Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Unlike Egypt or Mesopotamia, Indian traditions survived without a complete break from the past.
Statement II: Until the last half of the 18th century Europeans made no real attempt to study India's ancient past.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is A

The correct answer is. (a) Both Statement I and Statement II are true
. Statement I is true because elements of ancient Indian civilization, such as religious practices (Hinduism), social structures (caste system), and linguistic traditions (Sanskrit), have continued and evolved into modern times, unlike the ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations whose original cultural systems largely disappeared or were completely transformed.
. Statement II is true because serious, organized European study of ancient India (Indology) began primarily after the British East India Company solidified its power in the second half of the 18th century, particularly with figures like Sir William Jones and the founding of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784.
. Before this period, European interest in India was mostly commercial or related to immediate political concerns, rather than scholarly archaeological or linguistic research into its ancient past.
Information Booster:
. The establishment of the Asiatic Society of Bengal marked a turning point in Western understanding of Indian history and culture.
. Sir William Jones's hypothesis of an Indo-European language family stemmed from his study of Sanskrit, which was crucial to this newfound interest.
. Key figures in early Indology included Charles Wilkins (who translated the Bhagavad Gita) and James Prinsep (who deciphered the Brahmi and Kharoshthi scripts).
. The continuity of Indian tradition is a significant feature noted by many historians, emphasizing a 'living past' compared to the 'dead past' of civilizations that collapsed completely.
Additional Knowledge:
Both Statement I and Statement II are false (Option b)
. This is incorrect because both historical statements are factual descriptions of the continuity of Indian civilization and the timeline of European scholarly engagement.
Statement I is true but Statement II is false (Option c)
. This is incorrect as Statement II accurately reflects the limited European academic interest before the late 18th century.
Statement I is false but Statement II is true (Option d)
. This is incorrect as Statement I correctly points out the unique continuity of Indian culture compared to other ancient civilizations.