The 9th Century’s Chola Empire Expansion
Beginning in the nineteenth century, the Chola state ruled of quite a bit of the area. A strong navy helped the Cholas take over Sri Lanka and the neighboring Maldives Islands. It also helped shipping grow in the Indian Ocean. It was also felt in countries in Southeast Asia. Some people might say that the Chola state was among the most significant event in India’s history that went downhill.
Vijayalaya, who once held a feudatory relationship with the Pallavas, was the founder of the Chola kingdom. In 850, he conquered Tanjore. Through the end of the ninth century, the Cholas had subjugated Tondamandala, the southern Tamil region, by defeating the Pallavas of Kanchi and weakening the Pandyas. However, the Cholas struggled to hold their ground against the Rashtrakutas.
As we mentioned in the last chapter, Krishna III overthrew the Chola monarch and captured the Chola empire’s northern region. The Cholas suffered a significant setback as a result of this, but they quickly bounced back, especially following Krishna III’s passing in 965 or the crumbling of the Rashtrakuta empire.
Rajaraja and Rajendra’s Age, Part I
Rajendra I and the late Rajaraja (985–1014) were the two most important Chola kings. Before he took the throne, Rajaraja knew a lot about both government and the military because his father had named him the heir apparent. Rajaraja attacked Quilon in 15 and defeated the Chera armada at Trivandrum (which is now called Kerala).
After beating Madurai, the Pandyan king was captured and put in jail. He also struck Sri Lanka and took over the northern part of the country for himself. He made these choices in part to get more power over trade with South-East Asian countries. The Coromandal coast and Malabar were India’s main trade routes with South-East Asian countries.
One of his naval wins was taking over the Maldives. Rajaraja took over the Ganga country in the northwest of Karnataka and also beat the Vengi. Rajendra I fully covered the Pandya and Chera nations and added them to his kingdom, carrying on Rajaraja’s plan to take over other countries.
With the said loss of the throne and queen of Sri Lanka’s crown but also royal insignia in a conflict, the dominion of Sri Lanka was also finished. It took another 50 years for Sri Lanka to finally be free of the Chola rule.
The Chola Empire Rulers
The Chalukyas, who had replaced the Rashtrakutas as kings, were in constant conflict with the Chola dynasty. These are referred to as the later Chalukyas, and Kalyani served as their capital. For control over Vengi (Rayalseema), the Tungabhadra doab, and the Ganga-ruled region in northwest Karnataka, the Cholas and the subsequent Chalukyas engaged in war. In the end, both empires were worn out because neither side was able to win this battle decisively.
Additionally, it appears that around this time, the wars were becoming more brutal. The Chola kings slaughtered the populace, including Brahmanas and children, and ransacked and pillaged Chalukyan cities, including Kalyani. They followed a similar strategy in the Pandya nation, establishing military colonies there to dominate the populace.
They went to Sri Lanka, hurt the royal couple, and burned down their medieval city, Anuradhapura. These are marks on the record of the Chola kingdom. But the Cholas tried to set up trustworthy government in every country they took over. One interesting thing about the Chola kingdom was that it encouraged villages to run their own governments.
Government of Chola
In the Chola government, the monarch was the most significant figure. He held complete power, but he was advised by a council of ministers. In order to stay in contact with the government more effectively, the kings frequently traveled on travels. The Cholas kept a sizable force made up of cavalry, infantry, and elephants, known as the “three limbs of the army.” Typically, spears were the infantry’s primary weapon. The majority of rulers had bodyguards who pledged to protect the kings at all costs.
After Marco Polo, a Venetian traveler invaded Kerala in the 1300s, he said that all of the bodyguard’s warriors burned to death at the monarch’s funeral pyre. However, this claim may have been exaggerated. As we’ve seen, the Cholas also had a powerful navy that controlled the Malabar and Coromandal coasts as well as the entire Bay of Bengal for a while.
Literary Life
The size and wealth of the Chola empire allowed the kings to construct impressive capital cities, like Tanjore, Gangaikondacholapuram, Kanchi, etc. Large homes and palaces with dining rooms, expansive gardens, and terraces were maintained by the monarchs. As a result, we learn that their chiefs live in seven or five-story homes. Sadly, no palaces from that time period have survived.
Gangaikondacholapuram, the former Chola capital, is now merely a tiny town close to Tanjore. However, accounts of the similarly spectacular homes that the affluent middle classes lived in as well as the monarchs’ and their advisers’ wonderful palaces can be found in contemporary history.
Temple Construction and Architectural
During the rule of the Cholas, the south’s temple building hit its peak. During that time, a style of architecture became famous. It was mostly found in south India and is called Dravida. The main feature of this style of architecture was building stories on top of the center deity room (garbhagriha). Their unique style became known as the vimana, and their heights ranged from five to seven stories. The mandap, a hall with pillars and a flat roof, was usually placed in front of the vestibule. The pillars were very finely carved.
It served as a floor and was used for a variety of other activities, including ceremonial plays performed by the Hindu temples, and women who devote their lives to serving the gods. To allow the devotees to move around the sanctum, a corridor would occasionally be constructed. The entire building was situated in a courtyard that was encircled by tall walls and gopurams, or tall gateways. With time, the vimanas became taller and taller, the number of courtyards doubled or tripled, and the design and fabrication likewise expanded in complexity.
As a result, the temple was transformed into a mini-city or palace with residential quarters for priests and many other people. In most cases, lands were granted to temples at no cost to them in the form of revenue. The affluent merchants also gave them generous grants and donations. Some of the temples were so wealthy that they started businesses, made loans, and participated in ventures. Additionally, they invested money in enhancing farming practices, creating river conduits, and digging wells and other structures.
