UPSC Prelims Ancient History previous year questions in the "Pairs/Matching (Traditional Style)" question pattern — real questions with answers and explanations.
2026Pairs/Matching (Traditional Style)Vedic Culture & Ancient Literature
Which of the following pairs of ancient and modern names of rivers is/are correctly matched?
1. Vitasta : Chenab
2. Asikni : Jhelum
3. Parushni : Ravi
4. Yavyavati : Beas
A.1 and 2
B.3 and 4
C.3 only
D.4 only
Explanation: * Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: The ancient name for the Jhelum river is Vitasta.
* Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: The ancient Vedic name for the Chenab river is Asikni (or Askini).
* Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Ravi river was known as Parushni in ancient texts like the Rigveda.
* Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: The ancient name for the Beas river is Vipasa (or Vipasha). Yavyavati is identified as the modern Zhob River in northern Balochistan or a tributary of the Vedic Saraswati.
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2026Pairs/Matching (Traditional Style)Dynastic History & Early Tamilakam
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
A.1 and 2
B.2 only
C.1 and 3
D.3 only
Explanation: * Pair 1 is correctly matched: Senguttuvan (the Red Chera) was a prominent ruler of the Chera dynasty, celebrated in the Tamil epic Silappadikaram and credited with establishing the Pattini (Kannagi) cult.
* Pair 2 is NOT correctly matched: Udiyanjeral (Uthiyan Cheralathan) belonged to the Chera dynasty, not the Chola dynasty. He is considered the first historically recorded Chera ruler of the Sangam period.
* Pair 3 is correctly matched: Nedunjeliyan was a famous king of the Pandya dynasty. Sangam literature mentions prominent Pandyan kings by this name, such as Nedunjeliyan II, who won the Battle of Talaiyalanganam against a combined Chera and Chola force.
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2024Pairs/Matching (Traditional Style)Prehistory & Indus Valley Civilization
Consider the following information:
Archaeological Site | State | Description
1. Chandraketugarh | Odisha | Trading Port town
2. Inamgaon | Maharashtra | Chalcolithic site
3. Mangadu | Kerala | Megalithic site
4. Salihundam | Andhra Pradesh | Rock-cut cave shrines
In which of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
A.1 and 2
B.2 and 3
C.3 and 4
D.1 and 4
Explanation: * Row 1 is incorrectly matched: Chandraketugarh is a historical archaeological site located in the Ganges Delta within the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, not Odisha.
* Row 2 is correctly matched: Inamgaon is a major, extensively excavated proto-historic Chalcolithic settlement located in the Bhima river valley in Maharashtra.
* Row 3 is correctly matched: Mangadu is a well-documented prehistoric Megalithic site in Kerala containing numerous typical burial structures.
* Row 4 is incorrectly matched: Salihundam in Andhra Pradesh is an ancient Buddhist stupa hill site featuring structural monuments like mahastupas, chaityas, and monasteries; it does not contain rock-cut cave shrines.
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