Rajendra Chola I or Rajendra I was a Chola emperor who is considered one of the

greatest rulers and military generals of India. He succeeded his father Rajaraja Chola
I in 1014 CE. During his reign, he extended the influence of the Chola empire to the
banks of the river Ganga in North India and across the Indian Ocean to the West,
making the Chola Empire as one of the most powerful empires of India. Rajendra’s
conquests included the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and he
successfully invaded and raided the territories of Srivijaya in Malaysia, Southern
Thailand and Indonesia in South East Asia. The Cholas exacted tribute from
Thailand and the Khmer kingdom of Cambodia. He defeated Mahipala, the Pala king
of Bengal and Bihar, and to commemorate his victory he built a new capital city
called Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Rajendra Chola I was the son of Rajaraja Chola
and Thiripuvana Madeviyar, princess of Kodumbalur. He was born on Thiruvathirai in
the Tamil month of Aadi. He was originally called Maduranthagan. He spent most of
his childhood in Palayarai and was brought up by his aunt Kundavai and great-
grandmother Sembian Madevi. He was made the co-regent in 1012 CE. Rajendra
formally ascended the Chola throne in 1014 CE. In 1018 CE, he installed his eldest
son Rajadhiraja Chola I as the crown prince.

Rajendra led Chola campaigns from 1002 CE. These include the conquest of the
Rashtrakutas and the campaigns against the Western Chalukyas. He conquered the
Chalukyan territories of Yedatore (a large part of the Raichur district between the
Krishna and the Tungabhadra), Banavasi in the north-west of Mysore and capital
Manyakheta. Rajendra erected a Siva temple at Bhatkal. In 1004 CE, he captured
Talakad and overthrew the Western Ganga dynasty which had ruled over Mysore for
almost 1000 years. He also conquered Kollipakkai, located to the north of Hyderabad
in present-day Telangana.

In 1018 CE, Rajendra marched across the Pandya and Chera kingdoms referred in
the Tamil Copper-plate inscriptions. The territories were already conquered during
the reign of Raja Raja I. Rajendra appointed one of his sons as viceroy with the title
Jatavarman Sundara Chola-Pandya with Madurai as the headquarters.

In 1015 CE, Jayasimha II became the king of Western Chalukyas. He tried to recover
the losses suffered by his predecessor Satyashraya, who fled his capital and was
later restored to the throne by Raja Raja I as a tribute paying subordinate. Initially,
Jayasimha II was successful as Rajendra was busy with his campaigns in Sri Lanka.
In 1021 CE, after the demise of the Eastern Chalukyan king Vimaladitya of Vengi,
Jayasimha supported the claim of Vijayaditya VII to the throne against the claims of
Rajaraja Narendra. Rajaraja Narendra was the son of Vimaladitya and Chola
princess Kundavai. Rajendra helped his nephew Rajaraja defeat Vijayaditya. His
armies defeated Vijayadiya in Vengi and Jayasimha in the battle of Maski. Rajendra
Chola built a vast artificial lake, sixteen miles long and three miles wide which was
one of the largest man-made lakes in India. The fortified capital of Rajendra Chola
was of impressive grandeur and Ottakoothar states, On seeing Gangapuri, all
fourteen worlds encircled by the billowing ocean are overwhelmed with joy. The
extent of the empire was the widest in India and the military and naval prestige was
at its highest. The successful invasions of Rajendra Chola were applauded by
several medieval Tamil poets like Jayamkondan in his text Kalingattupparani and
Ottakkoothar in his text Ula. After his successful campaign to Ganges river in North
India he got the title Gangaikonda Chola (The Chola who took the Ganges river). And
after his successful Southeast Asian campaign he got the title "Kadaram Kondan"(He
who took Kedah in Malaysia). He founded a new capital city called Gangaikonda
Cholapuram and built a Shiva temple similar to the Thanjavur Brihadisvara temple
built by his father Rajaraja Chola. He expanded the Pathirakali Amman Temple and
Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee. He inherited the title Mummudi Cholan (Chola
with three crowns) from his father with Mummudi, a title used by Tamil kings who
ruled the three kingdoms of Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras. To commemorate his
conquests, Rajendra assumed other titles such as Mudigonda Cholan and
Irattapadikonda Cholan.