Describe the element considered essential by …

The five elements considered by the historians while analyzing the texts:

(i) They examine whether texts were written in Prakrit, Pali or Tamil, languages that were probably used by ordinary people, or in Sanskrit, a language meant almost exclusively for priests and elites.

(ii) They also consider the kinds of text. Were these mantras, learnt and chanted by ritual specialists, or stories that people could have read, or heard, and then retold if they found them interesting?

(iii) Besides, they try to find out about the authors whose perspectives and ideas shaped the text, as well as the intended audience, as, very often, authors keep the interests of their audience in mind while composing their work.

(iv) And they try and ascertain the possible date of the composition or compilation of the texts as well as the place where they may have been composed.

(v) It is only after making these assessments that they draw on the content of texts to arrive at an understanding of their historical significance.