Which of the following Pallava rulers wrote ‘Mattavilas Prahsana’ ?

Narsimhavarman I
Mahendravarman I
Dantivarman
Narsimhavarman II

The correct answer is (b), Mahendravarman I.

Mahendravarman I was a Pallava king who ruled from 600 to 630 CE. He was the son of Simhavishnu and the father of Narsimhavarman I. Mahendravarman I was a great patron of the arts and literature. He is credited with writing the Sanskrit play Mattavilasa Prahasana, which is a satire on the life of a courtesan.

Narsimhavarman I was a Pallava king who ruled from 630 to 668 CE. He was the son of Mahendravarman I and the father of Dantivarman. Narsimhavarman I was a great warrior and conqueror. He is credited with expanding the Pallava kingdom to its greatest extent.

Dantivarman was a Pallava king who ruled from 668 to 695 CE. He was the son of Narsimhavarman I and the father of Mahendravarman II. Dantivarman was a peace-loving king who focused on internal development. He is credited with building many temples and irrigation canals.

Mahendravarman I was the most likely of the four Pallava rulers to have written ‘Mattavilas Prahsana’ because he was a patron of the arts and literature. He is also the only one of the four rulers who is known to have written a Sanskrit play.