"Chola" redirects here. For other uses, see Chola (disambiguation).
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Chola Empire
848–1279
Gold Gadyana coin of emperor Rajaraja I (985–1014). Uncertain Tamil Nadu mint. Legend "Chola, conqueror of the Gangas" in Tamil, seated tiger with two fish.
Map showing the greatest extent of the Chola empire c. 1030 under Rajendra I: territories are shown in blue, subordinates and areas of influence are shown in pink.
Capital
Pazhaiyaarai, Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Official languages
Middle Tamil
Classical Sanskrit (liturgical purpose)
Religion
Hinduism
Government
Monarchy
Emperor
• 848–871
Vijayalaya Chola (first)
• 1246-1279
Rajendra III (last)
Historical era
Middle Ages
• Established
848
• Empire at its greatest extent
1030
• Disestablished
1279
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Pandya Dynasty
Pallava Empire
Chera Kingdom
Eastern Chalukyas
Srivijaya Empire
Tambralinga
Eastern Ganga Dynasty
Anuradhapura Kingdom
Principality of Ruhuna
Western Chalukya Empire
Pandya Dynasty
Kingdom of Polonnaruwa
Kakatiya Empire
Eastern Ganga Dynasty
Melayu Kingdom
Venad
Hoysala Empire
The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas,[1] was a medieval Indian, thalassocratic empire that was established by the Chola dynasty that rose to prominence during the middle of the ninth century and united southern India under their rule.
The power and the prestige the Cholas had among political powers in South, Southeast, and East Asia at its peak is evident in their expeditions to the Ganges, naval raids on cities of the Srivijaya Empire on the island of Sumatra, and their repeated embassies to China.[2] The Chola fleet represented the peak of ancient Indian maritime capacity. Around 1070, the Cholas began to lose almost all of their overseas territories but the later Cholas (1070–1279) continued to rule portions of southern India. The Chola empire went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of the Pandyan dynasty, which ultimately caused the Chola's downfall.[3]
The Cholas established a centralized form of government and a disciplined bureaucracy. Their patronage of Tamil literature and their zeal for building temples resulted in some of the greatest works of Tamil literature and architecture.[4] The Chola kings were avid builders, and regarded temples in their kingdoms as both places of worship and of economic activity.[5][6] A prime example of Chola architecture is Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which the Rajaraja commissioned in 1010. They were also well known for their patronage of art. The development of the sculpting technique used in Chola bronzes of Hindu deities that were built using a lost wax process, was pioneered in their time. The Chola tradition of art spread, and influenced the architecture and art of Southeast Asia.[7][8]
^Kaimal, Padma (May 1992). "Art of the Imperial Cholas. By Vidya Dehejia. New York: Columbia University Press, 1990. xv, 148 pp. 36.00". The Journal of Asian Studies (book review). 51 (2): 414–416. doi:10.2307/2058068. ISSN 1752-0401. JSTOR 2058068. S2CID 163175500.
^K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, A History of South India, p. 158
^K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, A History of South India, p. 195–196
^Keay 2011, p. 215.
^Vasudevan, pp. 20–22
^Keay 2011, pp. 217–218.
^Promsak Jermsawatdi, Thai Art with Indian Influences, p. 57
^John Stewart Bowman, Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture, p. 335
The CholaEmpire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval Indian, thalassocratic empire that was established by the Chola dynasty...
The Chola dynasty (Tamil: [t͡ʃoːɻɐr]) was a Tamil dynasty originating from southern India. At its height, it ruled over the CholaEmpire, an expansive...
In 1025 CE, the Chola Emperor Rajendra I launched naval raids on Srivijaya in maritime Southeast Asia, Rajendra's overseas expedition against Srivijaya...
The Great Living Chola Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for a group of Chola dynasty era Hindu temples in the Indian state of Tamil...
the final phase during the Chalukya Chola period of Kulottunga I till the demise of the Cholaempire. The Cholas in addition to their temples, also built...
Karikala Chola. Vijayalaya was succeeded by his son Aditya Chola I who laid the foundation of the Imperial CholaEmpire. The ancient Chola kingdom, once...
The Chola conquest of Anuradhapura was a military invasion of the Kingdom of Anuradhapura by the CholaEmpire. It can be seen as an ensuing conflict between...
CholaEmpire a military, economic and cultural power in South and South-East Asia.: 215 During this period, the Chola Navy helped expand the empire with...
The Chola military (Tamil: சோழர் படை) was the combined armed forces of the CholaEmpire organized during two separate Tamil golden ages, the Sangam Period...
father died in 1014, when Rajendra ascended to the Chola throne. During his reign, the CholaEmpire reached its zenith in the Indian subcontinent; it extended...
was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 CE to 1014 CE. He is known for his conquests of Southern India and parts of Sri Lanka, and increasing Chola influence...
history of the Cholaempire belongs to a happy age in history and great things were achieved by the government and the people. The Chola system of administration...
conquests, and trade. Under the Cholas, the major Southeast Asian countries practiced Hinduism.[citation needed] The Chola economy constituted one of the...
(973–985) Rajaraja Chola I (985–1014) Rajendra Chola I (1014–1044) Rajadhiraja Chola I (1018–1054) Rajendra Chola II (1054–1063) Virarajendra Chola (1063–1070)...
Rajendra Vidyadhara, ornament of the Chola race, Nurmudi-Chola (one-hundred-crown Chola) invaded the Western Chalukya Empire in 1007 AD with an army of 900...
The Early Cholas were a Tamil kingdom of the Chola Dynasty - pre and post Sangam period (600 BCE–300 CE). It was one of the three main kingdoms of Tamilakam...
Parantaka II's reign, the foundations were laid for the success of the CholaEmpire a generation later. A few territories in the north were recovered. The...
Pandyas allied themselves with the Sinhalese and the Cheras against the CholaEmpire until it found an opportunity to revive its frontiers during the late...
allied themselves with the Sinhalese and the Cheras in harassing the Cholaempire until they found an opportunity for reviving their fortunes during the...
Aditya Chola I, the son of Vijayalaya Chola, was the Chola king who laid the foundation of the CholaEmpire with the conquest of the Pallava Kingdom and...
Inscriptions indicate that Nattuvanars taught the Chola queen and princess Kundavai. As the Cholaempire expanded in wealth and size, more temples were built...
ceased to exist in the 1025 CE after several raids were launched by the CholaEmpire upon their ports.: 110 After Srivijaya fell, it was largely forgotten...
Flag of Chola or Tiger Flag (Tamil: புலி கொடி) was used by the Tamil Chola dynasty. The Tiger or Jumping Tiger was the royal emblem of the Cholas and was...
first conquered by the Cholas under Raja Raja Chola I (985–1014) and subsequently became very closely aligned to the Cholaempire through marital alliance...
Chola Nadu is a cultural region of the Tamil Nadu state in southern India. It encompasses the lower reaches of the Kaveri River and its delta, and formed...
Vikrama Chola, known as Kō Parakēsari Varman, was a 12th-century ruler (r. c. 1118–1135 CE) of the CholaEmpire in southern India. He succeeded his father...
Karikalan, was a Chola prince who lived in the 10th century in India. He was born in Tirukoilur and was the eldest son of Parantaka Chola II. He was the...
(Telugu: Rājēndra Cāḷukyuḍu), was a Chola Emperor who reigned from 1070 to 1122 succeeding his cousin Athirajendra Chola. He also served as the Eastern Chalukya...
Kulothunga Chola III delayed the disruption of the Cholaempire for about a generation, and his reign marks the last great epoch in the history of Chola architecture...
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