Cholas
The Cholas were a Tamil dynasty centered in the Tamil country of present-day Tamil Nadu, India. They rose from early Tamil polities in the Sangam era and became one of South India’s longest-ruling dynasties, with a history spanning from the early centuries CE to the late medieval period.
Origins and early period: In Sangam literature and contemporary inscriptions, the Cholas appear as one of the
Imperial Cholas: The imperial period (roughly the 9th to the 13th centuries) marks the dynasty’s peak. Rajaraja
Culture and administration: The Cholas fostered Tamil literature, sculpture, and temple architecture, commissioning inscriptions in Tamil
Decline and legacy: By the 13th century, the Chola polity declined under pressure from rival Tamil powers