Question

Tulsi Das composed his Ramacharitamanas during the reign of _______
A) Harshwardhana
B) Alauddin Khilji
C) Akbar
D) Krishnadevaraya

Answer 1

Hint: He is known for introducing the Mughal style of architecture, which combined elements of Islamic, Persian, and Hindu design, and for hosting some of the best and brightest minds of the time in his courts at Delhi, Agra, and Fatehpur Sikri, including poets, musicians, artists, philosophers, and engineers.

Complete answer:
Ramacharitamanas – Tulsidas, a 16th-century Indian bhakti poet, wrote the epic poem Ramcharitmanas in the Awadhi language. Ramcharitmanas literally translates to "Lake of Rama's Deeds." It is regarded as one of Hindu literature's greatest works. The book, which was unearthed in 1623 and written in the Awadhi dialect of the eastern Hindi language family, has resided in the temple since 1701.

Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Harshvardhana: In Harsha's court, Banabhatta was a poet. He wrote a history of Harshavardhan called 'Harshacharita,' which included a detailed account of the events leading up to his ascent to power. It was written in the Sanskrit script. Hence, this option is incorrect.
Option B) Alauddin Khilji: Amir Khusrau was a prominent classical poet who served in the royal courts of the Delhi Sultanate for more than seven years, including Alauddin Khilji. But Ramacharitamanas was not composed during his reign. Hence, this option is incorrect.
Option C) Akbar: The Ramcharitmanas were written in the cities of Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Chitrakoot. During this time, India was ruled by Mughal emperor Akbar (1556-1605 CE). Hence, this option is correct.
Option D) Krishnadevaraya: The epic Telugu poem Amuktamalyada was written by Krishna Dev Raya himself. Telugu culture and literature blossomed and reached their pinnacle under Krishnadevaraya's reign. The great emperor was a well-known poet who wrote the Amuktamalyada. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: The Ramcharitmanas are not the same as the Ramayana. Both are based on Lord Ram's life, but the key distinction between them is the author and the time period in which they were written. In the Treta Yuga, Sage Valmiki wrote the Ramayana. Tulsidas, on the other hand, wrote the Ramcharitmanas during the Kaliyuga period.