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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:

A1 and 2
B2 only
C1 and 3
D3 only
Correct Answer — B

Explanation

The Sangam period is associated with three major Tamil dynasties—the Chera, Chola and Pandya. Their rulers are often identified through Sangam literature and later Tamil epics.

Pair 1 — Correct: Senguttuvan, also known as Cheran Senguttuvan, was a prominent Chera ruler. He is celebrated in the *Silappadikaram* and is associated with the establishment of the Pattini (Kannagi) cult.

Pair 2 — Incorrect: Udiyanjeral (Uthiyan Cheralathan) belonged to the Chera dynasty, not the Chola dynasty. He is regarded as an early historically recorded Chera ruler and is remembered in Sangam literature for the tradition of feeding the rival armies during the Mahabharata war.

Pair 3 — Correct: Nedunjeliyan was a prominent Pandya ruler. Sangam literature mentions rulers by this name, including Nedunjeliyan II, who is associated with the Battle of Talaiyalanganam against a combined Chera-Chola force.

Therefore, only Pair 2 is incorrectly matched — Option B.

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