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Later Cholas - Sources

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Later Cholas - Sources

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darshanapriyaa135
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LATER CHOLAS

Later Cholas __ Sources

The later Cholas became prominent in the 9th Century and established an empire
comprising the major portion of South India and they were called as the Imperial Cholas .

The Sources for the history of the Later Cholas were classified into Inscriptions ,
Monuments , Numismatic sources and Literary sources .

Inscriptions :

Inscriptions were placed on the walls of the temples and pillars , about the life of the
rulers , Administration , Political , Economic , Religious , Social and Cultural conditions
during the Cholas period .

The Inscriptions in the Brahadeeswarar temple at Tanjore known as “ Big Temple “ .

Many important inscriptions are found in Cuddalore , Villupuram , Trichy , Tanjore ,


Chidambaram , Kumbakonam and Nagapattinam .
The stone inscriptions give us useful information about the administration of the
Cholas rulers .

The Thiruvandhipuram stone inscriptions give information about the reign of


Rejendra –III .

The Uttaramerur Inscriptions give information about the Kudavolai system , Village
Administration , Taxation and Land revenue .

Anbil Plates , the Kanyakumari stone inscriptions , Karanthai Plates and


Thiruvalangadu Copper Plates give useful information about the Cholas .

The Tanjore Peruvudaiyar temple Inscriptions talk about the existence of Saivism .

The Inscriptions of Cheras , Pandyas , Rashtrakutas and Ganges speak about the
Cholas .
Monuments

The Brahadeewarar Temple at Tanjore ,the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple

Airavateesvarar Temple of Dharasuram and the Kanbagareswarar Temple in

Thirupuvanam are some of the important monuments of the Cholas .

Numismatics Sources :

The Cholas kings issued Gold , Silver and Copper coins .

Figure of Tiger was engraved as the Chola Emblem on every Chola coin issued during
that period .

King Rajaraja issued a new Ceylon type of coins .

Chola coins are useful to fix the Chronology of the Chola rulers .
Literary Sources .

The literary sources are very useful for the study of the Cholas .

Sekkilar’s Periyapuranam deals with the life of Saiva devotees .

Sekkilar was a contemporary of Kulothunga – II .

Kalingathupparani of Jayamkondan , Three Ulas and the Kulothungan Pillai Tamil of


Ottakkoothar give useful information about the Cholas .

Other literary works like Veerasoliyam , Sthalapuranam and Cholavarma Charitham


about the early Cholas .

Foreign Sources :

Mahavamsam , the Ceylon literature talks about the relationship between the early
Chola Country and Ceylon kingdom and also speaks about the Chola rule in Ceylon .

European traveller Marcopolo and foreign writer Magesthanese give interesting


information about the Cholas .

Al –beruni a Muslim historian writes about the Cholas .


Political history of the Cholas .

Vijayalaya Chola :

King Vijayalaya was the founder of the later Chola dynasty .

Vijayalaya captured Tanjore from the Muttaraiyas and made it his capital in 850 AD .

His son Aditya put an end to the Pallava kingdom by defeating Aparajita and annexed
Tondaimandalam .

Vijayalaya also annexed the Kongu country .

He was a woshipper of Siva .


Parantaka – I : 907 AD – 953 AD :

Uttaramerur Inscriptions speak about Parantaka –I

He was a son of Aditya .

He was a devotee of Lord Siva

He conquered many parts of Southern India and extended his boundary .

He captured Madurai .

Thus he assumed the title of Maduraikondan .

After defeating the combined armies of the Pandyas and Ceylon kings , he assumed
the title of “ Maduraiyum Ezhamum Kondan “

He extended his empire upto Nellore in North .


He provided golden roof to the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram and came to be
called as “ Pon Veintha Cholan “ .

He was a great builder of temples.

He provided the Vimana of the famous Nataraja temple at Chidambaram with a


golden roof .

The famous Uttaramerur Inscriptions give a detailed account of the Village


administration under the Cholas belong to his reign .

But he suffered a defeat at the hands of the Rashtrakutas in the famous battle of
Takkolam .

He was succeeded by Kandaraditya , Arinjaya , Sundara Chola alias Parantaka – II and


Uttama Chola .

After a gap of thirty years , the Cholas regained their supremacy under Rajaraja –I .
Rajaraja – I : 985 AD – 1014 AD :

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