1. What are prashastis?
   A) Tax records
   B) Inscriptions in praise of kings and rulers
   C) Religious texts written by saints
   D) Rules for governance
   
2. Who usually composed prashastis in medieval India?
   A) Farmers
   B) Merchants
   C) Brahmanas and court poets
   D) Soldiers
   
3. Which of the following was a common reason for kings to issue land grants?
   A) To reward Brahmanas and temples
   B) To punish enemies
   C) To collect more taxes
   D) To expand forests
   
4. Land grants were usually recorded on which material?
   A) Palm leaves
   B) Copper plates
   C) Gold coins
   D) Paper
   
5. Which ruler’s prashasti described him as the conqueror of the world?
   A) Akbar
   B) Samudragupta
   C) Ashoka
   D) Rajaraja Chola
   
6. What was the main purpose of prashastis?
   A) To document tax payments
   B) To glorify the achievements of kings
   C) To serve as legal agreements
   D) To provide information about agriculture
   
7. Which of the following was often gifted along with land grants?
   A) Cattle and workers
   B) Armies and soldiers
   C) Coins and jewels
   D) Imported goods
   
8. How did land grants help Brahmanas?
   A) They provided them with resources for religious and educational activities
   B) They made Brahmanas into warriors
   C) They forced Brahmanas to become traders
   D) They required Brahmanas to fight wars
   
9. What do historians learn from prashastis?
   A) The daily life of farmers
   B) The way rulers wanted to be remembered
   C) The language of common people
   D) The religious rituals of traders
   
10. Which of the following statements about prashastis is true?
    A) They were completely accurate historical records
    B) They exaggerated the achievements of kings
    C) They focused only on military defeats
    D) They were written by soldiers
    

---

Answers and Explanations

1. B) Inscriptions in praise of kings and rulers
   Prashastis were inscriptions that praised the achievements of rulers, often exaggerating their victories.
   
2. C) Brahmanas and court poets
   Prashastis were written by learned Brahmanas and court poets to glorify the rulers they served.
   
3. A) To reward Brahmanas and temples
   Kings granted land to Brahmanas and temples to gain religious merit and legitimacy.
   
4. B) Copper plates
   Land grants were often inscribed on copper plates, which were durable and served as legal records.
   
5. B) Samudragupta
   The prashasti of Samudragupta, written by his court poet Harisena, described him as the conqueror of the world.
   
6. B) To glorify the achievements of kings
   Prashastis were meant to showcase the greatness of rulers rather than provide objective historical records.
   
7. A) Cattle and workers
   In some cases, land grants included villages, cattle, and workers to help cultivate the land.
   
8. A) They provided them with resources for religious and educational activities
   Brahmanas used land grants for religious rituals, education, and maintaining temples.
   
9. B) The way rulers wanted to be remembered
   Prashastis often exaggerated the ruler’s greatness and provided insights into how they wanted to be seen by future generations.
   

B) They exaggerated the achievements of kings
Prashastis often exaggerated victories and did not always reflect historical truth.