With reference to the history of ancient India, Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla and Kshemeshvara were famous

• (a) Jain monks — Incorrect. Bhavabhuti was a celebrated Sanskrit dramatist, not a Jain monk; Hastimalla and Kshemeshvara are also known in literary tradition, not as Jain monastic figures.
• (b) Playwrights — Correct. Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla, and Kshemeshvara are known as Sanskrit playwrights/dramatists in ancient/early medieval India.
• (c) Temple architects — Incorrect. There is no standard historical identification of these three as temple architects.
• (d) Philosophers — Incorrect. They are primarily associated with dramatic literature, not philosophical schools.

Answer: (b) playwrights.