanda — contain 'vamshanucharita', dynastic genealogies that historians use to reconstruct ancient political history. The Vishnu Purana is a key source for the Mauryas, and the Vayu Purana for the Guptas.

State PCS 2023 Q147 — History PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2023 Q147 — History PYQ with Answer