Chola Dynasty (850-1200AD) -Origin, Rulers, Administration With Maps – UPSC Notes

Chola Dynasty

The Chola Dynasty is one of the longest-ruling families in the history of the world. It rose in the Sangam Age as one of the three kingdoms alongside Cheras and Pandyas. However, very little is known about the Cholas after the end of the Sangam age till the mid-9th century.

The Origin of Chola Dynasty

• The Chola dynasty can be studied under the Sangam Chola (200BCE to 300CE), the Imperial Chola (850-1070CE) and the Later Chola
• The earliest references to the Chola are from inscriptions of Ashoka of the Maurya Empire dated the 3^rd century BCE during the Sangam Period, along with the Chera and Pandya. Despite these ancient origins, the Chola remained feudatories of the Pallavas and the Pandyas for most of history.
• However, in the mid-9th century CE, the “Chola Empire” rose to prominence under a series of able leaders and eventually became one of the most powerful empires in the world.
• The Imperial and the Later Cholas continued to reign over different territories until the 13th century CE.

The Imperial Chola Dynasty(850-1070CE) 

The Imperial Chola dynasty was established with the accession of Vijayalaya in 850 CE. The important rulers of this dynasty are as follows:

• Vijayalaya (850-871CE) was initially a feudatory of the Pallavas.
  • He captured Tanjore in 850AD and made it his capital, starting the Imperial Chola rule.
  • He founded the temple of
• Aditya I (871–907CE) defeated the Pandyas of Madurai in 885AD and ended the Pallava dynasty by killing its last ruler Aparajit Varman
  • He occupied large parts of the Kannada country and established marital ties with the Western Ganga dynasty.
  • He had friendly ties with the Chera
• Parantaka I (907-955CE) conquered Sri Lanka (known as Ilangai) and once defeated even the powerful Rashtrakutas.
  • His influence includes the whole Tamil country up to Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.
  • Battles against Rashtrakutas:
    • In the Battle of Vallala 916 – the Rashtrakuta dynasty under Krishna II was defeated.
    • In the Battle of Takkolam, 949 – Rashtrakuta king Krishna III (939-967CE) defeated his son Rajaditya Chola’s armies near Vellore, according to the Karhad copper plates.
    • After this battle, Cholas were virtually wiped out. From the death of Parantaka to the accession of Rajaraja I in 985AD, Chola’s history is obscure.
  • He built Natraj Temple at Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu.
  • The Uttarameruru inscription issued by Prantaka gives details of the election in local administration.
• Uttama Chola(973-985CE) is credited with improving the Chola army. He provided each infantryman with a waistcoat, regardless of rank and caste. This made their army very efficient.

Rajaraja Chola (985–1014CE):

• Rajaraja, born with the name Arulmozhi Varman, is often described as Raja Raja the Great.

Rajaraja’s sculpture at Brihadeshwara Temple

• Administrative Reforms under Rajaraja:
  • He surveyed the countryside and reorganised them into Velanadu.
  • Direct control: Local hereditary lords were replaced by officials appointed by the Imperial cholas.
  • He placed a system of audit and control.
• The expansionist policy of Rajaraja:
  • He destroyed the Chera navy at Trivandrum and attacked Kollam. He also subjugated the Pandyas.
  • Defeated Mahindra V of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), destroyed Anuradhapura (capital of Ceylon) and established the Chola province in north Ceylon with Polonnaruva as its capital.
• He encouraged Sri Maravijayottunggavarman, a king of the Srivijaya Kingdom (Sumatra, Indonesia) of the Sailendra dynasty, to build a Buddhist monastery. It was named Chundamuni Vihara.
• At Tanjore, he also constructed a Shiva Brihadeshvara temple (also called Rajarajeshvara temple).

Rajendra Chola (1014-1044AD):

• He carried forward the annexationist policy of his father.
• Expansion in India:
  • He completely overrun the Pandya and the Chera empires and completed the conquest of Sri Lanka by 1018.
  • The Vengi-Chalukya aggression was checked in the battle of Maski in 1920; In this battle, he sacked Manyakheta and annexed vast territories of Western Chalukyas.
  • He undertook a march across Kalinga, where he killed the Somavamsi ruler with the help of Parmaras and Kalachuris.
  • He then invaded Bengal and crossed the river Here he defeated Mahipala I (988–1038AD) of the Pala dynasty, Kamboja Palas and raided the Chandra kingdom of East Bengal. He also raided Bastar.
  • To commemorate this victory, he assumed the title Gangaikondachola (the Chola who conquered the Ganga) on the mouth of Kaver. Here he built the Gangaikonda Choleshwara temple.
• Expansion of control in the Bay of Bengal – Creating the “Chola Lake.”
  • He captured the islands of Laccadives and the Maldives, which he renamed Munnir Palantivu Pannirayiram, meaning “Twelve Thousand Islands and the Ocean Where Three Waters Meet.”
  • He undertook the conquest of the Sri Vijaya empire to curb piracy around the trading midpoints, such as in Cambodia. He was helped by the Khmer emperor Suryavarman I (of Cambodia) in this raid.
  • Khmers and Cholas were Shaivites, which could have played a minor role in their alliance. However, the Cholas themselves benefitted from Piracy and Trade, and thus this raid was mainly motivated from an economic standpoint.
  • With this raid, the Chola navy became the most vital force in the Bay of Bengal, which was effectively converted into a Chola Lake.

• Rajendra’s Influence:
  • The Cholas controlled greater parts of peninsular India’s western and eastern coasts.
  • He traded with Southeast Asia, China and the Arab through sea routes. He also sent diplomatic missions to China in 1016, 1033.
• Rajendra was followed by a series of weak successors who faced revolts in Sri Lanka and rebellion by feudatories like Chalukyas of Vengi.
• Eventually, some control was regained by the Later Cholas.