To an orthodox Hindu all that is given in the Ramayana is historically true which actually happened thousands of years ago. But the western scholars do not agree with view, they regard Ramayana as poetical and fanciful creation based on mythology. Dr. V.A.Smith remarks, "the poem seems to me to be essentially a work of imagination, probably founded on vague traditions of kingdom of Kosala and its capital Ayodhya" Ramayana is thickly interwoven with mythological fiction, but to discredit the historicity of Rams altogether appears to be a wide assumption. Similarly, the king like Janaka and Dasaraths and places like Kosala, Ayodhya, Videha, etc., were real persons and places whose authenticity has been corroborated from other sources including Buddhist and Jaina literature. Comment below what do you think about Ramayana? Is it historical or just a work of fiction?