As a formidable administrator, fierce warrior, a great philanthropist, and a lover of beautiful art and architecture, Raja Raja Cholan is an indispensable character in Tamil and world history. Arulmozhi Varman (birth name of Raja Raja Chola) expanded his empire across Asia, from present-day Sri Lanka south to Odisha to the Malabar Coast and the Maldives. It is widely believed that trade with the European continent became possible during the reign of Raja Raja Chola (985-1014 C.E).
His political criteria and generosity allowed for local administration at a time when no other emperor had done so. Peruvudayar Temple (Pragadeeswarar) which he built from 1010 CE onwards Raja Raja Chola can be described in one sentence – he is the king of kings. After the death of Rajaraja Chola’s father in 1014, his son Rajendra Chola came to power.
Content
Childhood & Early Life
golden age
Grand Master in Multidisciplinary Fields
A man of great manners and a patron of the arts
Achievements
A conqueror of many unconquerable realms
Against Cheras and Pandyas
Sri Lanka’s victory
Clash of Chalukyas
Invasion of the Maldives
Administration
The peerless architect Raja Raja Cholan
The pace-setter
Last Days of Purana in Odiyalur
Childhood & Early Life
Words cannot describe the glory of Raja Raja Chola. He was a legendary king who prophesied the future and led his country one step forward. Rajakesari Arulmozhi Varman, known in his infancy, ascended the throne in July 985 AD. The third son of Paramadaka II, also known as Sundara Chola and Vanavan Mathevi, he received great learning from his parents and scholars. Even as a young man, Raja Raja Chola had great visions for his kingdom and his rule.
Golden Age:
The Golden Age blossomed when Rajaraja Chola ascended the throne. Raja Raja Chola’s personal ability makes him the peerless ruler of all rulers and the greatest of all the great Chola emperors. He not only made himself an unrivaled leader but also guided his son Rajendran I to follow in his footsteps and laid a great foundation for his magnificent achievements.
Under the rule of Raja Raja Chola, the empire reached its greatest height and carried its weapons beyond the seas. His reign is hailed as the Golden Age because of his impeccable civil service and well-planned irrigation system. Raja Raja Chola was very determined to maintain a strong military force.
Grand Master in Multidisciplinary Fields
Raja Raja Chola’s interests cannot be labeled as one. He is multi-faceted and passionate about many things. He was a remarkable architect, an able economist, a lover of art and literature, a great philosopher, and above all a lofty thinker. His ideologies are beyond our understanding. Through his organization in the field of art and architecture; In religion and literature we can see the work of a powerful force newly unleashed by the progressive imperialism of the time.
Raja Raja Chola was the first Tamil king who came up with the brilliant idea of creating an official record of all the important events of his reign and his achievements. Not to blow his own trumpet, but to set his successors on the path of wisdom.
A man of great manners and a patron of the arts
No wonder this multi-faceted great king has a heart of gold. His personality is admired more than his heroic deeds. He loved his family very dearly and the affection he showered on his family members can be read through many literary works. A trace of feminism can be seen in her actions such as the first respect given to her elder sister Kundavai and her grandmother Sembian Mahadevi. His elder sister acted as his personal advisor and held a special position at his court, after whom he named one of his beloved daughters.
Raja Raja Chola showered the same love and affection on his morals. He often went in disguise to understand the real livelihood of his subjects. Under his rule, the land was free from poverty and robbery. He introduced many new schemes for the benefit of the public. He was one of the few rulers who truly cared for the people’s happiness.
Raja Raja Cholan had a keen interest in fine arts and letters. He never said no to artists and spared no pains to inspire them. He was very generous in showering lavish gifts on artistic talents. History praises his arbitrariness in bestowing lands and fortunes on poets and musicians.
His daughter Kunthavai is also said to be a veteran classical dancer. He not only glorified the art and dance of this region but also promoted the arts of different regions. He brings together the arts of various cultures and presents them in a brand new way.
Achievements
He won most of the conquests of the Pandyas, Bellary, East Mysore, Thadikaipadi, Vengi and Coorg within 14 years of his rule. He built the spectacular Shiva temple at Thanjavur, known as the Pragatheeswarar Temple or the Great Temple, which today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of the ‘Great Living Chola Temples’.
Invincible Multiple Area Winner:
The Chola army in medieval times was a well-organized and efficient fighting force. With Thanjavur as his capital, he spent the first few years building a strong army and preparing for military expeditions. Rajaraja Chola I created a powerful standing army and a sizeable navy which achieved greater success under his son Rajendra Chola I than himself. The army consisted of infantry, cavalry and elephants.
Raja Raja Chola was the first to adopt the title of “Mummudi Chola Deva” (one adorned with the three crowns of Chola, Chera and Pandya) at a very young age. Raja Raja Chola’s first victory was the conquest of Kerala, which was ruled by the Cheras. Historical literary works such as Tiruvalangadu plates and Meikirthi narrate the capture of Madurai and victory over the Pandya king Amarapujangan.
Sri Lanka’s victory
After conquering most of South India, Raja Raja Chola set his sights on Eelam (Sri Lanka). Raja Raja is said to have captured Ilamandalam, which was ruled by a fierce Sinhalese king and anchored the Chola flag.
Polonnaruwa-Temple-Sri Lanka
Among Sri Lanka’s second oldest kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first established in the 10th century by the Chola dynasty as their capital and today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site.
His thirst for the region unquenched, he expanded his rule over most of northern Sri Lanka, which became known as the “Mummudi Chola region”. He also built a stone temple at Polanaruwa to mark his authority over Sri Lanka.
Clash of Chalukyas
Through his remarkable military techniques and tireless army, he conquered several regions like Gangapadi, Nulampadi, Thandikaipadi which comprise present day Karnataka. And the incessant fighting over Nulambapadi and Ganapati led to the annexation of the Kongu region to the Chola empire. Successive victories led the Chola army to advance north. Then Raja Raja Chola targeted the Chalukyas. Inscriptions state that Raja Raja Chola conquered Rattapadi in 1005 AD, leading to the annexation of the northwestern region to the Chola Empire.
Raja Raja Cholan the Great
Raja Raja Cholan was a great politician. Instead of fighting, he married his daughter Kundavai to the Vengi prince Vimaladitthan and brought the Vengi kingdom into close contact with the Cholas. But some inscriptions and chronicles say that the marriage between Kuntavi and Vimaladithan was a love marriage.
Invasion of the Maldives
Raja Raja Chola’s naval army was one of its kind and truly invincible. After conquering many countries, finally, Raja Raja Chola’s army captured the Maldives. Although there are no exact records of this victory, there is ample evidence that the Raja Raja Cholan army successfully anchored their flag.
Administration
Raja Raja Chola was not only an incomparable soldier but also a brilliant administrator. His intellectual dominance is evident through his strong and centralized bureaucratic government. He appointed many nobles to represent the government in separate regions and closely observed every matter that happened in every place of his rule. He introduced Audit Bureau to organize public affairs in village and town councils.
The peerless architect Raja Raja Cholan
Being an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, King Raja Raja Cholan built the world famous Prahadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur with his great passion and magnificent architectural style. Prahadeeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is known as Rajarajeswarar Temple Rajarajeswaram and Peruvudayar Temple. Every nook and cranny of this grand temple proclaims the glory of Raja Raja Chola. The deity was first named as “Rajarajeswar” and later during the rule of the Marathas, the deity came to be known as Prahadeshwar or the Great Ishwar.
Thanjavur Pragatheeswarar Temple
According to the temple facts, the main sanctum sanctorum is built entirely of granite stones. It is believed that more than 130,000 tons of granite was used in the construction of this particular building. Vimana means the main sanctum, which is six stories high and 66 m high. And the main plane has a hollow tower above a large boulder. Among the temples of Tamil Nadu, Pragatheeswarar temple is the only temple with such structure. Even the construction of the walls of the main sanctum is unique. It is built using interlocking bricks and as per our guess, it is built without using any binding materials.
Another completely strange fact is that the shadow of the main shrine never falls on the ground at any time of the day. The beautiful paintings on the walls of the great temple and the numerous inscriptions found around it are sufficient proof of this.
Temple-tour
Plan your Tamilnadu pilgrimage tour and enjoy the history and heritage of Prahadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur and cover Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Palani, Rameswaram and other historical temples in Tamilnadu with Tamilnadu tour.
The pace-setter
Raja Raja Cholan has a clear vision and tireless energy in executing his ideas and aspirations. With perfect insight into solving complex problems on the battlefield and in day-to-day management, he excels in implementing his inventions and accomplishing any difficult task with great foresight. He was undoubtedly the mastermind of his age, and he injected a new vigor into the blood which kept the whole empire in a high spirit. His leadership in various aspects of government is evident from his leadership.
Last Days of Purana in Odiyalur
The last days of this heroic king were somewhat sad, he was bedridden for some time. The exact cause of his death and the reason for his demise is yet to be revealed. Inscriptions bearing the glories and achievements of Raja Raja Chola fail to trace his death. This king of remarkable deeds now rests in eternal slumber in a quaint village near Thanjavur called Odiyalur. And this place is said to be the burial place of Raja Raja Chola, where the half-buried lingam is found recently. It is believed that King Raja Raja Chola gave this place to his wife Ulagakuthudaiyal and named the village as Ulagakuthudaiyalur, which gradually changed to Udayalur.
Odiyalur-Raja-Raja-Cholan-Samadhi
There is a lot of excitement about the burial place of Raja Raja Chola. An inscription found in the Balkulat Amman temple speaks of the rebuilding of the great hall erected before the dilapidated grand palace of Sri Raja Raja Deva. According to the historian, Thiru Mandapam is nothing but a memorial temple of Raja Raja Chola. Many of Rajaraja Cholan’s school troops conducted a thorough search.
The School Corps builds a Shiva shrine over the burial ground of the elders. This culture came into practice during the later Chola rule. So the Pallipappa at Udayalur and the nearby inscription are linked together and enhance the fact that Udayalur is the burial place of Raja Raja Chola.
If you want to know more about Odiyalur, click here
Although his death is a mystery, his life is a glorious history. He was one of the great empires that ruled this world. King Raja Raja Chola will live on through his incredible works singing his praises till the day of his demise.
Tamil Nadu-Heritage-Travel
Tamil Nadu is one of the most historic states of India. The South Indian state is a treasure trove of ancient heritage sites and cultural traditions. Heritage tours in Tamil Nadu are rich in architecture that includes UNESCO World Heritage sites, grand living Chola temples, magnificent sculptures and colonial charm.
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