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TNPSC Pallavas and Pandyas practice questions

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

The Pallavas and Pandyas link the Sangam age to the imperial Cholas, and the Pallava monuments at Kanchipuram and Mamallapuram give the questions a visible, memorable shape. Expect a king-to-monument match, a title or a play, and one question on the Pandyas. These five questions sample each. The subject guide is TNPSC Tamil Nadu History, Culture and Heritage, part of a unit with about 20 of the 75 General Studies questions.

What this topic covers

• The Pallavas: Simhavishnu (who ended Kalabhra rule), Mahendravarman I, Narasimhavarman I (Mamalla), Rajasimha (Narasimhavarman II) and Nandivarman II. Their capital was Kanchipuram.
• Pallava art: the shift from cave temples to monolithic rathas to structural temples.
• The Pandyas: the revival under Kadungon, the Shaiva conversion of Nedumaran, and the later Pandyas of the thirteenth century, with Madurai as capital.
• Foreign accounts: Chinese pilgrims at Kanchi, and Marco Polo's visit to the Pandya country.

Sample questions

Question 1

The monolithic Pancha Rathas at Mamallapuram were carved during the reign of:

• A. Mahendravarman I
• B. Narasimhavarman I
• C. Rajasimha
• D. Nandivarman II

Question 2

The Kailasanathar temple at Kanchipuram was built by:

• A. Narasimhavarman I
• B. Mahendravarman I
• C. Simhavishnu
• D. Rajasimha (Narasimhavarman II)

Question 3

The Sanskrit play Mattavilasa Prahasanam was written by:

• A. Mahendravarman I
• B. Narasimhavarman I
• C. Rajasimha
• D. Kadungon

Question 4

The royal emblem of the Pandyas was the:

• A. tiger
• B. bow
• C. fish
• D. bull

Question 5

The Venetian traveller Marco Polo visited the Pandya kingdom in the:

• A. thirteenth century
• B. seventh century
• C. tenth century
• D. sixteenth century

Answers and explanations

1. B. Narasimhavarman I, called Mamalla, began the port-city of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) and its monolithic rathas. Mahendravarman I is the cave-temple builder, and Rajasimha built structural temples.
2. D. Rajasimha built the Kailasanathar temple at Kanchipuram, which is regarded as a high point of early Dravidian temple architecture, and the Shore Temple at Mamallapuram.
3. A. Mahendravarman I wrote the comic one-act play Mattavilasa Prahasanam. His titles included Gunabhara and Vichitrachitta, and he was also a patron of music and painting.
4. C. The Pandyas used the fish as their emblem. The Cholas used the tiger and the Cheras the bow. The bull (Nandi) was a Pallava emblem.
5. A. Marco Polo visited the Pandya country in the late thirteenth century and described its prosperity, pearl fisheries and overseas trade.

How to prepare the Pallavas and Pandyas

Build a king-by-king timeline with a single line each. Simhavishnu (about 575 to 600) ended the Kalabhra rule. Mahendravarman I (600 to 630) is the playwright and cave builder. Narasimhavarman I (630 to 668) defeated the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II and captured his capital Vatapi, which earned him the title Vatapikonda. Rajasimha (about 700 to 728) built the structural temples. Dates are approximate in most textbooks, so use them to order the kings and not to answer a date-specific question unless the options are far apart.

For art, memorise the three-phase table above and the sites: caves, rathas, structural. For the Pandyas, remember Madurai, the fish emblem, Korkai's pearls and Marco Polo, since these come back whenever the examiners want a Pandya question.

Group your revision by what is visible: a monument, a play, an emblem or a title. These are the hooks that a question uses. For the Chola story that follows, use TNPSC Cholas practice, and for earlier history go back to TNPSC Sangam age practice. The temple-art side is covered in TNPSC Tamil Nadu art, architecture and culture practice.

Take the full topic test on PrepMatic

A topic test on PrepMatic takes about 30 minutes and gives about 15 questions on one topic, which is ideal for finishing a chapter such as this. Full-length mocks follow the real Group 4 paper (200 questions, 180 minutes), and your result shows the subject that cost you the most marks. If General Studies is your weak side, a mock focused on your weak subjects is available after the free assessment.

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