Chola Empire's Legacy of Cultural Integration, Maritime Power Highlighted at ThinkEdu Conclave 2025

Talking about the influence of Cholas in the growth of Tamil, he said that the language became international with it being spoken in courts of South Karnataka and North Lanka
Anirudh V Kanisetti, Writer & Researcher at ThinkEdu 2025 on January 28, 2025.
Anirudh V Kanisetti, Writer & Researcher at ThinkEdu 2025 on January 28, 2025. (Image: Kevin Nashon)
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One of the most distinguishing features of the Chola Empire was their comfort with diversity. Instead of replacing existing cultures after the conquest, the Cholas added a new layer to them which helped them to build a transregional empire, said Writer and Researcher Anirudh Kanisetti on the second day of the ThinkEdu Conclave on 28 January. 

Kanisetti was speaking with Ravi Shankar, Consulting Editor of The Sunday Standard, during a session titled “Enigmatic Empires: Who Were the Cholas?”.

Highlighting the difference between Cholas and other empires, he said that Chalukyas would defeat enemies, force tribute and appoint local puppet rulers. However, Cholas removed local dynasties and replaced them with princes from their own family and encouraged Tamil merchants to migrate and blend with local cultures which was new to South India at that time. This fostered strong logistical ties, enabling the Cholas to maintain control over distant regions and create a truly transregional empire. He also noted that, unlike Mauryas or Guptas, Cholas unified India’s coast. 

Talking about the influence of Cholas in the growth of Tamil, he said that the language became international with it being spoken in courts of South Karnataka and North Lanka.

“We know that embassies from Cambodia and even China came to Chola court. It would not be ridiculous to expect that Tamil would have been heard in Angkor,” he said. 

He also highlighted the influence of the Chola dowager queen and great-aunt of Sembiyan Mahadevi in the kingdom and established the Nataraja idol as an iconic symbol of India. Stating that Natarja, the Sembiyan Mahadevi’s favourite deity, was rarely depicted in temples on the Cauvery floodplain before her time, he said that the queen built 12 temples and contributed to many more, even beyond the Chola core territory during her tenure.

“She prominently featured the Nataraja idol on the southern side of the Vimana, crystallising its iconography and spreading its prominence. Over the Chola period, 3,000 bronze Nataraja idols were commissioned,” he said.

He further added — “While French sculptor Rodin and Indologists such as Ananda Coomaraswamy popularised these idols in the late 19th century, it all began with Sembiyan Mahadevi, a figure now little known outside Tamil Nadu at present, he said. 

He noted that while there was bone-chilling violence during the wars as depicted in the Kalingattuparani by Tamil poet Jayankondar, it remains unclear whether such violence directly affected the local population after the conquest. While primary sources suggest some incidents, he emphasised the need for archaeological evidence to substantiate these claims.

“Cholas claimed responsibility for the destruction of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lankans accused them of the same, archaeological findings indicate that the city was not destroyed but rather abandoned,” he said.

Similarly, he expressed caution in asserting that the Cholas destroyed Jain Basandis in South Karnataka, noting the difficulty in confirming such events. Additionally, he underscored the significant role of merchant corporations in facilitating the Cholas' rise as a naval power. 

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