Write a short note on the literary source for the reconstruction of ancient Indian history

The literary source for the reconstruction of ancient Indian history may be classified as follows: (1) Indigenous literature and (2) Accounts of the foreign travelers.

The indigenous literature may be divided into a number of varieties, e.g. religious text, secular text biography, poetic writings and regional literature.

It must, however be remembered that literary writings when patronized by the king’s court is likely to be an exaggerated one.

Hence these are to be us as source with caution. Foreign accounts are also to be used cautiously as the foreigners, in most of the cases, did not know Indian language and the pattern of life.

By comparison archaeological source is more dependable.