Official Question UPSC 2026
Which of the following pairs of the king and his dynasty in early historical Tamilakam is/are not correctly matched ? 1. Senguttuvan : Chera 2. Udiyanjeral : Chola 3. Nedunjeliyan : Pandya Select the answer using the code given below :
Solution & Analysis
Answer: B
According to Sangam Literature records, the political landscape of ancient Tamilakam was dominated by the Muvendar (the three crowned kings: Cheras, Cholas, and Pandyas). Let's verify the royal lineages:
•Pair 1 is Correctly Matched: Senguttuvan (often called the Red Chera) is a legendary monarch of the Chera dynasty. Immortalized in the epic Silappadikaram, he is famous for his northern expeditions and founding the Pattini cult.
•Pair 2 is Incorrectly Matched: Udiyanjeral (Uthiyan Cheralathan) is widely regarded as the first historically attested ruler of the Chera dynasty, not the Chola dynasty. He is famous in Sangam lore for the mythological claim that he fed the rival armies during the Kurukshetra war.
•Pair 3 is Correctly Matched: Nedunjeliyan is one of the most famous names in the Pandya dynasty. Talaiyalanganattu Seruvenra Nedunjeliyan is particularly celebrated for crushing a massive combined coalition of Chera, Chola, and minor chieftains' armies.
Conclusion: The prompt asks for the pair that is not correctly matched. Only Pair 2 is factually incorrect, making Option B the correct choice.