Chola
The Tamil country’s life and politics depended heavily on a Royal Line and that was the Chola or Cholaas. In determining the way the life of the Tamil people and their politics the rulers of this dynasty played a great role and in this there was a great contribution from the Cheraas and the Paandyas.
Ashoka’s rock inscriptions make repeated mention of the Cholaa country. It was a continuous reign from the B.Cs to the 13th century A.D that the Cholaas presided over. On 1st century A.D, the king called Kalikaala Cholan founded the vast Cholaa Empire.
The frequent encounters between the Cholaas on one side and the Cheraas and the Paandyaas on the other ate into the fortunes of the Cholaas. But they bounced back in 6th century and the period from the 10th to 12th century was their golden era.
During the reign of Rajaraja Cholan I and Rajendra Cholan the Cholaa empire developed into one of the largest in the whole of Asia. They held sway over a huge territory from the banks of the river Godavari in the east to the Maldives in the west. They conquered even the northern parts of Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka).
On his part Rajendra Cholan advanced into the north India. He defeated Mahipaala, king of the Paala dynasty of Paataliputra (modern Patna, Bihar) and led successful campaigns into the Malai Archipelago. The Cholaas defeated the Cheraas and the Paandyas too. It was contribution of the superlative order that they gave to Tamil literature and art.
Ashoka’s rock inscriptions make repeated mention of the Cholaa country. It was a continuous reign from the B.Cs to the 13th century A.D that the Cholaas presided over. On 1st century A.D, the king called Kalikaala Cholan founded the vast Cholaa Empire.
The frequent encounters between the Cholaas on one side and the Cheraas and the Paandyaas on the other ate into the fortunes of the Cholaas. But they bounced back in 6th century and the period from the 10th to 12th century was their golden era.
During the reign of Rajaraja Cholan I and Rajendra Cholan the Cholaa empire developed into one of the largest in the whole of Asia. They held sway over a huge territory from the banks of the river Godavari in the east to the Maldives in the west. They conquered even the northern parts of Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka).
On his part Rajendra Cholan advanced into the north India. He defeated Mahipaala, king of the Paala dynasty of Paataliputra (modern Patna, Bihar) and led successful campaigns into the Malai Archipelago. The Cholaas defeated the Cheraas and the Paandyas too. It was contribution of the superlative order that they gave to Tamil literature and art.
