Chola
As per the traditions, the Chola Country or Cholamandalam was the area bound on the North by the Pennar, South by the Vellaru River, at Eastern Coast of Bay of Bengal from Nellore and Pudukottai to west until Coorg. Its most ancient capital was Uraiyur, near the Trichurapalli in Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the heartland was the fertile valley of the river Cauvery.
The Chola dynasty is one of the longest ruling dynasties of South India, and it existed from 300 BC until late 13th century AD, though the territorial limits kept varying from time to time. This period of around 1500 years can be divided into 4 parts as follows:
- Early Cholas
- Dark Period
- Medieval Cholas
- Later Cholas
Early Cholas
The Early Cholas refer to the Chola Kingdom of the Sangam Age from 300 BC to 200 AD. Most of the information about this, we have in the form of Sangam Literature, legends and religious texts of Buddhism and Jainism. Most siginificant ruler of the early Cholas is Karikala Chola. Read about Early Cholas Here.
Dark Period
After this early Chola Kingdom fell, there is a dark period, in which they existed but insignificantly.
Medieval Cholas
The rise of the Medieval Cholas is from 850 AD when Vijayalaya Chola of Thanjaur re-established the Chola Power in South India. These Chola Kings ruled till 1070 AD and the Cholamandalam flourished. The important rulers of these Cholas included:
- Vijayalaya Chola
- Aditya Chola I
- Parantaka Chola I
- Rajaraja Chola I
- Rajendra Chola –I
- Rajadhiraja Chola
- Rajendra Chola II
- Virarajendra Chola
Read about Medieval Cholas Here
Later Cholas
From 1070 AD till 1279 AD, is the period assigned to the later Cholas. During this time, the Chola Empire reached its Zenith and became the “Most Powerful Country” of the world. These Cholas colonized the South East Asian Countries and had the most powerful army and navy of the world at that time. The siginificant rulers of Later Cholas were as follows:
- Kulotthunga Chola-I
- Vikrama Chola
- Kulotthunga Chola II
- Rajaraja Chola II
- Rajadhiraja Chola II
- Kulothunga Chola III
- Rajaraja Chola III
- Rajendra Chola III
Read about Later Cholas Here
Shaam S.
August 21, 2019 at 2:00 amAmazing read as always courtesy GK. I especially enjoy the ode to the fact that the later Cholas had essentially risen to the ranks of world-leaders, having A) Been the most powerful country of the world and B) Possessing the most powerful army and navy in the world. This is clearly an oft-overlooked part of the discourse surrounding Tamil history, especially from the Sangam period up until the early medieval period, in that the glory of the Cholas is not adequately represented in conventional curriculums.