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 :
- (a) 1 and 2
- (b) 2 only ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) 1 and 3
- (d) 3 only
Why the answer is (b)
• The question asks which pairs are NOT correctly matched, so read carefully.
• Senguttuvan, the hero of the Silappadikaram tradition who built the Kannagi temple, was the greatest Chera king — pair 1 is correct.
• Udiyanjeral (Udiyan Cheralatan) was an early Chera ruler celebrated for feeding both armies at Kurukshetra in Sangam legend; he was not a Chola — pair 2 is wrong.
• Nedunjeliyan, victor of Talaiyalanganam, was a Pandya king of Madurai — pair 3 is correct.
• Hence only pair 2 is incorrectly matched, option (b).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1 and 2
- Senguttuvan was indeed a Chera, so pair 1 is correctly matched.
- (c) 1 and 3
- Pairs 1 and 3 are both correct; only pair 2 is wrong.
- (d) 3 only
- Nedunjeliyan was a Pandya, so pair 3 is correctly matched.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026, held on 24 May 2026. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.