Mudrarakshasa ("The Ring of Rakshasa") - The dramatist Vishakhadatta, who is thought to have lived in the sixth century, wrote the sole extant Sanskrit theater.
Mudrarakshasa is a drama that follows Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the
Maurya dynasty, and his crafty brahmin minister Chanakya as they climb to
power.
The narrative of the drama is convoluted, as is the case
with many Sanskrit plays, but the drama's climax occurs when the main protagonists
are dramatically saved from execution at the last minute.
Despite the fact that the drama is based on true events,
scholars believe Chandragupta Maurya's depiction as a weak monarch is false.
Michael Coulson translated the play into English and released
it in the collection Three Sanskrit Plays in 1981.
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