Literary Languages Chronological Order

This question requires arranging four significant Indian literary languages—Marathi (A), Tamil (B), Oriya (C), and Kannada (D)—according to their historical timeline. Understanding the history of each language's literary tradition is key to finding the correct chronological sequence.

Language History Details

Here is a breakdown of the historical context for each language:

• Tamil (B): As one of the most ancient literary traditions, Tamil's history is extensive. Earliest Tamil inscriptions date back to the 3rd century BCE. The classical Sangam literature, a significant body of classical Tamil poetry, is generally dated between 300 BCE and 300 CE. This places Tamil very early in the timeline.
• Kannada (D): This Dravidian language, spoken primarily in Karnataka, has its earliest known inscription (the Halmidi inscription) dating to approximately 450 CE. Literary works in Kannada began to flourish noticeably from the 9th century CE onwards.
• Marathi (A): Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken predominantly in Maharashtra. While spoken forms are older, the earliest literary evidence suggests its emergence as a distinct literary language around the 11th or 12th century CE. Key literary works like 'Jnanesvari' appeared in the 13th century CE.
• Oriya (C): Oriya (now officially Odia) is the language of Odisha. The consensus among scholars places the beginning of its distinct literary tradition around the 14th century CE, with notable contributions from poets like Sarala Das during that period.

Chronological Sequence Determination

Based on the historical evidence regarding the emergence of their literary traditions, the languages can be ordered chronologically from oldest to newest as follows:

1. Tamil (B) - Earliest literary history (c. 300 BCE onwards)
2. Kannada (D) - Follows Tamil (c. 9th Century CE literature)
3. Marathi (A) - Follows Kannada (c. 11th-12th Century CE literature)
4. Oriya (C) - Follows Marathi (c. 14th Century CE literature)

This sequence is represented by the letters: B, D, A, C.

Option Selection Based on History

Finally, we compare the determined chronological sequence (B, D, A, C) with the multiple-choice options provided:

• Option 1: D, A, C, B
• Option 2: B, C, A, D
• Option 3: D, B, C, A
• Option 4: B, D, A, C

The sequence B, D, A, C, representing Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, and Oriya respectively, correctly matches the historical order and corresponds to Option 4.