According to the Greek historian Strabo, which ancient Tamil kingdom was the first to send emissaries or envoys to meet the Roman emperor Augustus around 20 BCE?

Introduction / Context:
Ancient South India maintained extensive maritime and trade contacts with the Roman Empire. Classical writers such as Strabo and Pliny mention embassies from Indian kings to Roman emperors. This question asks which Tamil kingdom is recorded by Strabo as having sent emissaries to meet Augustus around 20 BCE, reflecting early diplomatic and commercial links between India and Rome.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The source mentioned is Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian.
• The Roman emperor involved is Augustus.
• The time frame is roughly 20 BCE.
• The options list major ancient South Indian dynasties: Pallava, Chola, Pandya, and Chera.

Concept / Approach:
We must remember which of the three famous ancient Tamil kingdoms—Chera, Chola, and Pandya—is most often linked in classical sources with early Roman trade and embassies. Many historical accounts state that the Pandya kingdom of Madurai had especially active trade relations and is specifically mentioned as sending embassies to Augustus.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. The Pallavas rose to prominence mainly in the early medieval period (around the 4th century CE onwards), which is much later than 20 BCE.2. The Chera, Chola, and Pandya dynasties were the major early historic Tamil kingdoms, and all three had maritime trade with the Roman world.3. However, classical writers like Strabo and Pliny particularly mention the Pandya kingdom sending an embassy to Augustus, highlighting its political and commercial importance.4. Chola and Chera contacts with Rome are known through archaeology and texts but are not specifically linked in Strabo's account to a 20 BCE embassy to Augustus.5. Therefore, the kingdom in question is the Pandya kingdom.6. Among the given options, 'Pandya' is thus the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Historians of Indo-Roman trade often refer to the account of Strabo, who notes that a Pandyan embassy came to Augustus. This is cited as evidence of formal diplomatic relations as an extension of flourishing commerce between the Tamil coast and the Mediterranean world. The chronological mismatch with the Pallavas and the lack of specific Strabo references about Chola and Chera embassies in 20 BCE reinforce the correctness of the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Pallava: This dynasty flourished much later than 20 BCE and is not recorded by Strabo as sending an embassy to Augustus.
• Chola: An important Tamil power with trade links, but Strabo's specific embassy reference is associated with the Pandya kingdom, not the Cholas.
• Chera: Also a significant trading polity, yet not the one named in Strabo's account of the embassy to Augustus.
• Kalabhra: The Kalabhra interregnum belongs to a later and controversial period in South Indian history, with no connection to Augustus.

Common Pitfalls:
Because the Cholas are extremely famous in later South Indian history, students sometimes pick them reflexively. Others may incorrectly assume all three Tamil kingdoms are equally likely. Careful reading of standard references, however, shows that Strabo's named kingdom in relation to an embassy to Augustus is the Pandya kingdom.

Final Answer:
According to Strabo, the first Tamil kingdom to send emissaries to Augustus around 20 BCE was the Pandya kingdom.