Indian history · Kings and empires

The Chola Empire: Raja Raja Chola I, Rajendra Chola I, the Brihadeeswara Temple, Naval Expeditions and Village Self-Government — Exam Notes

From the 9th to the 13th century, the Cholas of Tamil Nadu built one of the most powerful states in Indian history. Their armies reached the Ganga, their fleets crossed the Bay of Bengal to Southeast Asia, their temples are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and their inscriptions describe elected village councils. This guide covers the rulers and achievements exams ask about.

By PunjabExams Editorial Team · Updated 29 October 2026 · 6 min read · How we prepare guides

Early and imperial Cholas

The Cholas appear in Sangam literature and Ashoka's edicts as one of the three Tamil kingdoms, with the Cheras and Pandyas. The early Chola king Karikala is remembered for building the Kallanai (Grand Anicut) on the Kaveri, one of the oldest water-regulating structures in the world still in use.

The imperial Chola line was founded by Vijayalaya around 850 CE, when he captured Thanjavur from the Muttaraiyars.

Raja Raja Chola I (985–1014)

Born Arulmozhivarman, Raja Raja I turned the Chola kingdom into an empire.

• Conquests: He defeated the Cheras at Kandalur Salai, the Pandyas, and the Western Chalukyas; he conquered northern Sri Lanka, destroying Anuradhapura and making Polonnaruwa the Chola capital there; his navy took the Maldives.
• Administration: He ordered a detailed land survey to assess revenue, and began the practice of prefacing inscriptions with a meikeerthi — a formal historical introduction listing the king's achievements.
• Brihadeeswara temple: He built the Rajarajeswaram (Brihadeeswara or Big Temple) at Thanjavur, completed around 1010 CE. Its vimana (tower over the sanctum) rises about 66 metres, and its top is crowned by a massive capstone. The walls carry Chola frescoes and inscriptions listing temple staff and donations.
• He was a devotee of Shiva but supported other faiths, granting a village to the Chudamani Vihara, a Buddhist monastery at Nagapattinam built by the Shailendra king of Srivijaya.

Rajendra Chola I (1014–1044)

Raja Raja's son Rajendra I took Chola power to its peak.

• Sri Lanka: completed its conquest.
• Ganga expedition (c. 1019–1023): His army marched north through Odisha to the Ganga and defeated the Pala king Mahipala I of Bengal. He took the title Gangaikondachola ("the Chola who took the Ganga"), brought back Ganga water, and built a new capital, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, with a great temple and a vast reservoir called the Cholagangam — a "liquid pillar of victory".
• Naval expedition (c. 1025): His fleet attacked the Srivijaya empire based in Sumatra, raiding ports in Kadaram (Kedah, Malaysia) and elsewhere, to protect Chola trade with China. He took the title Kadaram Kondan.

Chola administration

Village self-government: the Uttaramerur inscriptions

Two inscriptions of the time of Parantaka I (c. 919 and 921 CE) at Uttaramerur (Kanchipuram district) describe how a Brahmin village assembly (sabha) chose its members:

• the village was divided into 30 wards (kudumbus);
• candidates had to own some land, live in a house on their own site, be aged 35 to 70, and know the Vedas or administration;
• those who had served recently, or who had failed to submit accounts, were not eligible;
• members were chosen by kudavolai — names written on palm-leaf tickets were put in a pot and drawn by a young boy;
• committees (variyams) were formed for gardens, tanks, justice and other matters.

These inscriptions are often cited as an early example of local self-government in India.

Art, culture and religion

• Great Living Chola Temples — the Brihadeeswara temple, Thanjavur; the Gangaikondacholisvaram temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram; and the Airavatesvara temple, Darasuram (built by Rajaraja II) — together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Thanjavur listed in 1987, the others added in 2004).
• Chola bronzes, made by the lost-wax (cire perdue) method, include the famous Nataraja — Shiva as the cosmic dancer.
• The Bhakti saints' hymns were collected: the Shaiva canon Tirumurai was compiled by Nambiyandar Nambi; Kamban wrote the Tamil Ramayana (Ramavataram) in the 12th century; Sekkizhar wrote the Periya Puranam.
• Ramanuja, the Vaishnava philosopher, lived during the later Chola period.

Economy and trade

The Cholas controlled trade across the Bay of Bengal. Merchant guilds such as the Ainnurruvar (the Five Hundred) and Manigramam traded from Southeast Asia to the Arabian coast. Chola embassies reached the Song court of China.

Decline

After the 12th century, the Cholas were weakened by the rising Pandyas of Madurai and the Hoysalas. The last Chola king, Rajendra III, was defeated by the Pandyas around 1279.

Exam traps

• The Brihadeeswara temple, Thanjavur was built by Raja Raja I; Gangaikonda Cholapuram by Rajendra I; Darasuram by Rajaraja II.
• The Battle of Takkolam (949) was a Chola defeat by the Rashtrakutas.
• The Grand Anicut (Kallanai) is credited to the early Chola Karikala, not Raja Raja.

Key points to remember

• Founder of the imperial line: Vijayalaya (Thanjavur, c. 850).
• Raja Raja I (985–1014) — Sri Lanka, Maldives, Brihadeeswara temple (c. 1010), land survey.
• Rajendra I (1014–1044) — Gangaikondachola, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Srivijaya raid.
• Uttaramerur inscriptions — kudavolai elections; ur, sabha, nagaram.
• Great Living Chola Temples (UNESCO); Nataraja bronzes.

Practice questions

1. Q1. The Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur was built by:

   • (a) Rajendra Chola I
   • (b) Raja Raja Chola I
   • (c) Karikala
   • (d) Kulottunga I
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Raja Raja Chola I — Raja Raja I completed it around 1010 CE.

2. Q2. Which Chola ruler took the title 'Gangaikondachola'?

   • (a) Parantaka I
   • (b) Raja Raja I
   • (c) Rajendra I
   • (d) Aditya I
   Show answer

   Answer: (c) Rajendra I — Rajendra I took the title after his Ganga expedition.

3. Q3. The Uttaramerur inscriptions describe:

   • (a) Chola naval expeditions
   • (b) Election of village assembly members
   • (c) Temple architecture
   • (d) Trade guilds
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Election of village assembly members — They describe the kudavolai system of choosing sabha members.

4. Q4. Rajendra Chola I's naval expedition was directed against:

   • (a) The Pala kingdom
   • (b) The Srivijaya empire
   • (c) The Rashtrakutas
   • (d) The Song dynasty
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) The Srivijaya empire — His fleet raided Srivijaya ports in Southeast Asia around 1025.

5. Q5. The Grand Anicut (Kallanai) on the Kaveri is attributed to:

   • (a) Karikala
   • (b) Raja Raja I
   • (c) Vijayalaya
   • (d) Rajendra I
   Show answer

   Answer: (a) Karikala — The early Chola king Karikala is credited with it.

6. Q6. At which battle were the Cholas defeated by the Rashtrakutas in 949 CE?

   • (a) Takkolam
   • (b) Talikota
   • (c) Kandalur Salai
   • (d) Koppam
   Show answer

   Answer: (a) Takkolam — Krishna III defeated Parantaka I's forces at Takkolam.

Frequently asked questions

What was the kudavolai system?

A method of choosing village assembly members by drawing palm-leaf tickets with candidates' names from a pot, described at Uttaramerur.

Which three temples form the Great Living Chola Temples?

The Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram temple and the Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram.

Why did Rajendra I attack Srivijaya?

To protect Chola trade routes with Southeast Asia and China, which Srivijaya was obstructing.

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