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MrunalCholaEmpire:Rajendra1'sCoronation1000years

Mrunalhttp://mrunal.org

[SangamAge]Chola:Architecture,administration,
Conquests&1000thyearofRajendra1Cholas
Coronation
PostedByMrunalOn05/01/2015@9:30pmInIndianHistory|21Comments

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3SouthernKingdoms:Chola,Chera,Pandya
ImperialChola
Rajendra1(1000thYearofcoronation,2014)
CholaArchitecture
Cholasocietyandadministration
CholapatronizedBuddhism
MockQuestions

Chola,Chera,Pandya
On3rdNov2014,Indiannavycelebratedthe1000thAnniversaryof
RajendraCholascoronation,hencetopicbecomesimportantforCSAT
2015.
Dynasty

MainDynastiesofSangamAge
Territory
Features

Chola

Capital:
Uraiyurand
laterTanjor
Southern
Andhra
Pradeshto
Northern
Tamilnadu

Emblem:Tiger
KarikaladefeatedChera,Pandyas
andotherchillarkingdoms.

Chera

Capital:Vanji
ModernKerala

Emblem:Bow
BeganPattiniCultforworshipping
Kannagi.

Capital:
Madurai
Southern
Tamilnadu

Emblem:Carp
KingNeduncheliyanhasexecuted
Kovalan.TheCurseofKovalanswife
KannagidestroyedMaduraiinfire.

Fracture
Pandya

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ImperialChola
SangamCholabecameweakattheendofSangamAge.ButKing
VijayalacapturedTanjore,andbeganthenewlineofImperialChola.
NotableImperialCholaKingswereRajaraja1andhissonRajendra1.
Rajaraja1
HeDefeatedCheraandPandyaKings.
HeExtendedCholaempireallthewaytoTungabadhrariver.
HebuiltthefamousBrihadeshwaraTempleatTanjore(Saivism)and
patronizedaBuddhistmonetaryatNagapattinam.

Rajendra1(1000thYearofcoronation,2014)
Rajendra1tookawayMaduraifromPandyaKingsandKeralterritories
fromCheraKings,andappointedhissonasViceroyofthisregion.
HeannexedNorthernSriLankaandMaldivesusinghismightynavy,
andevenabductedSriLankanKingMahindaV.
HesentanavalexpeditiontoMalayArchipelagototeachalessonto
SriVijayaEmpirebecausetheywereobstructingCholatradewith
Chinese.
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HesentamilitaryexpeditiontowardsNorthernIndia,defeatedmany
chillarkingsaboveGangesriverOdishaandBengal,andupdatedhis
facebookprofilestatustoGangaiKondan.
Tofurthercelebratethesevictoriesanduploaditsphotosontwitter,he
builtacityGangaiKondaCholapuramcityandRajesvaramtemple
(Saivism)init.
Hissuccessorswereweak,ultimatelyCholaswerereducedfrom
KingsTolocalChieftains

CholaTempleArchitecture

CholasfollowedthearchitecturestyleofPallavasandconstructednumerous
templesthroughouttheirterritory.Nagaeshwvara,Brihadeshwvaraand
AiravateshwaratemplesinTanjoreThanjavurregionrepresentthezenith
ofCholaarchitecturalstyle.
NotablefeaturesofCholaTempleArchitecture
Material
Startedusingstonesinsteadofbricks.
haveneatlydetailedfrescoes,sculpturesandpaintings
Walls&
includingbirds,dancingfigures,pictorialstoriesfrom
Passages
Puranas
SomeoftheCholatemplescontainbeautifullifesized
Portraits portraitsofkingsandqueens.e.g.RajarajaIandhisqueen
lokmahadevi,RajendraIandhisqueenCholmahadevi.
Garbhagriha chiefdeityroom
the57storeysabovechiefdeityroom.InBrihadeshwahra
Vimana
temple13successivestoreys.
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Shikhara

abovetheVimana(Storeys).Rajarajeshwaratemplehas
Shikharastoneweighingalmost90tonnes.Sincetheydidnt
havecranestoliftit,architectsbuilta4kmlonginclinedpath
todragthestoneoverthetop.

.VsPallavas

AlthoughCholacontinuedthearttraditionofPallavas,
butabandonedthelionmotifsfromtemplewalls.
Cholatemplepillarswereconstructedwithgreater
refinementthanPallavas.

Nataraja

DuringCholaperiod,metalartshowedremarkable
developmentandwasusedforfurtherdecorationof
temples.
e.gNatarajaordancingshivaatChiadambaram
templedescribedastheculturalepitomeoftheChola
period.

Mandap
Gopuram

Trend
Setters

Audiencehall,forvariousceremonies.Elaboratecarvings
andpillars.
Templegateways,whichenclosedtheentiretemple
structurewithhighwalls.
BrihadeshwaratemplebyRajarajaIatTanjore.Itwas
thetallestofallIndiantempleatthatperiod.
OtherkingdomsinSouthIndiaandeveninSriLanka,
adoptedthearchitecturalstyleofCholatemples.

Cholasocietyandadministration
1. Morecentralizedthanotherdynasties.Cholaprovinceswereheaded
byNavalchiefs.
2. EntirekingdomwasdividedintoMandal=>Vanlandu=>Nadu(villages).
3. Bothtownsandvillageshadautonomousassemblies.
4. Assemblymembershadtenurelimitof3years.
5. EmergenceofKanchiSilk,BronzeIdolofNataraja,Casterigidity,Sati
andDevdasisystem.
6. Theyworshippeddeadkingandbuilttemplesintheirhonor.
7. TradeflourishedwithChina,Sumatra,JavaandArabia.
8. Landownedbytemplesandartisanswereexemptedfromtax.
9. Theymadepredatorynavalraidstofilltreasuryeveryonceinawhile.
Theyalsosentnavalexpeditionforsettinguptradepostsinforeign
harborsaswell.

CholapatronizedBuddhism
SailendrakingswereMahayanBuddistandruledoverSumatra,Bali,
CambodiaandMalaya.
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SailendraKingshadconstructedaBuddhistViharaatNagapattinam,
Tamilnadu.(areaunderCholacontrol)
NameofthisVihara:Chulamanivarmavihara.
CholaKingRajarajaChola1hadissuedaChartertoprovidemoneyto
thisVihara
ThischarterwasinscribedonacopperplateandpreservedatLeiden
UniversityofNetherlands,andprovesthatCholapatronizedBuddhism
aswell.

MockQuestions
Q1.Whichofthefollowingpairsarematchedincorrectly?
1. Chola:Madurai
2. Chera:Kerala
3. Pandya:AndhraPradesh
Answerchoices
a.
b.
c.
d.

Only1and2
Only2and3
Only1and3
Allofthem

Q2.Whichofthefollowingempirevsemblempairsarematched
correctly?
1. Chola:Ship
2. Chera:Tiger
3. Pandya:Bow
Answerchoices
a.
b.
c.
d.

Only1and2
Only2and3
Only1and3
Noneofthem

Q3.CholaKingRajendra1hadannexed:
1. MaduraifromCherakings
2. AndhrafromSatvahankings
3. GangaiKondaPuramfromPandyaKings
Answerchoices
a.
b.
c.
d.

Only1and2
Only2and3
Only1and3
Noneofthem

Q4.CholakingRajaraja1
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1. HadorderedtheexecutionKolavan.
2. hadPatronizedSaivismandBuddhism.
3. BuiltBrihadeshwaratempleatTanjore.
Answerchoices
a.
b.
c.
d.

Only1and2
Only2and3
Only1and3
Noneofthem

Q5.King____of___dynastycalledhimselfGangaiKondan.
a.
b.
c.
d.

Rajaraja1,Chola
Rajendra1,Chera
Rajaraja1,Chera
Rajendra1,Chola

Q6.InCholaempire
1. Satisystemwasprohibited
2. DevDasisystemwasprohibited
3. VillageAssemblymembershipwashereditaryinnature.
Answerchoices
a.
b.
c.
d.

Only1and2
Only2and3
Only1and3
Noneofthem

Q7.Cholatemples
1. havelionmotifsonwalls
2. haveGopuramwithoutwalls
3. usebricksinsteadofstones
Answerchoices
a.
b.
c.
d.

Only1and2
Only2and3
Only1and3
Noneofthem

(Mains2013)Q.Cholaarchitecturerepresentsahighwatermarkinthe
evolutionoftemplearchitecture.Discuss.(5Marks,100words)
VisitMrunal.org/HISTORYforentireArchiveofHistoryCulturerelated
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