Mudrarakshasa
Topic: Studying Indian History: Sources, Dating and Historiography · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Mudrarakshasa is a Sanskrit play by Vishakhadatta. Its date is debated, but it is often placed around the Gupta period or a little later. The play is set just after Chandragupta Maurya has overthrown the Nandas. It shows the clever schemes of Chanakya, Chandragupta's adviser, to win over Rakshasa, the loyal minister of the Nandas. Historians use it carefully, because it was written many centuries after the Mauryas.
Example
The play's title means "the signet ring of Rakshasa". Chanakya gets hold of Rakshasa's seal ring (mudra) and uses it in a plot that finally wins Rakshasa over to Chandragupta's side.
Don't confuse with
- Arthashastra: a book on statecraft linked to Kautilya (Chanakya). It is a guide to running a state, not a play.
Related concepts
- Sources of history
- Archaeology
- Numismatics
- Archaeo-botany
- Underwater archaeology
- Literary sources
- Oral tradition
- Hagiography
- Kalhana
- Rajatarangini