Target Exam

CUET

Subject

History

Chapter

Ancient India: Kinship, Caste and Class

Question:

In play the Mrichchhakatika, the hero Charudatta was described as both a Brahmana and a _____.

Options:

Nishada

Kshatriya

Sarthavaha

Mlechchha

Correct Answer:

Sarthavaha

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (3) → Sarthavaha

Sanskrit texts and inscriptions used the term vanik to designate merchants. While trade was defined as an occupation for Vaishyas in the Shastras, a more complex situation is evident in plays such as the Mrichchhakatika written by Shudraka (c. fourth century CE), Here, the hero Charudatta was described as both a Brahmana and a sarthavaha or merchant And a fifth-century inscription describes two brothers who made a donation for the construction of a temple as kshatriya-vaniks.