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emperor from present day south India who ruled over the Chola kingdom of medieval Tamil Nadu
(parts of southern India), parts of northern India, two thirds of Sri Lankan territory, Maldives and
parts of East Asia, between 985 and 1014 CE. During his reign, the Cholas expanded beyond
the Kaveridelta[6][7] with their domains stretching from Sri Lanka in the south to Kalinga (modern-
day Odisha) in the north. Rajaraja also launched several naval campaigns on the ports of Malabar
Coast (Kerala), Maldives and Sri Lanka.[8][9]
Rajaraja built the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur, one of the largest Hindu temples.[10] During his
reign, the texts of the Tamil poets Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar were collected and edited into
one compilation called Thirumurai.[7][11] He initiated a massive project of land survey and assessment
in 1000 CE which led to the reorganisation of the country into individual units known
as valanadus.[12][13] Rajaraja died in 1014 CE and was succeeded by his son Rajendra Chola.
Contents
1Early life
2Military conquests
o 2.1Against Cheras and Pandyas
o 2.2Conquest of Sri Lanka
o 2.3Chalukyan conflict
o 2.4Kalinga conquest
o 2.5Burning of Udagai and Conquest of Malainaadu
o 2.6Naval expedition
3Personal life
4Administration
5Officials
6Religious policy
7Arts and architecture
o 7.1Brihadisvara Temple
8Coins
9Inscriptions
10In popular culture
11See also
12References
13Bibliography
14External links
Early life[edit]
According to the Thiruvalangadu copper-plate inscription, Rajaraja's original name was Arulmoḷi
(also transliterated as Arulmozhi) Varman, literally "blessed tongued".[3][5] He was born around 947
CE in the Aipassi month, on the day of Sadhayam star.[14] He was a son of the Chola king Parantaka
II (alias Sundara) and queen Vanavan Mahadevi.[15] He had an elder brother - Aditya II,[4] and an
elder sister - Kundavai.[16]
Rajaraja's ascension ended a period of rival claims to the throne, following the death of his
grandfather Parantaka I. After Parantaka I, his son Gandaraditya ascended the throne. When
Gandaraditya died, his son Uttama was a minor, so the throne passed on to Parantaka I's younger
son Arinjaya. Arinjaya died soon, and was succeeded by his son Parantaka II. It was decided that
the throne would pass on to Uttama after Parantaka II: this decision was most probably that of
Parantaka II, although the Thiruvalangadu inscription of Rajaraja's son Rajendra I claims that it was
made by Rajaraja.[4]
Rajaraja's elder brother died before him, and after the death of Uttama, Rajaraja ascended the
throne in June-July 985.[4] Known as Arumoḷi Varman until this point, he adopted the name Rajaraja,
which literally means "King among Kings".[17] He also called himself Shivapada Shekhara (IAST:
Śivapada Śekhara), literally, "the one who places his crown at the feet of Shiva".[18]
Military conquests[edit]
Rajaraja inherited a kingdom whose boundaries were limited to the traditional Chola territory centred
around Thanjavur-Tiruchirappalliregion.[3] At the time of his ascension, the Chola kingdom was
relatively small, and was still recovering from the Rashtrakuta invasions in the preceding years.
Rajaraja turned it into an efficiently-administered empire which possessed a powerful army and a
strong navy. During his reign, the northern kingdom of Vengi became a Chola protectorate, and the
Chola influence on the eastern coast extended as far as Kalinga in the north.[4]
A number of regiments are mentioned in the Thanjavur inscriptions.[19][20] These regiments were
divided into elephant troops, cavalry and infantry and each of these regiments had its own autonomy
and was free to endow benefactions or build temples.[19]
Chalukyan conflict[edit]
In 998 CE, Rajaraja captured the regions of Gangapadi, Nolambapadi and Tadigaipadi (present
day Karnataka).[30] Raja Chola extinguished the Nolambas, who were the feudatories of Ganga while
conquering and annexing Nolambapadi.[31] The conquered provinces were originally feudatories of
the Rashtrakutas.[32][33] In 973 CE, the Rashtrakutas were defeated by the Western Chalukyas leading
to direct conflict with Cholas.[34] An inscription of Irivabedanga Satyashraya from Dharwar describes
him as a vassal of the Western Chalukyas and acknowledges the Chola onslaught.[35] In the same
inscription, he accuses Rajendra of having arrived with a force of 955,000 and of having gone on
rampage in Donuwara thereby blurring the moralities of war as laid out in the
Dharmasastras.[36] Historians like James Heitzman and Wolfgang Schenkluhn conclude that this
confrontation displayed the degree of animosity on a personal level between the rulers of the Chola
and the Chalukya kingdoms drawing a parallel between the enmity between
the Chalukyas of Badami and the Pallavas of Kanchi.[37][38]
There were encounters between the Cholas and the Hoysalas, who were vassals of the Western
Chalukyas. An inscription from the Gopalakrishna temple at Narasipur dated to 1006 records that
Rajaraja's general Aprameya killed minister Naganna and other generals of the Hoysalas.[39] A
similar inscription in Channapatna also describes Rajaraja defeating the Hoysalas.[40] Vengi kingdom
was ruled by Jata Choda Bhima of the Eastern Chalukyas dynasty.[34] Jata Choda Bhima was
defeated by Rajaraja and Saktivarman was placed on the throne of Vengi as a viceroy of the Chola
Dynasty.[34][41] After the withdrawal of the Chola army, Bhima captured Kanchi in 1001 CE. Rajaraja
expelled and killed the Andhra king called Bhima before re-establishing Saktivarman I on the throne
of Vengi again.[42] Rajaraja gave his daughter Kundavai in marriage to his next viceroy of Vengi
Vimaladitya which brought about the union of the Chola Dynasty and the Eastern Chalukya
Kingdom and which also ensured that the descendants of Rajaraja would rule the Eastern Chalukya
kingdom in the future.[41]
Kalinga conquest[edit]
This section needs
expansion. You can help
by adding to it. (December 2015)
The invasion of the kingdom of Kalinga occurred after the conquest of Vengi.[43]
Naval expedition[edit]
One of the last conquests of Rajaraja was the naval conquest of the islands of Maldives ("the Old
Islands of the Sea Numbering 1200").[50][51][page needed] The control of the island of Maldives, up to this
day, remain strategically crucial for any state with economic interests in the Indian Ocean trade. The
naval campaign was also a demonstration of the Chola naval power in the Indian Ocean.[9]
The Cholas controlled the area around of Bay of Bengal with Nagapattinam as the main port.
The Chola Navy also had played a major role in the invasion of Sri Lanka.[52] The success of Rajaraja
allowed his son Rajendra Chola to lead the Chola invasion of Srivijaya, carrying out naval raids in
South-East Asia and briefly occupying Kadaram.[6][53]
Personal life[edit]
Rajaraja had at least four queens including Thiripuvāna Mādēviyār, Ulaga Madeviyar and
Panchavan Madeviyar[54][55][56] and at least three daughters. He had a son Rajendra with Thiripuvāna
Mādēviyār.[57][58][59] He had his first daughter Kundavai with Ulaga Madeviyar. Kundavai
married Chalukya prince Vimaladithan. He had two other daughters named Mathevadigal[citation
needed]
and Ģangamādevi or Arumozhi Chandramalli.[56] Rajaraja died in 1014 CE in the Tamil month of
Maka and was succeeded by Rajendra Chola I.[60]
Administration[edit]
Mural depicting Rajaraja and his guru Karuvuruvar found in the Brihadisvara temple, Tamil Nadu, 11th
century.[61][62][63]
Before the reign of Rajaraja I, parts of the Chola territory were ruled by hereditary lords and princes
who were in a loose alliance with the Chola rulers.[64]Rajaraja initiated a project of land survey and
assessment in 1000 CE which led to the reorganization of the empire into units known as
valanadus.[12][13]From the reign of Rajaraja I until the reign of Vikrama Chola in 1133 CE, the
hereditary lords and local princes were either replaced or turned into dependent officials.[64] This led
to the king exercising a closer control over the different parts of the empire.[64] Rajaraja strengthened
the local self-government and installed a system of audit and control by which the village assemblies
and other public bodies were held to account while retaining their autonomy.[65][66][67] To promote trade,
he sent the first Chola mission to China.[68]
His elder sister Kundavai assisted him in administration and management of temples.[69]
Officials[edit]
Rajendra Chola I was made a co-regent during the last years of Rajaraja’s rule. He was the supreme
commander of the northern and north-western dominions. During the reign of Raja Chola, there was
an expansion of the administrative structure leading to the increase in the number of offices and
officials in the Chola records than during earlier periods.[12] Villavan Muvendavelan, one of the top
officials of Rajaraja figures in many of his inscriptions.[70] The other names of officials found in the
inscriptions are the Bana prince Narasimhavarman, a general Senapathi Krishnan Raman, the
Samantha chief Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan, the revenue official Irayiravan Pallavarayan and
Kuruvan Ulagalandan, who organised the country-wide land surveys.[71]
Religious policy[edit]
Rajaraja was a follower of Shaivism but he was tolerant towards other faiths and had several
temples for Vishnu constructed and encouraged the construction of the Buddhist Chudamani
Vihara at the request of the Srivijaya king Sri Maravijayatungavarman. Rajaraja dedicated the
proceeds of the revenue from the village of Anaimangalam towards the upkeep of this Vihara.[72]
Brihadisvara Temple[edit]
Brihadisvara Temple built by Rajaraja I, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Coins[edit]
Before the reign of Rajaraja the Chola coins had on the obverse the tiger emblem and the fish and
bow emblems of the Pandya and Chera Dynasties and on the reverse the name of the King. But
during the reign of Rajaraja appeared a new type of coins. The new coins had on the obverse the
figure of the standing king and on the reverse the seated goddess.[86]The coins spread over a great
part of South India and were also copied by the kings of Sri Lanka.[87]
Inscriptions[edit]
Due to Rajaraja's desire to record his military achievements, he recorded the important events of his
life in stones. An inscription in Tamil from Mulbagal in Karnataka shows his accomplishments as
early as the 19th year. An excerpt from such a Meikeerthi, an inscription recording great
accomplishments, follows:[88]
ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ
“ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸ
ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ
ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ
ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ
ஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ
ஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ
ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ
ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ ஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸஸ
ஸஸஸஸஸ[89][not in citation given] ”
[90][not in citation given]