Mongkeydyoyo88 at 01:08, 24 January 2026

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{{Short description|Chola expedition into Ganges (1019-1021)}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=October 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Chola Expedition of the Ganges
| date = 1019–1021 AD
| place = [[Odisha]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Bihar]], [[West Bengal]], [[Bangladesh]]
| coordinates =
| map_type =
| map_relief =
| map_size =
| map_marksize =
| map_caption =
| map_label =
| territory = [[Telangana]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Odisha|Kalinga]], [[Jharkhand]],([[Bengal]] temporarily)<ref>History of Bengal, Vol. 1 by, R. C. Majumder, pp 137-139</ref> annexed as vassal states of the [[Chola dynasty]]
| result = Chola victory
| status =
| combatants_header =
| combatant1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Chola Kingdom.png}}[[Chola dynasty]]
| combatant2 = *[[Somavamshi dynasty|Somavamsi dynasty (Kalinga)]]
*Odda dynasty
*[[Pala Empire]]
* [[Kamboja Pala dynasty]]
* [[Chandra dynasty]]
| combatant3 =
| commander1 = '''Emperor:'''
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Chola Kingdom.png}}[[Rajendra Chola]]

'''Commander-in-Chief:'''
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Chola Kingdom.png}}Araiyan Rajarajan

'''Commanders:'''
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Chola Kingdom.png}}Pallavarayan
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Chola Kingdom.png}}Miladudaiyar
| commander2 = '''Kings:'''
* Indraratha ([[Kalinga (region)|Kalinga]])
* Odda king (Odda)
* Dharmapala (Dandabhukti)
* Ranasura (Radhepura)
* Govindachandra ([[Bengal]])
* [[Mahipala]] ([[Pala Empire]])
| commander3 =
| units1 = [[Chola military|Chola Army]]
| units2 = * Pala Army
*Somavamsi Army
*Odda Army
*Radhepura Army
*Kamboja Pala Army
*Chandra Army
| units3 =
| strength1 = 1,000,000+{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
| strength2 = 100,000{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
| strength3 =
| casualties1 = Few
| casualties2 = Many
| casualties3 =
| notes =
| campaignbox =
}}
[[File:"A view of Majestic Brihadisvara Temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram".JPG|thumb|Gangaikonda Cholapuram was built by Rajendra Chola to celebrate his success in the Ganges Expedition|261x261px]]{{Chola history}}
The [[Medieval Chola]] emperor [[Rajendra Chola I]] led an '''Chola Expedition of the Ganges''' between 1019 and 1021. The expedition traversed the states of [[Eastern Chalukyas|Vengi]], [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]], Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, [[Odisha]], [[Bengal]], Bihar and Uttar Pradesh culminating with their arrival at the Ganges river. The Chola victory over the [[Pala Empire|Pala]] king [[Mahipala|Mahipala I]] is considered to be the climax of the expedition. In 1019 CE, Rajendra's forces marched through [[Odisha|Kalinga]] towards the river [[Ganges|Ganga]]. In Kalinga the Chola forces defeated Indraratha the ruler of the [[Somavamshi dynasty|Somavamsi dynasty]]. The Chola army eventually reached the [[Pala Empire|Pala]] kingdom of Bengal where they defeated [[Mahipala]]. The Chola army also defeated the last ruler of the [[Kamboja Pala dynasty]] Dharmapala of Dandabhukti.<ref>Ancient Indian History and Civilization by Sailendra Nath Sen p.281{{ISBN?}}</ref> The Chola army went on to raid [[Bangladesh|East Bengal]] and defeated Govindachandra of the [[Chandra dynasty]] and invaded [[Bastar state|Bastar]] region.<ref>The Cambridge Shorter History of India p.145{{ISBN?}}</ref><ref>Dimensions of Human Cultures in Central India by Professor S.K. Tiwari p.161{{ISBN?}}</ref>

== Causes ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2023}}
The expedition is believed to have been necessitated by a succession dispute in the [[Eastern Chalukya kingdom]] where the claims of [[Rajaraja Narendra]], the son of [[Vimaladitya]], the previous king, and his queen [[Kundavai]], were contested by Vishnuvardana Vijayaditya VII, a son of Vimaladitya through another wife. Vishnuvardhana Vijayaditya VII was supported by the [[Western Chalukya]] king [[Jayasimha II (Western Chalukya dynasty)|Jayasimha II]] and the kings of Kalinga and Odda and posed a serious threat to Rajaraja Narendra. Rajaraja Narendra appealed for help from his maternal uncle, the Chola emperor, [[Rajendra Chola I]] who sent a large force under his general, Araiyan Rajarajan, a veteran of the [[Chalukya-Chola Wars]]. Araiyan Rajarajan defeated Vijayaditya and after driving of it him out, firmly established Rajaraja Narendra on the [[Eastern Chalukya]] throne.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sastri |first=K. A. Nilakanta |url=http://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.16035 |title=History of South India |date=1958 |language=English}}</ref>

Following this victory, Rajendra Chola I led an expedition northwards supported by an [[advance guard]] led by Araiyan Rajarajan, to punish the kings of [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]] and Odda who had sided with Vijayaditya in the succession dispute.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sastri |first=K. A. Nilakanta |url=http://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.16035 |title=History of South India |date=1958 |language=English}}</ref>

== Events ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2023}}
The Thiruvalangadu plates state:

{{blockquote|1=The light of the Chola race (Rajendra Chola I), mocking Bhagiratha who by the force of his austerities caused the descent of the Ganga, set out to sanctify his own land with the waters of that stream brought (thither) by the strength of his arm}}

Rajendra Chola I defeated the kings of Kalinga and Odda (by seeking assistance of Paramaras and Kalachuris, with whom Indraratha was in a big conflict and Rajendra Chola exploited this situation) and marched up to the [[Godavari River]], from where Araiyan Rajarajan led an army into Bengal. The details of the campaign are given in the Tamil ''[[praśasti]]'' of Rajendra Chola I.

{{blockquote|(He seized) Śakkarakkōţţam, whose warriors were brave; Madura-maṇḍalam destroyed in a trice, the prosperous city of Nāmaṇaik-kōṇam with its dense groves. Pañcap-paḷḷi whose warriors (bore) cruel bows, Māśunideśa with its green fields; a large heap of family-treasures with many (other) treasures (which he carried away), after having conquered Indraratha of the ancient race of the moon, together with (his) family, in a fight which took place at Ādinagar, (a city) whose fame knew no decline; Oḍḍa-[[viṣaya]] which was difficult of approach on account of its dense forest defence; the good Kōśalai-nāḍu where Brahmins assembled; Taṇḍabutti in whose gardens bees abounded, (land which he acquired) after having destroyed Dharmapāla (in) a hot battle; Takkaṇalāḍam, whose fame reached (all) directions, (and which he occupied) after having forcibly attacked Raṇaśura; Vangāḷa-deśā, where the rain water never stopped, (and from which) Gōvindacandra fled, having descended (from his) male elephant; elephants of rare strength, women and treasure, (which he seized) after having been pleased to put to flight in a hot battlefield the strong Mahipāla by the sound of a conch from the deep sea; Uttiralāḍam (on the shore of) the expansive ocean (producing) pearls; and the Gangā whose waters bearing flagrant flowers dashed against the bathing places (''tirtha'')}}

Sakkarakottam, the place from where Araiyan Rajarajan led the campaign into Bengal is identified with the town of Chakrakotya or [[Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh|Chitrakoot]], in present-day [[Madhya Pradesh]]. Masunidesam, Maduraimandalam, Namanaikkonam and Pancapalli, too, are believed to be located to the north-west of Vengi. Following the conquest of these places in present-day [[Telangana]], Madhya Pradesh and [[Chhattisgarh]], Araiyan Rajarajan invaded Odda (present-day Orissa) and conquered it after defeating its ruler Indraratha. His next success was against [[Dharmapala Kamboja|Dharmapala]], who ruled the kingdom of Dandabhukti located in the marshland between Orissa and Bengal. Rajarajan, then, defeated Ranasura, the ruler of Lada or Radha, identified as the part of West Bengal west of the Ganges River and [[Govindachandra (Chandra dynasty)|Govindachandra]] of Vangala, located further to the east before confronting the Pala ruler [[Mahipala|Mahipala I]]. After defeating Mahipala in a pitched battle, Araiyan Rajarajan reached the Ganges and took some water with him on his journey back. He was met by Rajendra I on the banks of the Godavari and the combined armies returned home after conducting Rajaraja Narendra's coronation as the king of the [[Eastern Chalukyas]].

== Nature of the expedition ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2023}}
There has been general disagreement among historians on the nature of the expedition. Early scholars such as [[V. Venkayya]] interpreted Rajendra Chola's campaign to "bring the waters of the Ganges into Chola territory" as a pilgrimage to the Ganges River. However, this theory has been refuted by some historians, most notable among them being [[K. A. Nilakanta Sastri]]. That the campaign was military in nature is suggested by the last line of the Thiruvalangadu plates which state that the king erected a ''Ganga-jalamayam jayasthambham'' or a "liquid pillar of victory" in the form of the Cholaganga tank.

== Effects ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2023}}
The Chola expedition to the Ganges had a long-lasting influence. According to R. D. Banerji, a [[Kannadiga]] chief who accompanied Araiyan Rajarajan on his campaign settled down in Bengal and founded the [[Sena dynasty]]. It is believed that the Karnata people of [[History of Mithila|Mithila]], too, might have descended from soldiers in the Chola army. The ''Siddhantasaravali'' of Trilocana Sivacharya claims that a large number of [[Saivite]] [[Brahmins]] from Bengal were taken to the Chola country where they were granted lands by Rajendra Chola I. They, eventually, settled down in [[Kanchipuram]] and the [[Cauvery Delta]] forming the [[Sivacharya]] community.

== Notes ==
{{reflist|2}}

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[[Category:Wars involving the Chola Empire]]
[[Category:11th century in India]]
[[Category:Wars involving the Pala Empire]]
[[Category:Military expeditions]]
[[Category:1019 in Asia]]
[[Category:1024 in Asia]]
[[Category:North India]]
[[Category:Military campaigns involving the Chola Empire]]
[[Category:1010s conflicts]]
[[Category:1020s conflicts]]

Chola Expedition of the Ganges - Revision history

Mongkeydyoyo88 at 01:08, 24 January 2026