The Chola dynasty

The Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in
some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to the dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century
BC left by Asoka, a northern ruler; the dynasty continued to reign over varying territory until the 13th century AD.

The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valley of the Kaveri River, but they ruled a significantly larger area at
the height of their power from the later half of the 9th century till the beginning of the 13th century.The whole
country south of the Tungabhadra was united and held as one state for a period of two centuries and more.Under Rajaraja
 Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola I, the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power
 in South Asia and South-east Asia. The power of the new empire was proclaimed to the eastern world by the celebrated
 expedition to the Ganges which Rajendra Chola I undertook and by the overthrow after an unprecedented naval war of the
 maritime empire of Srivijaya, as well as by the repeated embassies to China. During the period 1010?200, the Chola
 territories stretched from the islands of the Maldives in the south to as far north as the banks of the Godavari River
in Andhra Pradesh.Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, annexed parts of what is now Sri Lanka and occupied
the islands of the Maldives.Rajendra Chola sent a victorious expedition to North India that touched the river Ganga and
defeated the Pala ruler of Pataliputra, Mahipala. He also successfully invaded kingdoms of the Malay Archipelago. The
Chola dynasty went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of the Pandyas, who ultimately caused their
downfall.
The Cholas left a lasting legacy. Their patronage of Tamil literature and their zeal in building temples have resulted in
some great works of Tamil literature and architecture.The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples
in their kingdoms not only as places of worship but also as centres of economic activity. They pioneered a
centralised form of government and established a disciplined bureaucracy