Prelims 2015 · archive
MediumConsider the following pairs:
Medieval Indian State: Present Region
- 1.Champaka: Central India
- 2.Durgara: Jammu
- 3.Kuluta: Malabar
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
Only pair 2 is correct, so the answer is (b). All three names belong to small hill states of the western Himalayas. Durgara is the Dogra country of the Jammu hills. Champaka is Chamba and Kuluta is Kullu, both in present Himachal Pradesh, not in Central India or Malabar.
- ✗ 1. Champaka is the old Chamba, a hill state on the Ravi in present Himachal Pradesh. The district's own history says the town was named after Princess Champa. It is a Himalayan state, not one in Central India.
- ✓ 2. Durgara survives in the names 'Dugar' and 'Dogra'. The Hindu inhabitants of the Jammu hills call themselves Dogras and their country Dugar. So Durgara corresponds to the Jammu region.
- ✗ 3. Kuluta is the ancient name of the Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh. The name 'Kuluta' is inscribed on a coin of the first century A.D. Malabar is the south-west coast of India, so the pair is wrong.
Remember · Early medieval Himalayan hill states: Champaka = Chamba, Kuluta = Kullu (both Himachal Pradesh), Durgara = Jammu (Dogra country), Trigarta = Jalandhar/Kangra.
Sources
- District Kullu, Government of Himachal Pradesh – History ↗ “The word 'Kullu' is speculated to have been derived from the word 'Kuluta' which was found inscribed on a coin from the first century A.D.”
- IGNCA (Govt. of India) – Vaikuntha-Visvarupa Archaeological Report Vol. IV, quoting M. A. Stein on Durgara and the Jammu hills ↗ “The Hindu inhabitants of this tract including Ballavar call themselves now Dogras and their country Dugar. This name is traditionally derived from Skr. *Dvigarta.”
- District Chamba, Government of Himachal Pradesh – History ↗ “He named the town after his beloved daughter Champa.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2015, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·