Harshacharita, a celebrated Sanskrit biography of King Harsha, was written by which author?

Introduction / Context:
Literary works are an important source for reconstructing the history of early medieval India. One such work is Harshacharita, a Sanskrit prose biography of King Harshavardhana of Kanauj, which gives valuable information about his life, court and campaigns. Examinations often ask you to match famous texts with their authors. This question specifically targets your knowledge of who wrote Harshacharita, a text that is frequently mentioned in discussions of both literature and political history.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The text in question is Harshacharita. - It is described as a biography of King Harsha. - Options for authorship are Banabhatta, Sudraka, Sri Harsha and Gunadhya. - We assume familiarity with major classical Sanskrit authors.

Concept / Approach:
Banabhatta was a distinguished Sanskrit writer in the court of Harsha. He is best known for two works: Harshacharita, the biography of his royal patron, and Kadambari, a romantic prose composition. Sudraka is traditionally credited with the Sanskrit play Mrichchhakatika. Sri Harsha is associated with later literary works such as Ratnavali in some traditions, and Gunadhya is linked to the Brihatkatha in Prakrit. Since the question is clearly about the biography of Harsha, the appropriate match is Banabhatta.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify Harshacharita as a Sanskrit prose text that narrates the life of King Harshavardhana. Step 2: Recall that Banabhatta served as a court poet and biographer under Harsha and is consistently credited with this work. Step 3: Recognise that Sudraka is primarily known for the drama Mrichchhakatika, not for royal biographies. Step 4: Note that Sri Harsha is a different literary figure associated with other plays and compositions, not this biography. Step 5: Understand that Gunadhya is credited with the Brihatkatha, a large narrative cycle, and is not linked to Harshacharita. Step 6: Therefore, conclude that Banabhatta is the author of Harshacharita.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard history and literature textbooks list Banabhatta as the author of Harshacharita and Kadambari. When discussing Harsha, they often quote Banabhatta's descriptions as a primary literary source, alongside the Chinese traveller Xuanzang's account. This pairing of Banabhatta and Harsha appears so frequently that it becomes one of the easiest text author associations in the syllabus. Cross checking any basic reference work will reinforce that Harshacharita belongs to Banabhatta, not to the other writers listed in the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Sudraka is wrong because he is mainly remembered as the author of the play Mrichchhakatika, not of a royal biography of Harsha.

Sri Harsha is wrong because, although a literary figure, he is connected with different works and periods, not with Harshacharita.

Gunadhya is wrong because he is associated with the Brihatkatha tradition, which is distinct from Banabhatta's prose narrative about Harsha.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse various classical authors when confronted with multiple names in one question. Another pitfall is to think that because the book is about Harsha, a writer called Sri Harsha must have written it. To avoid such errors, it is helpful to create fixed mental pairs such as Banabhatta–Harshacharita, Kalidasa–Abhijnanasakuntalam and Sudraka–Mrichchhakatika. These pairs will help you quickly eliminate wrong options and select the correct author in similar questions.

Final Answer:
Harshacharita, the biography of King Harsha, was written by Banabhatta.