Go Back
The Chola Empire. The Chola Empire was a wildly powerful Tamil dynasty that dominated southern India and expanded its influence deeply into Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 13th centuries CE. Operating out of the fertile Kaveri River valley, they built one of the few truly formidable naval powers in Indian history. They are crucial to history because they constructed breathtaking Dravidian temples, like the massive Brihadisvara Temple, and funded incredible bronze sculpture workshops. Their highly organized administration also relied on sophisticated, locally elected village councils to manage tax collection and justice.
The Cholas used their unmatched navy to completely dominate the lucrative Indian Ocean trade routes. They even launched a spectacular and successful naval invasion against the powerful Srivijaya Empire in modern Indonesia to protect their merchant guilds. However, continuous, draining land wars against their bitter northern rivals, the Chalukyas, eventually exhausted their resources. By the late 13th century, internal rebellions by subordinate kings finally shattered the empire, allowing the Pandyan dynasty to rise in their place.