who is considered the greatest of the early chola kings
Karikala Chola
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but not their chronology. All three kings have been portrayed as fighting the war or involved in feeding both the armies at that legendary war. Karikala Chola (c. 90 BCE) stands pre-eminent amongst all those mentioned in "Pattinappaalai". Karikala's father was Ilamcetcenni, a brave king and a hard fighter. 'Karikala' means 'elephant feller' or 'charred leg', which is assumed to be a reference to an accident by fire which befell the prince early in his life. "Pattinappaalai" describes this accident and the enterprising way in which the prince escaped and established himself in the Chola throne. "Pattinappalai" is a long
Early Cholas
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Ilamchetchenni Ilamchetchenni ("Iḷamcēṭceṉṉi"; ) was an early Tamil king of the Chola dynasty during the Sangam period. He was a great warrior and ruled the Chola kingdom with Puhar as the capital. He married a princess of the Velirs and their child was Karikala Chola. Ilamchetchenni Chola was succeeded by his son, Karikala Chola, who is considered one of the greatest among the Early Cholas. N.K. Sastri claims that this is the period where Magadha dynasty had established its empire from Persia to southern India. Bindusara, son of Chandragupta Maurya, conquered almost the whole of India except Kalinga and Cholas.
Ilamchetchenni
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Yavana Rani Yavana Rani (, lit. Greek Queen) is a Tamil language historical novel written by Sandilyan. The story is based on ancient Tamil poetry. The author of this novel is Sandilyan. It is a love story set around 2000 years ago, focusing on the Commander-in-chief of the Chola Army. The story takes place during the period of Karikala Chola, one of the greatest kings of the Early Cholas. The story starts in Poompuhar, a port city that was an important harbour for the Cholas during a time of trade between the seafaring nations and Tamil Nadu. Ilanchezhiyan is the
Yavana Rani
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Kovilvenni Kovilvenni is a town near Needamangalam in the district of Thiruvarur. It is 24 km away from Thanjavur. Kovilvenni was under the Chola Kingdom during the ancient period. The great battle of venni took place between the Cholas and the Cheras here. Battle of Venni is a battle fought by the Early Chola dynasty Karikala Chola with a confederacy of Pandya and Chera kings. The battle resulted in absolute victory for Karikala. Following his defeat, the Chera dynasty king Uthiyan Cheralathan starved himself to death. The battle is considered historical and dated approximately to 190 CE. One of the
Kovilvenni
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as follows: In the long list of kings of Sri Lanka preserved in Singhalese chronicles, the name Gajabahu occurs only twice. Gajabahu I lived in the early part of the second century A.D. and Gajabahu II in the twelfth century. If the latter was king referred to in the Cilappathikaram, Karikala Chola, the grandfather of the Gajabahu contemporary, Imaya Varamban should have lived in the eleventh or twelfth century A.D. But in many Tamil poems and inscriptions on copper plates recording the grants of Chola kings who lived in the tenth and the eleventh centuries, Karikala Chola I is described
Gajabahu synchronism
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across the main stream of the Kaveri. A later Chola record from Tiruvaduturai refers to this event that is raising the banks of the Kaveri by Parakesari Karikala Chola. Karikala Cholan Manimandapam (memorial hall) was built in honour of the king who built the Grand Anicut. The hall designed as per Tamil architecture style was built at a cost of Rs. 2.10 crore. It features a bronze statue of the king. Karikala Karikala was a Chola king who ruled in southern India during the Sangam period. He is recognised as the greatest of the Early Cholas. The story of Karikala
Karikala
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poets who extolled them. The Sangam literature also records legends about mythical Chola kings. These myths speak of the Chola king Kantaman, a supposed contemporary of the sage Agastya, whose devotion brought the river Kaveri into existence. Two names are prominent among those Chola kings known to have existed who feature in Sangam literature: Karikala Chola and Kocengannan. There are no sure means of settling the order of succession, of fixing their relations with one another and with many other princelings of around the same period. Urayur (now a part of Thiruchirapalli) was their oldest capital. Kaveripattinam also served as
Chola dynasty
7465638
Nalankilli Nalankilli was one of the Tamil kings of Early Cholas of the Chola Dynasty mentioned in Sangam Literature. He is the son of Karikala Chola. Nalankilli is mentioned in context with a civil war between him and another Chola king Nedunkilli. We have no accurate details about this Chola. The only information we have is from the fragmentary poems of Purananuru which belongs to ancient Sangam literature. The only source available to us on Nalankilli is the mentions in Sangam poetry and "Manimekalai". The period covered by the extant literature of the Sangam is unfortunately not easy to determine
Nalankilli
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avail and the civil war only ended with the death of Nedunkilli. Nalankilli died at a place called Ilavandigaippalli (colophon of "Purananuru" – 61). Nalankilli Nalankilli was one of the Tamil kings of Early Cholas of the Chola Dynasty mentioned in Sangam Literature. He is the son of Karikala Chola. Nalankilli is mentioned in context with a civil war between him and another Chola king Nedunkilli. We have no accurate details about this Chola. The only information we have is from the fragmentary poems of Purananuru which belongs to ancient Sangam literature. The only source available to us on Nalankilli
Nalankilli
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Appar, Siruthondar and Tirugnanasambandar lived during his reign. Narasimhavarman I was succeeded by his son Mahendravarman II in the year 668 AD. Narasimhavarman I is claimed to be one of the 12 Indian kings who never lost on the battlefield to their enemies, the others being Ajatashatru, Chandragupta Maurya, Karikala Chola, Cheran Senguttuvan, great Nayanmar saint Kochengannan of Chola dynasty, Chola king Rajasuyam Vaetta Perunarkilli (575 BC), who successfully completed military Rajasuyam sacrifice, Pandyan Nedunchezhian of the Sangam age, Samudragupta, great Pallava Nayanmar saint Rajasimha, Rajaraja Chola I, his great warrior son Rajendra Chola . Pulakeshin II, a deccan king,
Narasimhavarma I
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best Engineering college in Thiruvarur district, the Anjalai Ammal Mahalingam Engineering College is in Kovilvenni. St.Marcinas Higher Secondary school is a school in Kovilvenni. Kovilvenni Kovilvenni is a town near Needamangalam in the district of Thiruvarur. It is 24 km away from Thanjavur. Kovilvenni was under the Chola Kingdom during the ancient period. The great battle of venni took place between the Cholas and the Cheras here. Battle of Venni is a battle fought by the Early Chola dynasty Karikala Chola with a confederacy of Pandya and Chera kings. The battle resulted in absolute victory for Karikala. Following his defeat,
Kovilvenni
7451179
but not their chronology. All three kings have been portrayed as fighting the war or involved in feeding both the armies at that legendary war. Karikala Chola (c. 90 BCE) stands pre-eminent amongst all those mentioned in "Pattinappaalai". Karikala's father was Ilamcetcenni, a brave king and a hard fighter. 'Karikala' means 'elephant feller' or 'charred leg', which is assumed to be a reference to an accident by fire which befell the prince early in his life. "Pattinappaalai" describes this accident and the enterprising way in which the prince escaped and established himself in the Chola throne. "Pattinappalai" is a long
Early Cholas
7111554
early Chola kings of the Sangam period and the life of people contributed much to the cultural wealth of the Tamil country. The Sangam literature is full of legends about the mythical Chola kings. The dates of accession are approximate interpolation of the Chronological standpoints in Tamil history. The genealogy of the Chola family conveyed by the Thiruvalangadu copperplate grant consists of names that corroborate the historic authenticity of legends. Legendary early Chola kings The lists of legendary Early Chola kings are recorded in Tamil literature and in the inscriptions left by the later Chola kings. The genealogy of the
Legendary early Chola kings
7111550
Legendary early Chola kings The lists of legendary Early Chola kings are recorded in Tamil literature and in the inscriptions left by the later Chola kings. The genealogy of the Chola empire as found in the Tamil literature and in the many inscriptions left by the later Chola kings contains a number of kings recorded for whom there is no verifiable historic evidence. There are as many versions of this lineage as there are sources for them. The main source is the Sangam literature – particularly, religious literature such as "Periapuranam", semi-biographical poems of the later Chola period such as
Legendary early Chola kings
7411874
Virarajendra Chola Virarajendra Chola (r.1063–1070 CE) is considered to be one of the most underrated Chola kings, mainly because a major part of his life was spent as a subordinate of his two elder brothers Rajadhiraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola II, who along with Virarajendra Chola himself were the illustrious sons of their Chakravarti(Emperor) father, Rajendra Chola I. While certainly it was not a practice among the Chola kings to nominate the eldest son, but the most capable (in administration of their domains as well as proving their mettle on the battlefield) as the heir to the throne. During
Virarajendra Chola
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as Aslesha. Another inscription from the Tiruttaleesvara temple in Tirupattur, Ramnad district mentions the king's father, as the conqueror of Purvadesam, Ganges and Kidaram. Virarajendra Chola Virarajendra Chola (r.1063–1070 CE) is considered to be one of the most underrated Chola kings, mainly because a major part of his life was spent as a subordinate of his two elder brothers Rajadhiraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola II, who along with Virarajendra Chola himself were the illustrious sons of their Chakravarti(Emperor) father, Rajendra Chola I. While certainly it was not a practice among the Chola kings to nominate the eldest son, but
Virarajendra Chola
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Dynasty was described by the Arab traveller Sulaiman as one of the four great kings of the world. The medieval south Indian mathematician Mahāvīra lived in the Rashtrakuta dynasty and was the first Indian mathematician who separated astrology from mathematics and who wrote the earliest Indian text entirely devoted to mathematics. The greatest maritime Empire of the medieval Indians was the Chola dynasty. Under the great Indian Emperors Rajaraja Chola I and his successor Rajendra Chola I the Chola dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia and South-East Asia. The power of the Chola empire was
Indian people
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also the story of the king Manu Needhi Cholan who sentenced his son to death for having accidentally killed a calf.He was called thus because he followed the rules of Manu; his real name is not mentioned and is thought to be Ellalan according to Maha vamsam who was also attributed with a similar story. King Shivi who rescued a dove from a hunter by giving his own flesh to the hungry and poor hunter was also part of the early Chola legends. King Shivi was also called Sembiyan, a popular title assumed by a number of Chola kings. The
Legendary early Chola kings
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island of Sri Lanka. This was the start of the long exile of the Pandyas. They were replaced by a series of Chola viceroys with the title "Chola Pandyas" who ruled from Madurai from c. 1020. Rajadhiraja III aided the Kulesekhara III by defeating the Sinhalese army and crowning him as king of Madurai. The "Chola yoke" started from about 920 and lasted until the start of the 13th century. The following list gives the names of the Pandya kings who were active during the 10th century and the first half of 11th century. The 13th century is the greatest
Pandyan dynasty
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Rajendra Chola I Rajendra Chola I or Rajendra I was a Chola emperor of India who succeeded his father Rajaraja Chola I to the throne in 1014 CE. He is considered as one of the greatest emperors of India. During his reign, he extended the influence of the Chola empire to the banks of the river Ganga in North India and across the Indian ocean to the West and South East Asia, making the Chola Empire one of the most powerful empires of India. Rajendra’s conquests included Sri Lanka, Maldives, and he successfully invaded the territories of Srivijaya in Malaysia,
Rajendra Chola I
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Caesar Augustus around 13 CE. The names of king and his kingdom have likely been conflated in Nicolaus' account. Tammuzh Tammuzh was a Tamil Pandyan king in the Dravidian cultural realm of ancient South India, who held his capital at Kuadam. The language and cultural term "Tamil" is an anglicised form of the native name "Tamizhi" தமிழ் (pronounced ).See also Legendary early Chola kings which shows similarity between early Chola kings and Ur kings list. The Pandyans had trading contacts with Ptolemaic Egypt and, through Egypt, with Rome by the 1st century CE. The 1st century Greek historian Nicolaus of
Tammuzh
12618238
Tammuzh Tammuzh was a Tamil Pandyan king in the Dravidian cultural realm of ancient South India, who held his capital at Kuadam. The language and cultural term "Tamil" is an anglicised form of the native name "Tamizhi" தமிழ் (pronounced ).See also Legendary early Chola kings which shows similarity between early Chola kings and Ur kings list. The Pandyans had trading contacts with Ptolemaic Egypt and, through Egypt, with Rome by the 1st century CE. The 1st century Greek historian Nicolaus of Damascus met at Damascus the embassy sent by an Indian king "named Pandion or, according to others, Porus" to
Tammuzh
5411977
by Alvar Parantakan Kundavai-Pirattiyar during the third year of the king's reign. Rajendra Chola I Rajendra Chola I or Rajendra I was a Chola emperor of India who succeeded his father Rajaraja Chola I to the throne in 1014 CE. He is considered as one of the greatest emperors of India. During his reign, he extended the influence of the Chola empire to the banks of the river Ganga in North India and across the Indian ocean to the West and South East Asia, making the Chola Empire one of the most powerful empires of India. Rajendra’s conquests included Sri
Rajendra Chola I
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during the medieval period. Through their leadership and vision, Chola kings expanded their territory and influence. The second Chola King, Aditya I, caused the demise of the Pallava dynasty and defeated the Pandyan dynasty of Madurai in 885, occupied large parts of the Kannada country, and had marital ties with the Western Ganga dynasty. In 925, his son Parantaka I conquered Sri Lanka (known as Ilangai). Parantaka I also defeated the Rashtrakuta dynasty under Krishna II in the battle of Vallala. Rajaraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I were the greatest rulers of the Chola dynasty, extending it beyond the
Chola dynasty
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Kulottunga Chola I in 1114. Another period followed in which kings reigned briefly and were violently overthrown by their successors. Finally, in 1177 the capital was raided and looted in a naval battle on the Tonlé Sap lake by a Cham fleet under Jaya Indravarman IV, and Tribhuvanadityavarman was killed. King Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181–1219) was generally considered as Cambodia's greatest king. He had already been a military leader as a prince under previous kings. After the Cham had conquered Angkor, he gathered an army and regained the capital. He ascended the throne and continued the war against the neighbouring
Khmer Empire
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banks of the river Krishna and re-asserted Chola authority over the domains of the Eastern Chalukyas[*]. He also invaded Singhala Nadu (Ceylon) and ruthlessly crushed attempts of the Singhala kings to free their kingdom from Chola control[*]. During the early period of his reign, Virarajendra fought and killed the king of Pottapi in the Kerala country. He also had to suppress a rebellion in the Pandya territories by the Pandya princes[*]. While these battles were progressing, the Western Chalukya Someshvara I invaded the Chola country, who probably was fooled into thinking that with a new king at helm, the Chola
Virarajendra Chola
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The relations between the Western and the Eastern Chalukyan kingdoms were mostly antagonistic. Cholas in the south of the Vengi kingdom became dominant around the beginning of the 10th century C.E. after having brought about fall of the Pallavas in Tondaimandalam. Rajaraja Chola, who is considered the greatest Chola ruler, ascended the throne of Tanjavur in 985 C.E. He pursued his imperialistic ambitions with an aggressive attitude. He conquered and consolidated the southern provinces and then in a mighty sweep in the north, brought Gangapadi, Nolambapadi, Talaikkadu and parts of southern Deccan under his rule. This Chola advance brought them
Later Cholas
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kongu regions as called from the early Chola periods. Other temples include SakthiMariamman Temple and Veeramachi Amman Temple in between the township and in the east "Patthuraasi amman" temple and Mahalakshmi amman temple. All these temples are located in between the township of kovilpalayam. This area predominately agricultural area and was lastly before the British was ruled by "palayakarerkal". SriKaalakaleswara temple was built by Chola kings during their rule of kongu region, who had built big temples like "Bragadeeshwara" and later all maintained by the Kongu kings. The principal Deity Lord Kaalaeswarar is "syambulingam" said to be worshiped by "Markendayan"
Sarcarsamakulam
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west coast, and as the royal who settled ancient Vanniar (not to confuse with present-day Vanniar or Palli caste . The inscriptions of the Medieval Cholas are replete with history about the Early Chola kings. The Cholas were looked upon as descended from the sun. These historic incidents speak of the Chola king "Kantaman", supposed contemporary of the sage Agastya, whose devotion brought the river Kavery into existence. There is also the story of the king Manu who sentenced his son to death for having accidentally killed a calf. Mahavamasa portrays King Elara who was defeated by Duttha Gamini (c.
Early Cholas
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Kanchipuram and the Halahalasya Temple at Madurai. In addition, the Rajarajeswara (Airavateswara temple) at Darasuram received Kulothunga Chola III's devoted attention. At the Shiva temple at Thiruvarur, Kulothunga Chola III built the sabha mandapam and the big gopura of the shrine of Valmikeswara. Kulothunga Chola III was keenly aware of the secular religious traditions of the Chola monarchy. Contrary to popular impression, the Chola kings, despite constructing some of the largest temples for Siva, nonetheless considered the Nataraja temple of Chidambaram, called "Periya Koil" or "big temple" in Saivite parlance as well as the Sri Ranganathaswami Temple of Srirangam, also
Kulothunga Chola III
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many fine temples for Siva along the banks of the river Kaveri. Sangam literature gives an unusually complete and true picture of the social and economic conditions during the early chola period. The culture is best described as an amalgam of the Dravidian and Aryan. The stories of "Mahabharata" and "Ramayana" were well known to the Tamil people, shown by the claims of some kings to have fed both the opposing army in the Mahabharata War. The claim that Shibi, who gave his own flesh to save a dove, as a Chola is obviously influenced by northern legends. The land
Early Cholas
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heights. 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 Chola I
Chola art
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Southeast Asia) as one of the four great kings in the world. The ruler of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty is described as the greatest king of Al-Hind, but even the lesser kings of Al-Hind including the kings of Java, Pagan Burma, and the Khmer kings of Cambodia are invariably depicted by the Arabs as extremely powerful and as being equipped with vast armies of men, horses, and often tens of thousands of elephants. They were also known to have been in possession of vast treasures of gold and silver. The Khmer rulers established relations with the Chola dynasty of South India.
Khmer Empire
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earliest Chola kings of whom there is tangible evidence are mentioned in the Sangam literature. Scholars now generally agree that this literature belongs to the first few centuries of the common era. The Sangam literature is full of names of the kings and the princes, and of the poets who extolled them. Despite literature that depicts the life and work of these people, these cannot be worked into connected history. The earliest record of Chola naval activity by an external source dates to around the 1st century, the Roman report of Kaveripoompattinam (presently known as Poombuhar) as "Haverpoum " and
Chola Navy
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Ottakoothar Ottakoothar was a Tamil court poet to three Later Chola kings, namely Vikrama Chola, Kulotunga II and Rajaraja II. He wrote poems in praise of these three kings. The poet's memorial is believed to be still in a place known as "Darasuram in Kumbakonam", just opposite to the famous Airavatesvara Temple. According to legend, the goddess Saraswati blessed him in Koothanur, then he became a famous poet. According to a legend, there was once a Chola king called Muchukundan who had his capital at Karur. He is said to have won the favor of God Murugan after deep penances
Ottakoothar
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was earlier called Jayamkonda-Cholapuram, Seyyur and Belapuri. In the early days, this area was a dense forest and kept as a reserve for the Chola kings to hunt. An ancient temple called Cheyyur Shiva Temple, 800 years old, constructed during the reign of the Chola kings, is the major attraction. Near the Shiva Temple is another shrine dedicated to Muruga as an infant. In Tamil 'Sei' denotes 'infant' and the name of the village (Seyyur, later Cheyyur) is derived from this fact. Chennai International Airport and Chengalpattu Junction Railway Station serve this area. Visitors can access Cheyyur from Madurakantam, which
Cheyyur taluk
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kingdoms". The genealogy of the Chola empire as found in the Tamil literature and in the many inscriptions left by the later Chola kings contains a number of kings recorded for whom there is no verifiable historic evidence. There are as many versions of this lineage as there are sources for them. The main source is the Sangam literature – particularly, religious literature such as "Periapuranam", semi-biographical poems of the later Chola period such as the temple and cave inscription and left by medieval Cholas. Irrespective of the source, no list of the kings has a high level of historic
Chola Nadu
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Cholas. Nedunjeliyan II, however, defeated the invaders and pursued the retreating forces as far as Thalaiyalangaanam deep inside Chola territory and inflicted a crushing defeat upon them. The Chera king Mandaranjeral Irumporai was taken captive by Nedunjeliyan. Following his victory at Talaiyalanganam, Nedunjeliyan mounted a campaign against the Velirs and Millalai and Muttur. Nedunjeliyan II Nedunjeliyan II (c. 210 CE) was the greatest of Early Pandya Kings. He defeated a confederacy of the Cholas and Cheras at Talaiyalanganam near Tiruvarur and conquered most of the Tamil country establishing him as the most important ruler of his time. His deeds have
Nedunjeliyan II
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is a GramPanchayat of Nandalur mandal of Kadapa district. During the reign of Vikrama Chola, there was a feudatory called Madhurantaka Pottapi Chola who was the son of Siddharasa. The officer claimed descent from Karikala in epigraphs (carana saroruha etc.). The Konidena Cholas were also a branch of the Renadu Cholas. Their capital was Konidena (also called as Kotyadona) near Narasaraopeta in the Guntur district. They ruled over parts of Palanadu in 11th and 12th centuries. Early kings Kannara Choda and Kama Choda were independent. Tribhuvana Malla Choda, son of Kama Choda, was a chieftain to Gonka II of Velanati
Telugu Cholas
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1053 and it was expanded during the reigns of the great Chola kings Kulottunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola. In the 14th century another wall and a gopura was built by the later Chola kings. When a Mughul invasion was expected in 1688, the main image of the deity was sent to Udayarpalayam, now part of Tiruchirapalli District. It was brought back with greater difficulty after the involvement of local preceptor who enlisted the services of general Todarmal. Robert Clive, the British general during the colonial period visited the "Garuda seva" festival and presented a valuable necklace (now termed Clive
Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram
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which presumptions are false. Also, the Cholas were controlling Kalinga through the Vengi Kings like Vimaladitya and Raja Raja Narendra who were related to the Chola Kings. While Someshvara-I did destabilise Vengi by temporarily displacing Rajaraja Narendra, this act also initially disturbed Chola connections with Kalinga. This however, was short-lived for immediately Rajadhiraja-I set off for war against Someshvara-I and that too not at Vengi or Kalinga but by the Chalukya capital itself. But that was after thoroughly preparing himself for war before which he undertook in 1052, the task of anointing his younger brother Rajendra Chola II as co-regent
Rajadhiraja Chola
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their acharya, Ramanuja. Kulothunga Chola II, a staunch Shaivite, is said to have removed a statue of Vishnu from the Shiva temple at Chidambaram, though there are no epigraphical evidences to support this theory. There is an inscription from 1160 that the custodians of Shiva temples who had social intercourses with Vaishnavites would forfeit their property. However, this is more of a direction to the Shaivite community by its religious heads than any kind of dictat by a Chola emperor. While Chola kings built their largest temples for Shiva and even while emperors like Rajaraja Chola I held titles like
Chola dynasty
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around trade, with local kings (dhatus or community leaders) swearing allegiance to the central lord for mutual profit. The relation between Srivijaya and the Chola Empire of south India was friendly during the reign of Raja Raja Chola I but during the reign of Rajendra Chola I the Chola Empire attacked Srivijaya cities. In 1025 and 1026 Gangga Negara was attacked by Rajendra Chola I of the Chola Empire, the Tamil emperor who is now thought to have laid Kota Gelanggi to waste. Kedah—known as "Kedaram", "Cheh-Cha" (according to "I-Ching") or "Kataha", in ancient Pallava or Sanskrit—was in the direct
History of Malaysia
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the Jayam Kondanathar temple and the Rajathirajeswara temple. The Rajagopalaswami temple is believed to have been constructed by Kulothunga Chola I (1070–1125 CE), with bricks and mortar, indicated by various stone inscriptions found at the site. The town started to grow around the temple. Successive kings of the Chola empire, Rajaraja Chola III (1216–56 CE) and Rajendra Chola III (1246–79 CE), and Thanjavur Nayak king Achyuta Deva Raya (1529–1542 CE) expanded the temple. The temple contains inscriptions of the Hoysala kings and information about grants by Vijayanagara kings, and many records of the later Nayaks and Marathas. A fort was
Mannargudi
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Vikramaditya VI Vikramaditya VI (r. 1076 – 1126 CE) became the Western Chalukya King after deposing his elder brother Someshvara II, a political move he made by gaining the support of Chalukya vassals during the Chola invasion of Chalukya territory. Vikramaditya's reign is marked with the abolishment of the "Saka era" and the start of the "Chalukya-Vikrama era". He was the greatest of the Western Chalukya kings and had the longest reign in the dynasty. He earned the title "Permadideva" and "Tribhuvanamalla" ("lit" "lord of three worlds"). He had several queens who ably assisted him in administration. One of his
Vikramaditya VI
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and posed a serious threat to Rajaraja Narendra. Rajaraja Narendra appealed for help from his maternal uncle, the Chola emperor, Rajendra Chola I who sent a large force under his general, Araiyan Rajarajan, a veteran of the Chalukya-Chola Wars. Araiyan Rajarajan defeated Vijayaditya and after driving him out, firmly established Rajaraja Narendra on the Eastern Chalukya throne. Following this victory, Rajendra Chola I led an expedition northwards supported by an advance guard led by Araiyan Rajarajan, to punish the kings of Kalinga and Odda who had sided with Vijayaditya in the succession dispute. The Thiruvalangadu plates state: Rajendra Chola I
Chola expedition to North India
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reign of Pallava kings. It has inscriptions from Pallava king, Narasimhavarman II (700-728 CE) and the following Medieval Chola kings Rajendra Chola I (1054-63 CE), Kulothunga Chola I (1070-1120 CE) and Vikrama Chola (1118-35 CE), and the Kanarese inscriptions of Krishnadevaraya (1509-29 CE). The Chola and Vijayanagar inscriptions indicate large endowments to the temple. Krishnadevaraya helped repaint the 13th century paintings during the 15th-16th centuries. The temple is maintained by Tamil Nadu archaeological department. The temple tower is believed to have been constructed by Sage Pushpasena Vamanarya during 1199. The walls of the temple are believed to have been constructed
Trilokyanatha Temple
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Kulothunga Chola III Kulothunga Chola III was the ruler of the Chola empire from 1178 to 1218 CE, after succeeding Rajadhiraja Chola II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war against the Hoysalas, Pandyas of Madurai, Cheras of Venad, the Sinhala kings of Eelam (Ceylon), as well as the Chodas of Velanadu and Nellore. He also restored Chola control over Karur, which were ruled by the Adigaman chiefs as vassals of the Cholas. He drove out the Hoysalas under Veera Ballala II who had made inroads in the Gangavadi and adjoining
Kulothunga Chola III
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that when Brahma re-created the world after a deluge, he created the Chera, Chola and the Pandya kings as descendants of the fire, the sun and the moon respectively. "Chola Purva Patayam" ("Ancient Chola Record"), a Tamil language manuscript of uncertain date, contains a legend about the divine origin of the three crowned kings. According to it, the Shramana king Shalivahana (also known as Bhoja in this story) defeated Vikramaditya, and started persecuting the worshipers of Shiva and Vishnu. After failing to kill Shalivahana with a rain of fire, Shiva created three kings: Vira Cholan (Chola), Ula Cheran (Chera), and
Three Crowned Kings
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defeat. Uttama Chola, the son of Gandaraditya Chola became the next Chola king. The inquiry into the death was completed in the second year of Rajaraja Chola I's reign and the lands of officials involved were confiscated. His death is still one of the greatest mysteries of Tamil History and is still to be resolved completely even after 1000 years. The conspiracy on his death is dealt in the popular Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan written by Kalki. Aditya Karikalan Aditya Karikalan or Aditya II was a Chola prince who lived in the tenth century in South India. He was born
Aditya Karikalan
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Brahma would never have temples on earth in his worship. The present masonry and towers date back to the 9th century CE, as seen from an inscription in the structure made by Chola kings who ruled at that time. Further inscriptions indicate that before the 9th century, Tiruvannamalai was under the Pallava Kings, who ruled from Kanchipuram. The 7th century Nayanar saints Sambandar and Appar wrote of the temple in their poetic work, "Tevaram". Sekkizhar, the author of the "Periyapuranam" wrote that both Appar and Sambandar worshiped Arunachalesvara in the temple. The Chola Kings ruled over the region for more
Arunachalesvara Temple
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"home of Nanja (Nanjundeshwara)". Srikanteshwara translates to Sri meaning auspicious, Kanta meaning throat and Eshwara meaning Shiva. Nanjangud has been a major Shaiva centre for nearly a thousand years. Chola Kings in the 11th – 12th century are considered to have set in motion the construction of the temple with significant additions by the Hoysalas and the Vijayanagara kings. This temple was later renovated by the Hoysala kings. The Wodeyar kings of Mysore made various grants to renovate the temple. Nanjangud is located at . It has an average elevation of 657 metres (2155 ft). The taluk borders Mysore taluk
Nanjangud
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maintained by the Chola kings, whose government gave lands for that purpose. The Tirumukkudal inscription shows that a hospital was named after Vira Chola. Many diseases were cured by the doctors of the hospital, which was under the control of a chief physician who was paid annually 80 Kalams of paddy, 8 Kasus and a grant of land. Apart from the doctors, other remunerated staff included a nurse, barber (who performed minor operations) and a waterman. The Chola queen Kundavai also established a hospital at Tanjavur and gave land for the perpetual maintenance of it. During the Chola period several
Chola dynasty
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hospital. In general, Cholas were followers of Hinduism. They were not swayed by the rise of Buddhism and Jainism as were the kings of the Pallava and Pandya dynasties. Kocengannan, an Early Chola, was celebrated in both Sangam literature and in the Shaivite canon as a Hindu saint. While the Cholas did build their largest and most important temple dedicated to Shiva, it can be by no means concluded that either they were followers of Shaivism only or that they were not favourably disposed to other faiths. This is borne out by the fact that the second Chola king, Aditya
Chola dynasty
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claimed by the later Cholas in the long typical genealogies incorporated into the copper-plate charters and stone inscription of the tenth and eleventh centuries. The earliest version of this is found in the kilbil Plates which gives fifteen names before Chola including the genuinely historical ones of Karikala, Perunarkilli and Kocengannan. The Thiruvalangadu Plate swells this list to forty-four, and the Kanya Plate runs up to fifty-two. The Cholas were looked upon as descended from the sun. These myths speak of a Chola king, supposed contemporary of the sage Agastya, whose devotion brought the river Kavery into existence. There is
Legendary early Chola kings
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in the temple. Kunnandarkoil Cave Temple Kunnandarkoil Cave Temple in Kunnandarkoil, a village in Pudukottai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Constructed in Rock-cut architecture, the temple is believed to have been built during the 8th century by Muttaraiyar kings, the cardinals of Pallavas, with later expansion from the Vijayanagar Empire. The rock-cut architecture in the temple is a specimen of the late Pallava Art and an early example of Chola Art. The temple has various inscriptions from Cholas, Chalukyas, Pandyas and Vijayanagar Empire. The temple is considered one of
Kunnandarkoil Cave Temple
19182220
Kunnandarkoil Cave Temple Kunnandarkoil Cave Temple in Kunnandarkoil, a village in Pudukottai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Constructed in Rock-cut architecture, the temple is believed to have been built during the 8th century by Muttaraiyar kings, the cardinals of Pallavas, with later expansion from the Vijayanagar Empire. The rock-cut architecture in the temple is a specimen of the late Pallava Art and an early example of Chola Art. The temple has various inscriptions from Cholas, Chalukyas, Pandyas and Vijayanagar Empire. The temple is considered one of the oldest stone
Kunnandarkoil Cave Temple
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of Raja Raja Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola I who, after defeating the Pandyas and conquering Madurai, sent a Chola prince to directly rule the Pandya country with the royal titles Chola-Pandyan. 'After the conquest of the Pandya country by Kulothunga Chola I, the princes of the local royal family were allowed to rule as they liked, subject to the vague suzerainty of the Cholas'. An important reason for this was the involvement of the Chola kings in the periodic but many a times fierce succession disputes that arose among the Pandya princes leading 'to the intervention of
Kulothunga Chola III
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Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan was a feudatory of the Chola kings from the Mavali clan .He was one among the famous Vana chieftains of the Chola emperors Raja Raja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I and also the husband of Raja Raja-I's elder Azhwar Paranthakar Kunthavai . He is also the major for the Sri Lankan front foot troops of Raja raja l. Territory under his authority was known as Vallavaraiyanadu. Vandiyathevan is idealized in Kalki Krishnamurthy's (Kalki) famous novel "Ponniyin Selvan". He was believed to be from the Mavali Clan who are called as Vanar, banas, vanthiryar and vonkovarayar
Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan
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Cholas under Vijayalaya (c. 848), the dynasty of Vijayalaya, and finally the Later Chola dynasty of Kulothunga Chola I from the third quarter of the 11th century. The earliest Chola kings for whom there is tangible evidence are mentioned in the Sangam literature. Scholars generally agree that this literature belongs to the second or first few centuries of the common era. The internal chronology of this literature is still far from settled, and at present a connected account of the history of the period cannot be derived. It records the names of the kings and the princes, and of the
Chola dynasty
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in Karnataka's history and is referred to as the "Chalukya Vikrama era". His victories over the Cholas in the late 11th and early 12th centuries put an end to the Chola influence in the Vengi region permanently. Some of the well-known contemporaneous feudatory families of the Deccan under Chalukya control were the Hoysalas, the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri, the Kakatiya dynasty and the Southern Kalachuri. At their peak, the Western Chalukyas ruled a vast empire stretching from the Narmada River in the north to the Kaveri River in the south. Vikramaditya VI is considered one of the most influential kings
Political history of medieval Karnataka
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Architecture of Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu architecture that emerged thousands of years ago. The Pallavas ruled from AD (600–900) and their greatest constructed accomplishments are the single rock temples in Mahabalipuram and their capital Kanchipuram, now located in Tamil Nadu. Pallavas were pioneers of south Indian architecture. The greatest accomplishments of the Pallava architecture are the rock-cut temples at Mahabalipuram. There are excavated pillared halls and monolithic shrines known as rathas in Mahabalipuram. Mention must be made here of the Shore Temple constructed by Narasimhavarman II near Mahabalipuram which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Chola kings ruled from
Architecture of Tamil Nadu
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this temple rises high and is the official symbol of the Government of Tamil Nadu. Other significant temples of the Pandyas include the famous Meenakshi temple in Madurai. The Chola kings ruled from AD (848–1280) and included Rajaraja Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola who built temples such as the Brihadeshvara Temple of Thanjavur and Brihadeshvara Temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the Airavatesvara Temple of Darasuram and the Sarabeswara (Shiva )Temple, also called the Kampahareswarar Temple at Thirubhuvanam, the last two temples being located near Kumbakonam. The first three among the above four temples are titled Great Living Chola Temples
Dravidian architecture
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was called "Elara Sohona", but was renamed later on by the Sri Lankan Department of Archaeology. The identification and reclassification is considered controversial. The "Mahavamsa" contains numerous references to the loyal troops of the Chola empire and portrays them as a powerful force. They held various positions including taking custody of temples during the period of Parakramabahu I and Vijayabahu I of Polonnaruwa. There were instances when the Sinhalese kings tried to employ them as mercenaries by renaming a section of the most hardcore fighters as "Mahatantra". According to historian Burton Stein, when these troops were directed against the Chola
Ellalan
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"Tirumurais". The hagiology of Saivism was standardised in "Periyapuranam" by Sekkilar, who lived during the reign of Kulothunga Chola II (1133–1150 CE). Jayamkondar's "Kalingattupparani", a semi-historical account on the two invasions of Kalinga by Kulothunga Chola I was an early example of a biographical work. The 7th century Tamil Nadu saw the rise of the Pallavas under Mahendravarman I and his son "Mamalla" Narasimhavarman I. The Pallavas were not a recognised political power before the 2nd century. It has been widely accepted by scholars that they were originally executive officers under the Satavahana kings. After the fall of the Satavahanas,
History of Tamil Nadu
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District). His father named him Gandan Madhurantakan alias Uttama Chola after his paternal uncles. Unlike some of the other kings of the Chola empire, he took after his mother and was very pious. It was due to his pious nature and support that his mother Sembiyan Madevi was able to continue with her own work of rebuilding temples. He is known to have shown compassion to even his enemies. As with most ancient Indian kings, Uttama Chola was religiously tolerant. Although a Saivaite (worshipper of Siva), he also donated to temples dedicated for Vishnu especially to the Ullagaladar temple. He
Uttama Chola
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mortar, indicated by various stone inscription found in the site. The place Mannargudi is termed Sri Rajathi Raja Chathurvedhi Mangalam and the town started to grow around the temple. Successive kings of the Chola empire, Rajaraja Chola III, Rajendra Chola III and kings of Thanjavur Nayaks, Achyuta Deva Raya expanded the temple. The temple contains inscriptions of the Hoysala kings and some Vijayanagara grants, and many records of the later Nayaks and Marathas. The Thanjavur Nayaks made the temple as their dynastic and primary shrine and made significant additions. The current temple structure, hall of 1000 pillars, main "gopuram"(temple gateway
Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi
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Rajendrapattinam. Rajaraja Chola ruled from 985 to 1014. His son Rajendra Chola ruled between 1012 and 1044. Both were successful kings who brought peace and prosperity to their people. But this temple existed long before Rajaraja was king of all of southern India. Long before his son Rajendra brought the water of the sacred river Ganga from northern India to the land of the Tamils. This is the meaning of Gangaikondacholapuram, "the city of the Chola who brought the sacred water of Ganga". Then the place was called Thiru Erukkattam Puliyur, and it was one among five sacred places connected
Rajendirapattinam
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Brihadisvara temple built by his father Rajaraja Chola. He expanded the Pathirakali Amman Temple and Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee. He inherited the title "Mummudi Cholan" (Chola with three crowns) from his father with "Mummudi", a title used by Tamil kings who ruled the three kingdoms of Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras. To commemorate his conquests, Rajendra assumed other titles such as "Mudigonda Cholan" and "Irattapadikonda Cholan". The Malay-language "Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain" was written about Alexander the Great as Dhul-Qarnayn and from it the ancestry of several Southeast Asian royal families is traced to Iskandar Zulkarnain, through Rajendra Chola (Raja Suran, Raja
Rajendra Chola I
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by Rajendra Chola I to commemorate his victory over the Pala Dynasty. The name means "The town of the chola who took over Ganga (water from Ganga) or who defeated (the kings near) Ganga". It is now a small village, its past eminence only remembered by the existence of the great Lord Maha Shiva Temple. The Chola empire included the whole of southern India to the river Thungabadhra in the north. For administrative and strategic purposes they built another capital and named it Gangaikondacholapuram. The city seems to have had two fortifications, one inner and the other outer. The outer
Gangaikonda Cholapuram
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also a symbol of continuing architectural tradition of the Chola craftsmen for it also has musical stairs called the Saptasvaras near a small shrine for Ganapati. The Muhamandapam or the Mukhyamandapam of this temple is a real architectural marvel containing many great architectural specimen and was a continuation of the Later Chola tradition of building temples in the shape of giant elephant-driven Rathas or Chariots as like as in Melakadambur siva temple built by kulothunga I, which was also carried on not just by later Chola kings such as Kulothunga-III but also by the kings of Kalinga and culminated in
Rajaraja Chola II
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in Tamil. The "Periya Puranam" narrates that Kutruva was the chieftain of Kalandai (Kalantai). He was from the Kalabhras community. He is described a devotee of Shiva. He defeated many kings and chieftains in war and acquired their wealth and territories in Pandya and Chola kingdoms. Kutruva had acquired extensive lands and wealth through his campaigns, but lacking a formal title was still technically a chieftain, with no legal basis to rule his de facto domain. He requested the priests (Brahmins) of Chidambaram temple of Thillai. The Brahmins who owed allegiance to the Chola kings and crowned the Cholas, refused
Kutruva Nayanar
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tree around 850, the Pandyas went into a period of decline. They were constantly harassing their Chola overlords by occupying their territories. Parantaka I invaded the Pandya territories and defeated Rajasimha III. However, the Pandyas did not wholly submit to the Cholas despite loss of power, territory and prestige. They tried to forge various alliances with the Cheras and the Kings of Lanka and tried to engage the Cholas in war to free themselves from Chola supremacy. But right from the times of Parantaka I to the early 12th century up to the times of Kulottunga Chola I the Pandyas
Pandyan dynasty
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Nedunj Cheliyan III, who is considered the greatest of all the early Pandyan kings. Since the Pandyan kingdom was considerably larger than a few generations ago, he had to defend it against many neighbors invading from various fronts. Not only did he succeed in defending his territory, he also seems to have advanced into the enemy territories – the southern province of Cholas and eastern province of the Cheras. At one point, it is said that a coalition of his neighbors including the Cheras, Cholas and five other kingdoms, met him at a pitched battle in Talaialanganam, in present-day Tanjore
Early Pandyan Kingdom
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Three Crowned Kings The Three Crowned rulers, or the Three Glorified by Heaven, or World of the Three, primarily known as "Moovendhar", refers to the triumvirate of Chola, Chera and Pandya who dominated the politics of the ancient Tamil country, Tamilakam, from their three countries or Nadu of Chola Nadu, Pandya Nadu (present day Madurai and Tirunelveli) and Chera Nadu (present day Kerala) in southern India. They signalled a time of integration and political identity for the Tamil people. They would frequently wage war against one another under a period of instability until the Imperial period of Rajaraja I who
Three Crowned Kings
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the Chola Empire along with Madurai by the armies of Delhi Sultanate led by the Muslim commander Malik Kafur in 1311, followed by Khusrau Khan in 1314 and Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1327. The period that followed saw wars between the Hindu kings and the Muslim Sultans who seceded the Delhi Sultanate and carved out new polity such as the nearby Madurai Sultanate (1335–1378). The Vijayanagara Empire defeated the Madurai Sultanate in 1378 and this temple along with other Chola era temples thereafter came under Hindu kings again who repaired and restored many of them. Airavatesvara Temple was added to
Airavatesvara Temple
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for recitation of "Tevaram" hymns and engraved the hymns in copper plates. The thousand pillar choultry, with friezes narrating Hindu texts, was built in late 12th-century. Between the second half of the 12th century and the early 13th century, the Chola kings added colorful and high gopura stone gateways as easily identifiable landmarks, starting with the western gopura. Thereafter, about mid 13th century, the Pandya dynasty ended the Chola dynasty. The Hindu Pandyas were liberal supporters of Chidambaram temple, along with other Shiva and Vishnu temples, just like the Chola. Sundara Pandya added the huge eastern gopura at Chidambaram, beginning
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
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and Rashtrakutas. The temple has various inscriptions from the period of the Medieval Cholas like Aditya Chola, Rajendra Chola, and Kulothunga Chola and Pandyan kings like Sundarapandithevan and Veerpandithevan. There are other inscriptions from Rashtrakutas, Vijayanagar kings like Virupanna Udayar. In modern times, the temple is administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The temple is located on the Villupuram - Thiruvennainallur road. The temple has a seven-tiered gateway tower and all the shrines of the temple are enclosed in concentric rectangular granite walls. The temple occupies an area of around .
Sivalokanathar temple, Gramam
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Southeast Asia and influenced the architecture and art of Southeast Asia. The Cholas are also known as the "Choda".. The cholas claimed Suryavansha lineage for themselves. Its antiquity is evident from the mentions in ancient Tamil literature and in inscriptions. Later medieval Cholas also claimed a long and ancient lineage. Mentions in the early Sangam literature (c. 150 CE) indicate that the earliest kings of the dynasty antedated 100 CE. Cholas were mentioned in Ashokan Edicts of 3rd Century BCE as one of the neighboring countries existing in the South. A commonly held view is that "Chola" is, like "Chera"
Chola dynasty
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Chalukyas sided the Raastrakootas. In AD 973 Rastrakoota sub-feudal chalukya lord Tailapa II defeated the last king Karka-II of raashtrakoota kings and established independent Kalyani Chalukya kingdom. After the death of Tailapa II in AD 997 his son Satyashraya became the king. In the erstwhile kingdom of Vemulavaada (present Karimnagar District), Rajarajeswara temple is popular. Chola king, Paraantaka Sundara Chola was in troubles while defending the attack from Raastrakoota kings. Learning that Rajarajeswara will help those in troubles Paraantak Chola turned as his devotee. Also, he named his son as Raja Raja. This is evident from Arikesari epigraph. Raja Raja
Bathukamma
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secured with a Chola seal bearing in relief, a seated tiger facing the right, two fish to the right of this. These three figures have a bow below, a parasol and two fly-whisks (Champaran) at the top and a lamp on each side. Around the margin engraved in Grantha characters, "This is the matchless edict of Kong Parakesarivarman, who reached justice to the kings of his realm"… A portioned of this inscription is in Sanskrit and the rest is in Tamila. The plates contain an edict issued by the Chola king Ko-Para-Kesarivarman alias Uththama Chola, at Kachhippedu (Kanchipuram) at the
Tamil copper-plate inscriptions
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could not overpower the Cholas who right from 880–1215 remained the most powerful empire spread over South India, Deccan and the Eastern and Western Coast of India during this period. List of kings with dates as estimated by K. A. Nilakanta Sastri: The Chola domination of the Tamil country began in earnest during the reign of Parantaka Chola II. Chola armies led by Aditya Karikala, son of Parantaka Chola II defeated Vira Pandya in battle. The Pandyas were assisted by the Sinhalese forces of Mahinda IV. Pandyas were driven out of their territories and had to seek refuge on the
Pandyan dynasty
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Chola II a grandson of Vikrama Chola as his heir. According to the Pallavarayanpettai inscription, Rajaraja II died four years after he made Rajadhiraja Chola II as heir-apparent. Since, Rajadhiraja himself was quite young, he would require the help of Pallavarayar to usher the young sons of Rajaraja Chola II to safety. According to the inscription, Pallavarayar took steps immediately after the death of Rajaraja Chola II for the protection of the king's children, aged one and two years. According to historian Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Kulothunga Chola III who is widely considered as the last great Chola sovereign was the son
Rajaraja Chola II
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such as Sangamitta Thera. Maha Buddharaksita Sthavira's "Rajavamsa-Pustaka", written and preserved at the Abhayagiri Vihara from 277 - 305 CE, means "A Book of Royal Dynasties", which gives an account of Sinhalese occupation of the island, and states that Elara of Anuradhapura, "the son of Maharista, succeeded his father as king of Tamraparni island and Pundra and reigned for forty four years." Early Kings of Anuradhapura such as Mutasiva, Mahasiva and Elara were described as Tamraparni island kings who also ruled the kingdoms of Pundra, Chola and Pandya as dependencies simultaneously. When losing the Pundra and Tamraparni thrones, they sought
Tamraparni
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most occasions. This is in marked contrast to the magnificent empires of the later Cholas where the Emperor was kept much away from contact with the lay people. The kings often took the field in person in battles and if the kings was killed or wounded in battle, his army immediately gave up the fight and surrendered. The trade that flourished between the Chola country and the ancient Roman Empire is given in much detail by "Periplus of the Erythraean Sea" (c. 75 CE). Early Cholas The Cholas of the pre and post Sangam period (400 BCE – 200 CE)
Early Cholas
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by the devotion of the nayanar and bestowed him with all his wishes. The 7th century Nayanar saints Sambandar and Appar wrote of the temple in their poetic work, "Tevaram". The original masonry and towers date back to the 9th century CE, as seen from an inscription in the structure made by Chola kings. The Chola kings ruled over the region for more than four centuries, from 850 CE to 1280 CE, and were temple patrons. The temple complex dates from the time of the 10th century AD Medieval Chola king Uttama Chola whose inscriptions are found in its walls.
Kalyanasundaresar Temple, Nallur
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was portrayed and was performed by M. N. Nambiar. The character was also played by Rajesh in Mahasakthi Mariamman, a 1986 Tamil film. Ottakoothar Ottakoothar was a Tamil court poet to three Later Chola kings, namely Vikrama Chola, Kulotunga II and Rajaraja II. He wrote poems in praise of these three kings. The poet's memorial is believed to be still in a place known as "Darasuram in Kumbakonam", just opposite to the famous Airavatesvara Temple. According to legend, the goddess Saraswati blessed him in Koothanur, then he became a famous poet. According to a legend, there was once a Chola
Ottakoothar
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Bhaskara Ravi Varman Thiruvadi (c. 978–1036 AD) in the Kandalur War. Rajaraja defeated the Pandya king Amarabhujanga and captured the port of Virinam. To commemorate these conquests, Rajaraja assumed the title "Mummudi Chola", a title used by Tamil kings who ruled the three kingdoms of Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras. In 1008 AD, Rajaraja captured Udagai from Cheras and Rajendra Chola I led the Chola army in this battle. Mahinda V was the king of Sinhalese. In 991 AD, Mahinda’s army mutinied with help from mercenaries from Kerala with Mahinda seeking refuge in the southern region of Ruhuna. Rajaraja invaded Sri
Raja Raja Chola I
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the Cholas in war. This was also due to the Pandyas also not having a strong leadership who could mobilize his resources and forces so as to carve out a niche or distinct identity as a powerful kingdom in South India. However, it appears there was a change in approach of the, Cholas, who from the times of Kulothunga Chola I, adopted a policy of letting the defeated kings to rule without there being a Chola representative to administer those provinces despite subjugating the Pandyas and Cheras in South India. This policy reversed the practice followed mainly from the times
Kulothunga Chola III
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and the latter is said to have bestowed upon him his personal bodyguards to aid him in his wars. Muchukundan Chola then married Chitravalli, daughter of the warrior chief and Murugan's bodyguard called Virabahu and spawned a new line. The poet Ottakoothar is presented as the scion of the family of this Sengunthar chief in his work "Eeti-elupattu". It is worth mentioning that this Muchukunda Chola figures in the ancestry of Rajendra Chola I as detailed in his Tiruvalangadu copper plates. The poet is renown for his "Ula" poems on the three successive kings, Vikrama Chola, Kulothunga Chola II and
Ottakoothar
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gave it to the Sri Vijaya kings (as per their request) to ensure cooperation in the curbing piracy. Chinese Song Dynasty reports record that an embassy from "Chulian" (Chola) reached the Chinese court in the year 1077, and that the king of the Chulien at the time was called "Ti-hua-kia-lo". It is possible that these syllables denote "Deva Kulo[tunga]" (Kulothunga Chola I). This embassy was a trading venture and was highly profitable to the visitors, who returned with '81,800 strings of copper coins in exchange for articles of tributes, including glass articles, and spices'. The close diplomatics tie between the
Chola Navy
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such as Shivakami Amman, Ganesh, Murugan and Vishnu in the form Govindaraja Perumal. The temple's earliest structures were designed and erected by ancient craftsmen called Perunthakkan. The golden tiled roof for the "Chitrambalam" (the vimanam) was laid by the Chola King Parantaka I(907-950 CE) following which he was given the title "Thillaiyambalathhukku porkoorai veiyntha thevan", meaning the one who constructed the golden roof. Kings Rajaraja Chola I (reign 985-1014 A.D.) and Kulothunga Chola I (1070-1120 A.D.) made significant donations to the temple. Gold and riches to the temple were donated by Rajaraja Chola's daughter Kundavai II while Chola king Vikrama
Chidambaram
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Lanka. Evidence of ancient people living on agriculture have been detected in this area for over 2700 years according to archaeological findings. (750 BC) It was earlier known as Dhamballai. This was ruled by Kings like Raja Raja Chola, Rajendra Chola, etc. during their tenure in the late 10th century and early 11th century. It is the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers over the surrounding plains.There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding. Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain statues and paintings. This paintings and statues are
Dambulla
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and is called Nilorpala Theertham. There is a shrine for Thiruneelakanta Nayanar and Sattanathar at an elevated plane. It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval "Tevaram" poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanars Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar. Raja Raja Chola, the greatest Chola king is believed to have worshipped Shiva at this place and was blessed with Rajendra I. He named the place Rajendirapattinam after the incident. During five days from March 16 to 20, Sun's rays fall directly on the image of the presiding deity. The temple is
Thirukumaresar temple
16194720
an uncertain calendar era (possibly from the beginning of Kali Yuga). Three Crowned Kings The Three Crowned rulers, or the Three Glorified by Heaven, or World of the Three, primarily known as "Moovendhar", refers to the triumvirate of Chola, Chera and Pandya who dominated the politics of the ancient Tamil country, Tamilakam, from their three countries or Nadu of Chola Nadu, Pandya Nadu (present day Madurai and Tirunelveli) and Chera Nadu (present day Kerala) in southern India. They signalled a time of integration and political identity for the Tamil people. They would frequently wage war against one another under a
Three Crowned Kings
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An inscription dated to the fifteenth year of Raja Raja Chola makes a reference to "Panchavanmahadevi chaturvedimanagalam", which is another name for Nallur. There are also inscription by Later Chola kings and by Hoysala monarchs. The inscriptions from the Chola kings record various gifts like land, sheep, cow and oil to the temple commemorating various victories of the dynasty. There are lot of inscriptions from the Sangama Dynasty (1336–1485 CE), Saluva Dynasty, and Tuluva Dynasty (1491–1570 CE) of the Vijayanagara Empire, reflecting gifts to the temple from their rulers. The majority of the gift related inscriptions are for land endownments,
Kalyanasundaresar Temple, Nallur
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Athirajendra Chola Athirajendra Chola (1070 CE) reigned for a very short period of few months as the Chola king succeeding his father Virarajendra Chola. His reign was marked by civil unrest, possibly religious in nature, in which he was killed. The Chalukya Chola prince Rajiga succeeded him as Kulothunga Chola I. As a result of several intermarriages over a period of time when Rajaraja Chola gave his daughter Kundavai in marriage to Eastern Chalukya Vimaladitya, The Chola clan and the Vengi branch of the Chalukyan dynasty had become very close and the Vengi kings had become plainly Cholas at heart.
Athirajendra Chola
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board including Michael Mwape, the president of the FAZ, Chola, Chitalu and eighteen players died in the accident. Chola was survived by a wife Monica and five children. Alex Chola road in Lusaka is named after him in his honour. Club Honours Individual Honours Alex Chola Alex Chola (6 June 1956 – 27 April 1993) was a Zambian footballer and coach. Voted Zambian Footballer of the Year in 1976, he is regarded as one of the greatest Zambian players in history and is the country's second highest goal scorer after Godfrey Chitalu. He made a mark at Mufulira Blackpool and
Alex Chola
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Chozhia Vellalar Chozhia Vellalar or Sozhia Vellalar (Tamil: சோழிய வேளாளர்) (Pronounced as Cholia Vellalar) is one of the High/Dominate social group from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Chozhia Vellalar caste includes sub-castes of Keerakarar, Mudaliar, Kodikalarar and Vatrilaikarar[1] Origin Chozia Vellalar is a sub-caste of the greater Vellalar and Pillai community. They were the people of Chola Nadu in origin and were greater landlords & Scholars in the Chola Kingdom. They were also the Great Warrior Clan of Chola and led crucial war for Chola Kings as Generals of Chola Army.[citation needed] A theory derives the word from
Chozhia Vellalar
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started bleeding and the whole tank become red. At the sight of the tank turning red, the king fell unconscious. He found a Lingam on the flower and built a temple around it. Based on the legend, the later kings inscribed the place name as Mouli Gramam, which eventually became Gramam. Most of the Chola temples built during the period of 866 and 1004 CE is associated with certain military events or political campaign. During 940 Parantaka I had frequent trouble from invading Rashtrakutas. Takkolam War, dubbed as the greatest war held in the Tamil region, was fought between Cholas
Sivalokanathar temple, Gramam
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kings.' It was William Marsten who first publicized this link at the end of the 18th century. The descent from Iskandar Zulkarnain, is claimed via Raja Rajendra Chola (Raja Suran, Raja Chola) in the Malay Annals. There is a "Sumatran version". Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain is a Malay epic describing fictional exploits of Iskandar Zulkarnain (Alexander the Great), a king who was briefly mentioned in the Quran (18:82-100) . The oldest existing manuscript is dated 1713, but is in a poor state. Another manuscript was copied by Muhammad Cing Sa`idullah at about 1830. Iskandar Zulkarnain is claimed to
Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain