When you think of the great empires of India - the Mughals will definitely be the first name that pops up in your head . The fame of their wealth spread far and wide , their glory recorded with awe by the Europeans who visited their court.
Yet, four hundred years before the Mughals , their existed an equally glamorous empire , the Cholas. Unlike the Mughals this empire went beyond the traditional boundaries of the Indian subcontinent.
If the Mughals left behind great buildings like the Taj Mahal and exquisite miniatures to remind us of their glory , the Cholas rivaled them with the great temples that dot south India. The mind reels to hear that Rajaraja Chola l donated 200kg of gold and silver and sacks of jewels to Brahadisvara temple in Tanjore. They also built flourishing ports, palace and temple town. Thanjavur still stands to be the biggest and tallest temples in India of it's time.
Brahadisvara templeThe Chola Dynasty was founded by vijayalya . Nobody exactly knows when the Chola's exactly took power in southern India. But it is believed to have been established by third century BCE.
The chola empire was located in the Kaveri river valley . Ruling for over 1500 years , they are among the longest running families in human history. Chola Dynasty is famous for it's literature and architecture . They gained control of the south by overthrowing the Pallavas.
It not only ruled southern India, but also took control over seas and ruled parts of Maldives and Sri Lanka .
The chronology of The Chola Dynasty is very difficult to explain . They were also known as Chodas . The history of Chola's can be divided into three parts :Early , Medieval and later Cholas.
The Early period of the Chola rule saw onset of Sangam literature. Kantaman was one of the prominent ruler of this era. The Medieval period was the era of absolute power and development for the Cholas . This magnifiscense lasted until the arrival of the Pandyas in the early thirteenth century.
Vijayalya's son Aditya l caused further damage to Pallavas and Pandyas.
The Dynasty got further boost during reign of Rajaraja Chola l and Rajendra Chola l. The empire was at its peak during these two rulers .
• Rajaraja’s son, Rajendra I, was even more ambitious and adventurous than his father. He continued his father’s campaigns and conquered the rest of Sri Lanka, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, and parts of Southeast Asia. He also sent a naval expedition to the north that reached the Ganges River and defeated the Pala king Mahipala. He brought back some water from the Ganges and built a new capital called Gangaikondacolapuram, meaning "the city of the Chola who took the Ganges".
The Cholas had a massive naval fleet of up to a thousand ships and they dominated the Indian and Lankan coastlines. Chola control meant they could collect taxes and tariffs from all the ships. During his naval campaigns Rajendra Chola captured Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia
In 1972, an Indian Naval Training Academy was named after Rajendra Chola to honor his naval prowess. Cholagangam lake now known as Ponneri lake was an artificial lake that was in India.
The last Chola king was Rajendra Chola lll, who was defeated at the hands of the Pandya king , Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan l. There were several tragic occurrences that led to the decline of the mighty Chola empire such as:
.Corruption
.Lack of resources
.Internal disputes
.Infiltration and dishonesty among the armed forces
As we draw the curtains on our exploration of the Chola Dynasty, we are left with a sense of awe and admiration. The Cholas, like the mighty river Kaveri that nurtured their lands, carved a deep and lasting impression on the landscape of history. Their legacy flows through time, enriching the soil of our present with the fertile silt of their past. As we bid adieu to this chapter, we do so with a bow of respect and a heart full of gratitude for the lessons it has taught us.
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