Question

What occupation were the Pandyas famous for?
A. Hunting
B.Fishing
C. Pearl diving
D. None of them.

Answer 1

Hint: The Pandyas were a dynasty in South India. They were among one of the three dynasties that had a Tamil lineage besides the Cholas and the Cheras.

Complete answer: The Pandyas are mentioned in the Greece-Roman sources and in the edicts of the Mauryan period during the Ashokan empire. The Pandya dynasty was famous for the production of pearls. The occupation of the Pandyas was pearl diving. The ancient port of Korkai was the main hub of pearl fishing. The travellers from Greece, Roman and Egyptian gave details about this pearl fishing off the Gulf of Mannar. Meghasthanese who was a Greek historian mentioned that the Pandyas derived a lot of wealth from trading pearls. Earlier the Pandya rulers were devout followers of Jainism. The later Pandya rulers were staunch Hindus, mainly Shaivaites. The Meenakshi Temple was one of the major attractions of the Pandya period. The Pandya kingdom was famous for its rock-cut architecture. The features of Pandya temples include Vimana and Mandapa. The Nandi bull sculpture in the Shiva temple is placed in front of the maha mandapa. In North India, the pearls from Pandyas had high demand.
Option C is the right answer.

Note: There have been references in history about how the fishermen avoided the sharks and brought out the pearls. The pearl trade was the most expensive trade and they could be imported to Roman empires besides muslin.