SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 18 September 2024, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 4 of 98

Text as printed on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; answer per SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 10 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. The questions and options here are reproduced as printed on a candidate's own response sheet for this shift — the Commission's text, unchanged. Each answer is SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet; SSC allowed challenges to it and never publishes a final key. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

The Pandya Kingdom was first mentioned by Megasthenes, who said that their kingdom was famous for pearls.Their capital was:

(a)Thanjavur
(b)Kaveripatnam
(c)Madurai
(d)Uraiyur

Answer

Why

Correct — C. The Pandya capital was Madurai, on the Vaigai, with Korkai on the Gulf of Mannar as its port and the seat of the pearl fishery that Megasthenes had heard of.

The other three names belong to the Cholas — Uraiyur and Kaveripattinam to the Sangam-age Cholas, Thanjavur to the imperial Cholas of the tenth century onward.

So the item tests whether you can keep the three Tamil crowned houses apart, and the Pandya seat is option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Thanjavur — Thanjavur was the imperial Chola capital, where Rajaraja I raised the Brihadisvara temple. It carries no Pandya association.
(b)
Kaveripatnam — Kaveripattinam (Puhar), at the mouth of the Kaveri, was the port-capital of the early Cholas and the setting of much of the Silappadikaram.
(d)
Uraiyur — Uraiyur, near modern Tiruchirappalli, was the early Chola capital and was known for its cotton trade rather than for pearls.

Concept

Sangam-age Tamilakam was shared by three crowned dynasties, the muvendar.

The Pandyas held the far south from Madurai, with Korkai as port. The Cholas held the Kaveri delta from Uraiyur and Puhar. The Cheras held the western coast from Vanji, usually identified with Karur, with Muziris as port.

Greek and Roman writers knew all three, because the pepper and pearl trade ran through their harbours. Megasthenes, the Seleucid envoy at Chandragupta Maurya's court, wrote the Indica, and it is his notice of Pandya pearls that this question quotes.

Later Pandya history is a separate story — the revived Pandyas of the thirteenth century, whose Madurai wealth drew Malik Kafur's raid.

The capital stayed Madurai throughout, which is why the same answer serves for both the Sangam-age and the later dynasty.

Key facts

The Pandya capital was Madurai and the Pandya port was Korkai, known for its pearl fishery.
Uraiyur and Kaveripattinam were early Chola centres, while Thanjavur was the imperial Chola capital.
The dynastic emblems were the bow for the Cheras, the tiger for the Cholas and the fish for the Pandyas.
Megasthenes was the Seleucid ambassador at Chandragupta Maurya's court and wrote the Indica.

Study next

The three Sangam dynasties: capitals, ports and emblemsSangam literature as a source: Tolkappiyam, Silappadikaram, ManimekalaiForeign accounts of India: Megasthenes, Fa-Hien, Hiuen Tsang

Common traps

Reading famous for pearls as a Chola clue. The pearl coast is Pandya.
Pairing Thanjavur with some other dynasty because it is the best known Tamil capital.

SSC repeats dynasty-to-place matching — the dynasty of Mahendravarman I at 9 Sep 2024, 09:00, GA Q.19, and the three houses of the Tripartite Struggle at 25 Sep 2024, 16:00, GA Q.24.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.