Art from the period of the imperial Cholas (c. 850 CE – 1250 CE) in South India
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The Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, completed 1010. The vimana in the foreground is still much taller than the gopuras at right.
Chola Kings and Emperors
Early Cholas
Ellalan
205 BCE– c. 161 BCE
Kulakkottan
Ilamchetchenni
Karikala
Nedunkilli
Nalankilli
Killivalavan
Kopperuncholan
Kochchenganan
Perunarkilli
Interregnum (c. 200 – c. 848 CE)
Medieval Cholas
Vijayalaya
848–871?
Aditya I
871–907
Parantaka I
907–955
Rajaditya Chola
935–949
Gandaraditya
949–962
Arinjaya
955–956
Parantaka II (Sundara)
950–980
Aditya II (Karikala)
966–971
Uttama
971–987
Rajaraja I
985–1014
Rajendra I
1012–1044
Rajadhiraja
1018–1054
Rajendra II
1051–1063
Rajamahendra
1060–1063
Virarajendra
1063–1070
Athirajendra
1067–1070
Later Cholas
Kulothunga I
1070–1120
Vikrama
1118–1135
Kulothunga II
1133–1150
Rajaraja II
1146–1173
Rajadhiraja II
1166–1178
Kulothunga III
1178–1218
Rajaraja III
1216–1256
Rajendra III
1246–1279
Related
Related dynasties
Telugu Chodas of Andhra
Chodagangas of Kalinga
Nidugal Cholas of Karnataka
Rajahnate of Cebu
Rajahnate of Sanmalan
Chola society
Ganges Expedition
Chola government
Chola military
Chola Navy
Chola art and architecture
Chola literature
Flag of Chola
Great Living Chola Temples
Solesvara Temples
Poompuhar
Uraiyur
Melakadambur
Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Thanjavur
Tiruvarur
Legendary early Chola kings
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The period of the imperial Cholas (c. 850 CE – 1250 CE) in South India was an age of continuous improvement and refinement of Chola art and architecture. They utilised the wealth earned through their extensive conquests in building long-lasting stone temples and exquisite bronze sculptures, in an almost exclusively Hindu cultural setting.
The Cholas built their temples in the traditional way of the Pallava dynasty, who were themselves influenced by the Amaravati school of architecture. The Chola artists and artisans further drew their influences from other contemporary art and architectural schools and elevated the Chola temple design to greater heights.[1] The Chola kings built numerous temples throughout their kingdom, which normally comprised the plains, Central and Northern Tamil Nadu and at times the entire state of Tamil Nadu as also adjoining parts of modern Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In the evolution of the Chola temple architecture we can roughly see three major phases, beginning with the early phase, starting with Vijayalaya Chola and continuing till Sundara Chola, the middle phase of Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra Chola when the achievements scaled heights never reached before or since and the final phase during the Chalukya Chola period of Kulottunga I till the demise of the Chola empire.
The Cholas in addition to their temples, also built many buildings such as hospitals, public utility buildings and palaces. Many such buildings find mention in their inscriptions and in contemporary accounts. The golden palace that Aditya Karikala supposedly built for his father Sundara Chola is an example of such a building. However, such buildings were of perishable materials such as timber and fired bricks and have not survived the ravages of time.
^Tripathi, p 479
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