UPSC Prelims 2026 Question:

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:

Explanation:

The Cheras, Cholas, and Pandyas were the three major ruling dynasties of early historical Tamilakam and are frequently mentioned in Sangam literature.

● The greatest ruler of Cheras was Senguttuvan, the Red Chera or the Good Chera, who belonged to the 2nd century A.D.His military achievements have been chronicled in epic Silapathikaram, with details about his expedition to the Himalayas where he defeated many north Indian rulers. Senguttuvan introduced the Pattini cult or the worship of Kannagi as the ideal wife in Tamil Nadu.He was the first to send an embassy to China from South India. So, pair 1 is correctly matched.

● Udiyanjeral (Udiyan Cheralathan) belonged to the Chera dynasty, not the Chola dynasty. He is known as an early Chera ruler mentioned in Sangam texts. So, pair 2 is not correctly matched.

● Nedunjeliyan was an important ruler of the Pandya dynasty, frequently mentioned in Sangam literature for his military achievements. So, pair 3 is correctly matched.

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.