King Louis the Fourteenth is considered as a perfect master of king-craft because __________.
a. he could hide all his weaknesses
b. he pretended to be a great ruler
c. he was a great statesman
Answer options :

The correct answer is Option D (Only a and b).

Key Points:
• This question evaluates the candidate's reading comprehension skills, focusing on drawing inferences based on textual evidence, a frequent area of testing in MPSC examinations.
• Option 4 is the correct answer according to the official MPSC answer key. The passage clearly outlines the arts of 'king-craft' as those which 'most advantageously display the merits of a prince and most completely hide his defects'. This aligns directly with statement (a). Furthermore, the passage notes that despite his failures, he 'succeeded in passing off on his people as being above humanity', supporting statement (b).
• Let us analyze why statement (c) is incorrect. The text explicitly states, 'he was not a great statesman'. Therefore, any option containing 'c' (Options 1, 2, and 3) must be immediately eliminated. This leaves Option 4 as the only logically sound and textually supported choice.
• A common MPSC trap is using the elimination method incorrectly. Spotting one blatantly false statement often solves the whole question.
• Always cross-reference the options with direct assertions in the passage.
• Key Takeaway: Remember: If a statement is explicitly denied in the text (e.g., 'he was not a great statesman'), eliminate all options containing it.