Indian History #12 | Study Material::General Studies | IAS Help

THE (IMPERIAL) CHOLAS Overview The Cholas, along with the Cheras and Pandyas, are considered to be among the oldest and longest dynasties in Indian history. They ruled southern India in the later parts of the first millennium BC (Sangam period), and supposedly in even earlier pre-historical epochs as mentioned in ancient Tamil literature However, this article deals only with the later Cholas, about whom concrete literary, epigraphical and archaeological evidence has been established. In this article Cholas refers to later Cholas The Cholas ruled large parts of Southern India including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka from the 9th to 13th centuries CE Since they established a powerful empire that controlled almost all of South India and large parts of South East Asia, the later Cholas are also known as the Imperial Cholas The lasting legacies of the Cholas include some of the most important works of Tamil literature and magnificent temples and monuments The Cholas are also known for their powerful navy with blue-water capabilities, that allowed them to project power as far away as Indonesia The capital of the Cholas were Tanjore and Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Extent and lineage The heartland of the Chola territory was the fertile Kaveri valley centred around Tanjore The Cholas came into prominence in the 9th century under Vijayalaya Chola (c. 850 CE) Important Chola kings include Parantaka Chola (c. 925 CE), Sundara Chola (c. 950 CE), Rajaraja Chola (c. 985-1014 CE), Rajendra Chola (c. 1012-1044 CE) and Kulothunga Chola (1070-1120 CE) The Chola empire stretched from Sri Lanka in the south to the Godavari-Krishna basin in the north. Additionally, large parts of north eastern India and South East Asia were conquered by Rajendra Chola, and were under Chola suzerainty. These included the Ganga-HooglyDamodar basin, Indo-China (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam), Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia. Rajendra Chola, the most successful Chola emperor, took on titles such as Gangaikonda Cholan and Mudikonda Cholan To commemorate his successful campaigns to the Ganges, Rajendra Chola founded the city of Gangaikonda Cholapuram, which served as the capital for over 200 years until the dissolution of the Chola empire in the 13th century Following generations of inter-marriage between the Cholas and the Eastern Chalukyas (of Vengi), the Chalukya prince Rajendra Chalukya ascended the Chola throne under the name Kulothunga Chola (1070 CE). The line of Chola rulers following Kulothunga Chola are also known as Chalukya-Cholas

Administration, Economy and Society The Chola Empire was the first to bring all of south India under a common government The capital of the Cholas was Tanjore, and later Gangaikonda Cholapuram The Cholas pioneered a system of highly organised governance where a careful balance was achieved between central control and local independence in administrative matters Every village in the empire was a self-governing unit Several villages made up a Korram, several Korrams made up a Valanadu, and several Valanadus made up a Mandalam (i.e. province) The Cholas also pioneered the concept of immediately recording oral orders given by king in written form. A special official, Tirumandira Olai Nayagan, was tasked specifically with recording these oral orders in palm leaf manuscripts The Chola empire had extensive trade relations with Sri Vijaya (Indonesia), China (Tang Dynasty) and the Abassid Caliphate (Baghdad) The Cholas maintained a powerful and well-organised Navy, that it used for power projection, piracy control and trade convoy escorting

Art and Architecture under the Cholas The period of the Cholas was an age of continuous improvement and refinement of Dravidian art and architecture The most famous aspects of Chola art and architecture includes their exquisite bronze sculptures and massive stone temples The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Tanjore, built by Rajaraja Chola (c. 1002 CE), is considered to be the pinnacle of Chola architecture. The temple, the largest and tallest in India, is also the first complete granite structure in the world The UNESCO World Heritage Site Great Living Chola Temples consists of three temples constructed by the Cholas: o Brihadeeswarar Temple (Tanjore) o Airavateswarar Temple (Darasuram) o Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple (Gangaikonda Cholapuram) The Chola period is also remarkable for its sculptures and bronzes, many of which are housed in museums around the world. Among the most famous Chola bronzes is that of Nataraja, depicting Siva in the cosmic dance of creation and destruction

The Great Living Chola Temples The Great Living Chola Temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site Temple Brihadeeswarar Temple Location Tanjore (Tamil Nadu) Date/Built by c. 1006 CE/Rajaraja Chola Notes Largest and tallest temple in India Served as the royal temple of the Cholas being the site of important royal ceremonies

Also known as Peruvudaiyar Temple Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple Airavateswarar Temple Gangaikonda Cholapuram (Tamil Nadu) Darasuram (Tamil Nadu) c. 1025 CE/Rajendra Chola 12th century CE/Rajaraja Chola II

Literature under the Cholas The Chola period is noted for the flourishing Tamil literature during this period Important epigraphical inscriptions have been found in the various temples constructed during this period The most famous works of literature include o Ramavataram by the poet Kamban, which describes the story of the Ramayana o Kalingattubarani by Ottakuttan, which describes the conquest of Kalinga (Orissa) by Kulothunga Chola

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