Correct Option
The correct option isRavikirti
Explanation
The Aihole Prashasti is a significant stone inscription located at the Meguti Jain Temple in Aihole, Karnataka. Written in Sanskrit, it serves as a panegyric (eulogy) documenting the military achievements and lineage of the Chalukya ruler Pulakeshin II.
Option Analysis:
- Harishena: Incorrect. Harishena was the court poet of the Gupta Emperor Samudragupta. He composed the famous Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription).
- Banabhatta: Incorrect. Banabhatta was the Asthana Kavi (court poet) of King Harshavardhana. He authored the Harshacharita (a biography of Harsha) and Kadambari.
- Ravikirti: Correct. Ravikirti was the court poet of Pulakeshin II. He composed the Aihole inscription (dated 634 CE), which famously details Pulakeshin II's victory over Harshavardhana on the banks of the river Narmada. In this inscription, Ravikirti claims a literary status equal to that of the renowned poets Kalidasa and Bhasa.
- Kalidasa: Incorrect. Kalidasa was a classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist, traditionally associated with the court of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) of the Gupta dynasty, predating Pulakeshin II.
Key Takeaway:
The Aihole Inscription, composed by Ravikirti, is the primary historical source confirming the check on Harshavardhana’s southern expansion by the Chalukya King Pulakeshin II.