
In 1000 CE, the world was in the midst of the Middle Ages. While Europe was in flux, the Chola dynasty in southern India was preparing to build the world’s most colossal temple. The emperor, Raja-Raja Chola, oversaw the construction of the Brihadishvara temple, which stood 216ft tall and was made from 130,000 tonnes of granite. It was home to a gold and ruby-encrusted emblem of Shiva and treasures looted from conquered lands.
The Rise of the Chola Dynasty
The Cholas, initially a minor power in the Kaveri floodplain, transformed into one of the most remarkable dynasties in the medieval world. The Chola queens, notably Sembiyan Mahadevi, rebranded the family as the foremost devotees of Shiva, establishing their devotion as a symbol of the dynasty. Nataraja, the King of Dance, became the symbol of the Cholas.

Conquests and Temple Building
Rajaraja Chola led military conquests, establishing Chola presence in Lanka and the Deccan Plateau. The loot from these conquests funded the Brihadishvara temple, which also received vast amounts of rice annually, funding new irrigation systems and public works.
Global Trade and Expansion
Rajaraja’s successor, Rajendra Chola, formed powerful alliances with Tamil merchant corporations, foreshadowing the East India Company. Tamil merchants spread across Southeast Asia, running independent ports and serving as tax collectors. Tamil merchants also conducted business in China and erected temples to Shiva along the East China Sea.
Cultural and Economic Power
The Cholas transformed south India into a cultural and economic powerhouse. They invested war loot into temples that were surrounded by markets and rice estates. The Chola capital region supported vibrant, multicultural towns, and their temples were the center of urban life.
Art and Architecture
The Chola period produced some of the finest medieval Tamil metalwork and art, rivaling the Renaissance in Europe. The Chola period, marked by artistic, architectural, and literary achievements, was ahead of its time, influencing cultures around the world.
Today, Chola bronzes, especially Nataraja figures, are found in major Western museums, serving as a reminder of a period that shaped the planet’s political, cultural, and economic networks.
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