With reference to ancient Indian History, consider the following pairs: <table><tr><th>Literary work</th><th>Author</th></tr><tr><td>1. Devichandragupta</td><td>Bilhana</td></tr><tr><td>2. Hammira-Mahakavya</td><td>Nayachandra Suri</td></tr><tr><td>3. Milinda-panha</td><td>Nagarjuna</td></tr><tr><td>4. Nitivakyamrita</td><td>Somadeva Suri</td></tr></table> How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Answer: B. Only TWO pairs are correctly matched. (1) Devichandragupta - Bilhana: WRONG. Devichandragupta is a Sanskrit play by VISHAKHADATTA (also author of Mudrarakshasa). Bilhana wrote Vikramankadevacharita (a biographical poem on the Western Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI). (2) Hammira-Mahakavya - Nayachandra Suri: CORRECT. Nayachandra Suri (a Jain monk-author of the late 14th to early 15th century) wrote Hammira-Mahakavya about Hammira Chauhan, king of Ranthambhore who fell to Alauddin Khalji in 1301. (3) Milinda-panha - Nagarjuna: WRONG. Milinda-panha (Questions of Milinda) is a Pali Buddhist text recording dialogues between the Indo-Greek king Menander I (Milinda) and the Buddhist monk NAGASENA. Nagarjuna was a different Mahayana philosopher (Madhyamika school) who wrote Mulamadhyamakakarika. (4) Nitivakyamrita - Somadeva Suri: CORRECT. Somadeva Suri (10th century Jain author) wrote Nitivakyamrita, a Sanskrit treatise on statecraft and ethics. He also wrote Yashastilaka. So pairs 2 and 4 correct (2 of 4). Source: NCERT Class 12 Themes in Indian History Part I / Sanskrit literature anthologies.