written on India were a set of liars - Deimachus holds the first place in the list, Megasthenes
comes next; while Onesicritus and Nearchus, with others of the same class, manage to
stammer out a few words (of truth)' ?
Classical Author's India Observations
The question asks to identify the classical (Graeco-Roman) author who criticized the reliability of earlier writers discussing India. These earlier writers included Deimachus, Megasthenes, Onesicritus, and Nearchus.
The author specifically accused these writers of being liars, with Deimachus and Megasthenes being singled out, and Onesicritus and Nearchus grouped with them.
Identifying the Critic
- Strabo, the noted Graeco-Roman geographer and historian, made this critical observation about the existing accounts of India.
- He expressed skepticism regarding the veracity of reports provided by authors who had previously visited or written about India.
- Strabo's commentary reflects a critical approach to evaluating historical sources, questioning the accuracy of figures like Megasthenes, whom he considered prone to exaggeration.
Therefore, Strabo is the classical author who voiced these strong criticisms regarding the trustworthiness of earlier writers on India.
Important Questions from Literary Sources
Match List-I with List-II:
List – I
(Texts)
List – II
(Authors)
(a) Kavyadarsa
(i) Abhinavagupta
(b) Ashtadhyayi
(ii) Patanjali
(c) Mahabhasya
(iii) Panini
(d) Tantraloka
(iv) Dandin
Choose the correct option from those given below:
Which of the following is not the source of Indian history ?
Which philosopher of history said "all history is contemporary history"?
From among the following statements regarding the precautions a historian must observe, which one is not correct?
Which one of the following functions of external criticism (Heuristic operations) in historical writing, is not correct?
