Page 14 - Journeys Through Society-7
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The events of Prithviraj’s reign have been described in the Ganga region in Karnataka
Prithviraj Raso, composed by his court poet and and Overran Vengi.
friend, Chand Bardai. Rajaraja Chola I was
The major Rajput dynasties were the Pratiharas, the succeeded by his son,
Chauhanas, the Solankis and the Paramaras. The Rajendra I who continued his
Pratiharas ruled in southern Rajasthan, the Chauhans father’s expansionist policies.
in Shakambari, south-east of Delhi, Solanki power was He defeated the western
concentrated in Gujarat and the Paramaras were Chalukyas and the Pala rulers Statue of
Rajaraja Chola I at
located in Malwa. The focus of each of these dynasties of Bengal and completed the
Bhrihadeswara Temple
was the territory ruled by them. conquest of Sri Lanka. To in Tanjore
commemorate his victory,
Wow Fact Rajendra I assumed the title of Gangaikonda Chola or
More than 400 years after his death, the Chola conqueror of Ganga and built a new capital
Maharana Pratap is still revered as the near the River Kaveri called Gangaikonda Cholapuram
supreme symbol of Rajput Valour, the or the city of the Chola conqueror of the Ganga.
indomitable warrior who refused to bow to
Mughal emperor Akbar as he fought alone Administration: The Chola state was organised into
and unneeded to preserve his kingdom’s territorial administrative units. There was
independence. He belonged to the Sisodia standardised taxation. The village assembly, was
clan of the Rajputs of Mewar. central to the Chola administration. Royal officials did
participate in the village assembly but only as advisors
and observers. The village assembly enjoyed a fair
Chola Dynasty amount of self-governance. Large villages were
divided into smaller divisions, each with a smaller
The Cholas ruled in South India between 800 and 1200
assembly representing its households. People
CE. The founder of the empire was Vijayalaya who was
practising the same profession started staying near
initially a feudatory of the pallavas. Vijayalaya built the
each other. So, assemblies came to control
capital town of Thanjavur, a beautiful city of templet.
production. The function of these assemblies differed
The idory of chola dynasty is in large measure
according to the local conditions. Members
attributed to Raja raja chola I and Rajendra Chola I.
comprised adult males and heads of households in the
In the ninth century,
village. Sometimes they formed a small executive
the Pallavas were
body for taking decisions on routine matters. The
defeated and uprooted
sabha had the same system and, in addition, could
by the Cholas, who
constitute committees from amongst its members for
emerged as the
specialised work.
dominant power in the
Villages were grouped together under a nadu.
south. In the middle of
Nagarams were centres of exchange and came within
the ninth century,
the nadus. A group of nadus formed valanadus and a
Vijayalaya of the Chola Rajendra Chola I
number of valanadus made mandalams.
dynasty conquered the region of Tanjavur. From
Tanjavur, the Cholas spread northward, annexing The Uttaramerur Inscription of Chingleput gives
what remained of the Pallava territory in the tenth detailed information about the ways in which the
century. sabha was organised. Names of people eligible to be
members of the sabha were put into an earthen pot
Rajaraja Chola I initiated the policy of war and
and were taken out through a draw of lots.
conquest by defeating the Cheras and Pandyas. He
invaded Sri Lanka and annexed in northern part to his Language and Literature : The Chola rulers patronised
empire. He also annexed the north-western parts as art and literature during the period of their reign.
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