2409:4072:6413:699B:0:0:B4:48AC at 17:16, 21 February 2022

2022-02-21T17:16:16Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2012}}
[[File:Cholanadu.gif|thumb|371x371px|The middle and southern portion of Chola Nadu]]
'''Chola Nadu''' was a [[list of regions of India|region]] of [[Tamil Nadu]] state in southern [[India]]. It encompasses the lower reaches of the [[Kaveri River]] and its delta, and formed the cultural homeland and political base of the [[Chola Dynasty]] which ruled large parts of South India and parts of Sri Lanka between the 9th and 13th centuries CE. [[Uraiyur]] (now part of [[Tiruchirapalli]] city) served as the early Chola capital, then medieval Cholas shifted to [[Thanjavur]] and later cholas king [[Rajendra Chola I]] moved the capital to [[Gangaikonda Cholapuram]] in [[Ariyalur]] in the 11th century CE.

The boundaries of the region roughly correlates with those of the British India districts of [[Tanjore District (Madras Presidency)|Tanjore]] and [[Trichinopoly District (Madras Presidency)|Trichinopoly]]. Culturally, the region also includes [[Pudukkottai District]], [[Nagapattinam district]] , [[Thiruvarur District|Thiruvarur district]], [[Mayiladuthurai district|Mayiladudhurai district]], [[Ariyalur District]], [[Perambalur District]] and the territory of [[Karaikal]].<ref name="gazetteersp172">{{cite book|title=Madras District Gazetteers: Tiruchirappalli (pt. 1-2)|page=172|publisher=Superintendent, Govt. Press|year=1998}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cwejournal.org/vol11no2/rainfall-profile-of-cauvery-delta-zone-of-tamil-nadu/}}</ref>

== Location ==
[[File:Grand Anicut kallanai.JPG|thumb|right|Kallanai / Grand Anicut built by Karikala Cholan, on the River Kaveri, near Tiruchirappalli]]
The Delta region covers Central Tamil Nadu and East-Central Tamil Nadu. The region is sandwiched between the historical regions of [[Tondai Nadu]] in the north, the Madurai region in the south and [[Kongu Nadu]] in the west and roughly extends from [[Chidambaram]] in north to the southern frontier of the erstwhile [[Pudukkottai state|Pudukkottai kingdom]] and from [[Tiruchirapalli]] in the west to the [[Bay of Bengal]] in the east.

According to the ''Gazetteer of the Trichinopoly District'', Vol II, 1931, p 67, "the traditional meeting place of the three Tamil kingdoms was the temple of Cellānti Amman on the banks of the Kāvēri, twelve miles west of Kulittalai and three miles below the junction of the Amarāvati and the Kāvēri. The temple was the common place of worship for the kings of the three Tamil dynasties; a bund which runs to the south of the river marks the boundary between the Cōla and the Pāntya territories, and the Karaipōttanār on the opposite bank of the river was the boundary between the Cōla and the Cēra kingdoms".<ref name="dikshitarp52">{{cite book|title=The Śilappadikāram|author=V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1939|author-link=V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar|page=52|title-link=Śilappadikāram}}</ref>

== Chola Kings ==
{| class="wikitable"
!List of [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] kings
|-
![[Early Cholas]]
|-
|
* [[Ellalan]]
* [[Kulakkottan]]
* [[Ilamchetchenni]]
* [[Karikala]]
* [[Nedunkilli]]
* [[Nalankilli]]
* [[Killivalavan]]
* [[Kopperuncholan]]
* [[Kochchenganan]]
* [[Perunarkilli]]
|-
|'''Interregnum (<abbr>c.</abbr> 200 – c. 848)'''
|-
![[Medieval Cholas]]
|-
|
{| class="wikitable"
|[[Vijayalaya Chola]]
|848–891(?)
|-
|[[Aditya I|Aditya Chola I]]
|891–907
|-
|[[Parantaka I|Parantaka Chola I]]
|907–950
|-
|[[Gandaraditya|Gandaraditya Chola]]
|950–957
|-
|[[Arinjaya|Arinjaya Chola]]
|956–957
|-
|[[Parantaka Chola II|Sundara Chola]]
|957–970
|-
|[[Aditya Karikalan|Aditya Chola II]]
|(co-regent)
|-
|[[Uttama Chola]]
|970–985
|-
|[[Rajaraja Chola I]]
|985–1014
|-
|[[Rajendra Chola I]]
|1012–1044
|-
|[[Rajadhiraja Chola]]
|1044–1054
|-
|[[Rajendra Chola II]]
|1054–1063
|-
|[[Virarajendra Chola]]
|1063–1067
|-
|[[Athirajendra Chola]]
|1067–1070
|}
|-
![[Later Cholas]]
|-
|
{| class="wikitable"
|[[Kulothunga Chola I]]
|1070–1120
|-
|[[Vikrama Chola]]
|1118–1135
|-
|[[Kulothunga Chola II]]
|1133–1150
|-
|[[Rajaraja Chola II]]
|1146–1173
|-
|[[Rajadhiraja Chola II]]
|1166–1178
|-
|[[Kulothunga Chola III]]
|1178–1218
|-
|[[Rajaraja Chola III]]
|1216–1256
|-
|[[Rajendra Chola III]]
|1246–1279
|}
|-
!Related dynasties
|-
|
{| class="wikitable"
|[[Telugu Cholas]] of Andhra
|-
|[[Eastern Ganga dynasty|Chodagangas]] of Kalinga
|-
|[[Rajahnate of Cebu]]
|}
|-
!Chola society
|-
|
* [[Chola government]]
* [[Chola military]]
* [[Chola Navy]]
* [[Chola art]]
* [[Chola literature]]
* [[Flag of Chola]]
* [[Great Living Chola Temples]]
* [[List of Solesvara temples|Solesvara Temples]]
* [[Poompuhar]]
* [[Uraiyur]]
* [[Melakadambur]]
* [[Pazhayarai]]
* [[Thanjavur]]
* [[Tiruvarur]]
* [[Gangaikonda Cholapuram]]
|}

== Chola Empire ==
The genealogy of the Chola empire as found in the Tamil literature and in the many inscriptions left by the later Chola kings contains a number of kings recorded for whom there is no verifiable historic evidence. There are as many versions of this lineage as there are sources for them. The main source is the Sangam literature – particularly, religious literature such as ''Periapuranam'', semi-biographical poems of the later Chola period such as the temple and cave inscription and left by medieval Cholas.

Irrespective of the source, no list of the kings has a high level of historic fact and, while they generally are similar to each other, no two lists are exactly the same. Modern historians{{Who|date=January 2016}} consider these lists not as historically reliable sources but as comprehensive conglomerations of various Hindu deities and Puranic characters attributed to local chieftains and invented ancestry of dynasty attempting to re-establish their legitimacy and supremacy in a land they were trying to conquer.

== History ==

The history of the region begins with the rise of the [[Early Cholas|Early Chola kingdom]] in the 4th century BC. The Early Cholas ruled from the town of [[Uraiyur]] near Tiruchirapalli and their kingdom comprised the whole of the present-day Cauvery Delta. Flourishing centres of Roman trade have been excavated at [[Poompuhar]] (Nagapattinam) stand testimony to a prosperous civilization.

== Culture ==

The Chola Nadu region is renowned as a hub of Tamil culture and civilization. The region has been continuously inhabited since the 1st millennium BC. Arts, crafts and music flourished under the Cholas whose reign is considered to be the golden age in the history of Tamil Nadu. During the hegemony of the Vijayanagar Empire and its successors, the zThanjavur Nayak kingdom, there were frequent migrations of priests, administrators, soldiers and artists from the Telugu and Kannada districts of the north who brought in their traditions, art and dance forms. Despite its rise and initial success in the northern part of Karnataka, Carnatic music actually flourished in the Cauvery Delta. [[Kambar (poet)]] was a renowned medieval Tamil poet and the author of the [[Ramavataram]], popularly known as [[Kambaramayanam]], the Tamil version of [[Ramayana]]. [[Kambar (poet)|Kambar]] also authored other literary works in Tamil, such as 'Thirukkai Vazakkam',Erezhupathu, Silaiezhupathu, Kangai Puranam, sadagopar anthathi, and Sarasvati Anthati hails from the Cauvery Delta region. The three great Carnatic music composers, [[Tyagaraja]], [[Syama Sastri]] and [[Muthuswami Dikshitar]] who form the Great Trinity of Carnatic music hailed from the Chola Nadu region as also the music composers [[Muthu Thandavar]], [[Arunachala Kavi]] and [[Marimutthu Pillai]] who form the Tamil Trinity of Carnatic music.

Apart from music, dance and drama have also flourished in the Cauvery Delta. The Bhagavathar Melas, a series of dance-dramas, written almost entirely in Telugu, were introduced by migrants who sought refuge in the town of [[Melattur, Tamil Nadu|Melattur]] following the collapse of the Vijayanagar kingdom at the [[Battle of Talikota]].

Bharatanatyam, a popular dance form by Bharatha muni, flourished in the dance of ''sadir'' which was practised in the temples of Chola Nadu by ritual temple dances or ''devadasis''. Patronized and financed by dharmakarthas and rich mirasidars, ''sadir'' was popular until the early years of the 20th century when a strong voiced campaign resulted in the devadasi practised being outlawed. Sadir has, since, purged itself of its erotic symbolism and movements and gradually evolved into the commoners' dance Bharathanatyam.

== Demographics ==
The Chola Nadu region had a population of over 10 million with a density of above 400 persons per km<sup>2</sup> in 2001. Due to fertile soil and favourable climate, the region has been the most densely populated in the Tamil country since ancient times.

More than 90% of the population speak [[Tamil language|Tamil]]. There is a significant [[Telugu language|Telugu]] speaking minority, who had descended from migrants who had mostly moved in during the Vijayanagar and [[Thanjavur Nayak]] periods. There are smaller populations speaking [[Kannada language|Kannada]], [[Saurashtra language|Saurashtra]] and [[Urdu]]. There are also a considerable body of [[Thanjavur Marathi (language)|Marathi]] speaking people who are mostly present in the urban areas of [[Thanjavur District]] and the city of [[Tiruchirappalli]].

== Important Personalities ==

The Chola Nadu region has produced a number of noteworthy personalities in the fields of arts, science, film and politics. Long recognized as a hub of Carnatic music, the region is home to most of India's renowned Carnatic musicians. There have also been important individuals in the field of politics. In British times, civil servants and lawyers from Chola Nadu like [[Sir T. Madhava Rao]], [[Sir A. Seshayya Sastri]], [[Sir Mohammad Usman]], [[Sir A. T. Panneerselvam]], [[Sir T. Muthuswamy Iyer]], [[Sir P. S. Sivaswami Iyer]], [[T. Ananda Rao]], [[S. Satyamurti]], [[V. S. Srinivasa Sastri]], [[V. P. Madhava Rao]] and [[R. Raghunatha Rao]] dominated the bureaucracy. The maternal ancestors of [[Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer]] hailed from [[Kumbakonam]]. Tamil writers [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer]], [[Samuel Vedanayagam Pillai]], [[V. V. S. Aiyar]] and [[Kalki Krishnamurthy]], [[Kalki Sadasivam]] journalists [[Kalki Sadasivam]], [[G. A. Natesan]] and [[Kasturi Ranga Iyengar]], Indian independence activist [[G. Subramania Iyer]] who founder ''[[The Hindu]]'', politicians [[M. R. Sethuratnam Iyer]] and [[S. Muthiah Mudaliar]] and Indian media mogul [[S. S. Vasan]] and National award-winning film producer Venus T. Govindarajan were some prominent individuals from the Chola Nadu region. Yesteryear film actors [[Sivaji Ganesan]], [[Manorama (Tamil actress)|Manorama]], [[M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar]], [[Gemini Ganesan]], [[P. U. Chinnappa]] and [[T. R. Rajakumari]], [[Papanasam Sivan]] Indian scientist and Nobel Prize winner [[Sir C. V. Raman]] and mathematician [[Srinivasa Ramanujan]], [[Muthulakshmi Reddi]], [[Sujatha Rangarajan]], [[Jayendra Saraswathi]], [[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar]], [[U. Sagayam]], [[Gobinath Chandran]], [[Madhan (writer)|Madhan]], [[N. Gopalaswami]], [[M. S. Swaminathan]], [[Viswanathan Anand]], [[Venkatraman Ramakrishnan]] were other important people from the region.

Recent time politicians include the former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu [[M. Karunanidhi]] and [[Jayalalithaa]] whose ancestors are from Tiruchirapalli, Former
Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu [[K. Anbazhagan]], Former President of India [[R. Venkataraman]], [[Kaduvetti Guru]], PMK, Former Cabinet Minister and Leader of the House R.M.Veerappan and late Veteran Congress leader [[G.K. Moopanar]], [[Ko. Si. Mani]] Former minister for local administration of Tamil Nadu, Former Union Minister [[Andimuthu Raja]], VCK Leader [[Thol. Thirumavalavan]], [[V. K. Sasikala]] Buinesswoman turned politician, [[T. T. V. Dhinakaran]], [[La Ganesan]], [[H. Raja]], [[Karunas]], [[S. Ve. Shekher]] and Union Ministers [[G.K. Vasan]], [[Mani Shankar Aiyar]], [[Murasoli Maran]], [[T. R. Baalu]], [[S. S. Palanimanickam]], [[Su. Thirunavukkarasar]] . Film personalities such as directors [[K. Balachander]], [[S. Shankar]] and [[Mani Ratnam]] and actors [[T. Rajendar]], [[Sivakarthikeyan]], [[Ramesh Aravind]], [[Arvind Swamy]], [[Hema Malini]], [[M. S. Bhaskar]], [[Rajesh (actor)|Rajesh]] and [[Dhivyadharshini]] are from the Cauvery Delta region.

== See also ==
* [[Coromandel Coast]]

== Notes ==

{{reflist}}

== References ==

* {{cite web|title=History of the Chola Empire or Chola-mandalam|url=http://www.cosmopolis.ch/english/cosmo40/chola_mandalam_empire.htm|publisher=Louis Gerber}}
* {{cite book|title=Dialogue and history: constructing South India, 1795-1895 |url=https://archive.org/details/dialoguehistoryc00irsc |url-access=limited | author=Eugene F. Irschick|page=[https://archive.org/details/dialoguehistoryc00irsc/page/n104 105]|publisher=University of california Press|year=1994}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|title=The Saints of the Cauvery Delta|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|author=R. Krishnamurthy|year=1979|place=Delhi}}
* {{cite book|title=108 Vaishnavite Divya Desams: Divya desams in Chola Nadu|author=M. S. Ramesh|publisher=Thirumala-Thirupathi Devasthanams|year=2000}}

{{Chola Nadu}}{{coord missing|Tamil Nadu}}

[[Category:Regions of Tamil Nadu]]

Chola Nadu - Revision history

2409:4072:6413:699B:0:0:B4:48AC at 17:16, 21 February 2022