Rajaraja

Rajaraja, literally meaning "king of kings" in Tamil, is a title used by several rulers in South Asia. The most famous bearer is Rajaraja Chola I, a Chola emperor who reigned circa 985–1014 CE and presided over a high point of Chola power in southern India.

During his reign, Rajaraja expanded and reorganized the empire, pursuing military campaigns in the Tamil heartland and neighboring regions, and asserting Chola supremacy over parts of the Deccan coast and over Sri Lanka through naval expeditions and alliances with local rulers. His efforts reinforced a centralized form of administration with the king at the apex and cultivated a strong imperial identity for the Chola state.

Rajaraja also promoted culture, language, and temple building. He commissioned the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur, one of the great monuments of South Indian architecture, which remains a key example of Dravidian temple design. Inscriptions from his reign are among the earliest extensive royal Tamil records and also include Sanskrit materials, reflecting a bilingual administrative tradition.

Legacy of Rajaraja I extends beyond his own reign; the Chola empire reached its height in the decades that followed, with successors such as Rajendra Chola I expanding influence overseas to parts of Southeast Asia. The Brihadisvara Temple is part of the Great Living Chola Temples World Heritage Site, highlighting the enduring cultural imprint of his era.

Other uses of the name Rajaraja appear in various South Asian dynasties, but Rajaraja Chola I is the most widely known reference.