‘Shakas’ who came from Central Asia, were regarded as ___________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Mlechchhas
In early India political power was open to anyone who could gather support and resources, and kings were not always Kshatriyas by birth. The Shakas, who came from Central Asia, were regarded by the Brahmanas as mlechchhas, that is, barbarians or outsiders. Yet the best-known Shaka ruler, Rudradaman, rebuilt the Sudarshana lake and recorded it in one of the earliest inscriptions in Sanskrit, which shows that powerful mlechchhas knew Sanskritic traditions.
NCERT (2025-26): “3.2 Non-Kshatriya kings … In fact, political power was effectively open to anyone who could muster support and resources, and rarely depended on birth as a Kshatriya. Other rulers, such as the Shakas who came from Central Asia, were regarded as mlechchhas, barbarians or outsiders by the Brahmanas. However, one of the earliest inscriptions in Sanskrit describes how Rudradaman, the best-known Shaka ruler (c. second century CE ), rebuilt Sudarshana lake (Chapter 2). This suggests that powerful mlechchhas were familiar with Sanskritic traditions.…” |