"Perhaps it was much for the Saka's cultural innovations for their political domination that a new era came to be named after them. " What according to Sheldon Pollock was this 'cultural innovation'?

The correct answer is the use of Sanskrit for political purposes. Key Points

• In his book The Language of Empire, Sheldon Pollock argues that the use of Sanskrit for political purposes by the Saka was a key factor in their success in dominating large parts of the Indian subcontinent.
• The Saka were a nomadic people from Central Asia who invaded India in the 2nd century BCE.
• They were not ethnically Indian, and their language was Iranian.
• However, they adopted Sanskrit as the language of their administration and government.
• This was a strategic decision, as Sanskrit was the language of the Hindu elite, and it gave the Saka a degree of legitimacy that they would not have had if they had used their own language.
• The use of Sanskrit also helped the Saka to consolidate their power.
• By using Sanskrit, they were able to communicate with the Hindu elite and co-opt them into their administration.
• This helped to undermine the traditional Hindu political order and to facilitate Saka's rule. 
• The Saka's use of Sanskrit was a significant cultural innovation.
• It was a way of legitimizing their rule and of asserting their power over the Hindu elite.
• It also helped to spread Sanskrit and to make it the lingua franca of the Indian subcontinent.
• In the long term, Saka's use of Sanskrit had a profound impact on Indian culture.
• It helped to shape the development of Hinduism and to promote the spread of Sanskrit learning.
• It also helped to create a sense of cultural unity among the people of the Indian subcontinent.

• As Pollock writes, "The Sakas' use of Sanskrit was a cultural innovation that had far-reaching consequences. It helped to consolidate their power, to spread Sanskrit, and to create a sense of cultural unity among the people of the Indian subcontinent."

​Therefore the correct answer is the Use of Sanskrit for political purposes.