Chola Empire

Chola Empire was an empire in Tamil south and Sri Lanka (South Asia) that lasted from 848 to 1279 CE, about 431 years. Its people spoke Dravidian languages (Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam).

Rajaraja I and Rajendra I conquered the south, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, raided the Ganges, sent a fleet against Srivijaya in 1025 and built the Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur. Pandya and Hoysala pressure ended the dynasty in 1279.

See Chola Empire on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

848 to 1279 CE

Duration

431 years

Type

Empire

Region

Tamil south and Sri Lanka, South Asia

Language family

Dravidian

Capital

Thanjavur, later Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Came from

• Eastern Chalukyas c. 624 to 1070 CE
• Pallava dynasty c. 275 to 897 CE
• Pandya dynasty (first empire) c. 590 to 920 CE

Became

• Pandya dynasty (second empire) c. 1216 to 1345 CE

Events in South Asia during its time

• 1025 Mahmud of Ghazni sacks Somnath
• 1025 Chola fleet raids Srivijaya
• 1192 Second Battle of Tarain
• 1193 Nalanda sacked

Neighbours in South Asia

• Anuradhapura Kingdom 377 BCE to 1017 CE
• Pallava dynasty c. 275 to 897 CE
• Ahom Kingdom 1228 to 1826 CE
• Pala Empire c. 750 to 1161 CE
• Delhi Sultanate 1206 to 1526 CE
• Hoysala Empire c. 1026 to 1343 CE
• Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty c. 730 to 1036 CE
• Rashtrakuta dynasty 753 to 982 CE
• Western Chalukyas 973 to 1189 CE
• Ghaznavid Empire 977 to 1186 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Middle East
• Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1700 CE, Central and Southern Africa
• Ghana Empire (Wagadu) c. 300 to 1200 CE, North and West Africa
• Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE, Europe
• Kingdom of Aksum c. 100 to 940 CE, North and West Africa
• Srivijaya c. 650 to 1377 CE, Southeast Asia
• Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE, North and West Africa
• Khmer Empire 802 to 1431 CE, Southeast Asia

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