Arrange the following authors who wrote about the Himalayan region in correct chronological order:
- Ptolemy
- Chandragomin
- Panini
- Varahamihira
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: (A)
Explanation:
To arrange them chronologically, we must look at their time periods:
- (iii) Panini: Lived around 5th Century BCE. He is the oldest among the list.
- (i) Ptolemy: Lived around 2nd Century AD (approx. 150 AD).
- (ii) Chandragomin: A Buddhist scholar typically dated to the 5th Century AD.
- (iv) Varahamihira: An astronomer who lived in the 6th Century AD (505–587 AD).
Therefore, the correct order is Panini → Ptolemy → Chandragomin → Varahamihira.
📚 Additional Info: Historical References to Himachal
These ancient scholars provide the earliest written records of the tribes and geography of the Himalayan region.
| Author | Work | Key Mention of Himalayas |
|---|---|---|
| Panini (5th C. BCE) |
Ashtadhyayi | First to mention the Trigarta (Kangra) region. He referred to them as Ayudhajivi Sanghas (warrior republics) and part of a confederation of six states. |
| Ptolemy (2nd C. AD) |
Geographia | Mentioned Kulindrine (the land of the Kunindas), describing it as the region near the sources of the Beas, Sutlej, and Yamuna rivers. |
| Chandragomin (5th C. AD) |
Vrittisutra | A Buddhist scholar and grammarian who referred to the Audumbaras (a tribe in Pathankot/Kangra) as a section of the Shalvas. |
| Varahamihira (6th C. AD) |
Brihat Samhita | Mentioned the Kulutas (people of Kullu) and placed them in the north-east division of India. He also referred to the Trigartas. |