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The Cholas were the most famous of the three dynasties that ruled ancient Tamil Nadu. The other two were the Cheras and the Pandyas.
Early Cholas
The early Cholas ruled between the 1st and the 4th centuries A.D. The first and the most famous king of the early Cholas was Karikalan. He is well known for his great engineering marvel, "Kallanai", a great anaikut (dam used for irrigation) across the river Cauvery which is being used till date. He was succeded by Nedumudikilli. Chola power declined with frequent attacks by the Pallavas, Cheras and Pandyas , but they rose to power again around the 9th century.
Note on etymology
- kallaNai is a Tamil compound word which can be split as kal (stone) and aNai (bund or dam)
- aNaikut is an anglicisation of the Tamil word pair aNai + kattu (structure or construction)
- The Tamil consonant 'N' is pronounced like 'ñ'
Medieval Cholas
The Medieval Cholas rose to prominence when the king Vijayalaya defeated the Pallavas and captured Thanjavur. The Medieval Chola kings went on to capture most of South India, Bengal, and some foreign islands like Indonesia. Until around the 13th century, the Chola Empire was the most powerful in South India.
The greatest kings among the Medieval Cholas were Rajaraja Chola-I (reigned 985-1014) and his son Rajendra Chola-I (reigned 1014-42). Under them, Chola power reached its zenith. The Rajaraja conquered Kerala and a part of Sri Lanka. Rajendra later completed the conquest of Sri Lanka, crossed the Ganges and marched across Kalinga to Bengal, and sent out a great naval expedition that occupied parts of Myanmar, Malaya, and Sumatra. For 300 years the Chola kingdom supported a flourishing social and economic life, marked by a flowering of Hindu culture. Rajendra, to commemorate his victory over the Ganges, created a new capital and named it Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
By the 13th century, the Chola kingdom had exhausted its resources and was on the decline. It succumbed to an attack by the Hoysalas from the west and the Pandyas from the south. The last king of the Medieval Cholas was Rajendra Chola-III.
The emblem of the Chola empire was the tiger, which was featured on the Chola flag, coins and in other contexts of political significance.
List of Medieval Chola Kings
| Name of King | Reign Period | Son of | Capital |
| Vijayalaya Chola | 848-881 | Is not available | Thanjavur |
| Athiththa Chola | 871-907 | Vijayalya Chola | Thanjavur |
| Paranthaha Chola-I | 907-955 | Athiththa Chola | Thanjavur |
| Kandarathiththa Chola | 950-957 | 2nd Son of Paranthaha Chola-I | Thanjavur |
| Arinchchaya Chola | 956-957 | 3rd Son of Paranthaha Chola-I | Thanjavur |
| Paranthaha Chola-II | 957-970 | Arinchchaya Chola | Thanjavur |
| Uththama Chola | 973-985 | Kandarathiththa Chola | Thanjavur |
| Rajaraja Chola-I | 985-1014 | Paranthaha Chola-II | Thanjavur |
| Rajendra Chola-I | 1012-1044 | Rajaraja Chola-I | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Rajadhiraja Chola-I | 1018-1054 | Eldest Son of Rajendra Chola-I | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Rajendra Chola-II | 1051-1063 | 2nd Son of Rajendra Chola-I | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Virarajendra Chola | 1063-1070 | Rajendra Chola-II | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Athirajendra Chola | 1067-1070 | Virarajendra Chola | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Kulothunga Chola-I | 1070-1120 | Son of the daughter of Rajendra Chola-I
| Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Vikkrama Chola | 1118-1135 | Kulothunga Chola-I | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Kulothunga Chola-II | 1133-1150 | Vikkrama Chola | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Rajaraja Chola-II | 1146-1163 | Kulothunga Chola-II | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Rajadiraja Chola-II | 1163-1178 | Cousin of Rajaraja Chola-II | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Kulothunga Chola-III | 1178-1218 | Rajaraja Chola-II | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Rajaraja Chola-III | 1216-1256 | Kulothunga Chola-III | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Rajendra Chola-III | 1246-1279 | Rajaraja Chola-III | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
MIDDLE KINGDOMS OF INDIA
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| Timeline: | Northern empires | Southern Kingdoms | Foreign kingdoms
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6th century BCE
5th century BCE
4th century BCE
3rd century BCE
2nd century BCE
1st century BCE
1st century CE
2nd century CE
3rd century CE
4th century CE
5th century CE
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(Persian rule)
(Greek conquests)
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