Gangaikonda Cholapuram
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| List of Chola kings | |
|---|---|
| Early Cholas | |
| Ilamcetcenni | Karikala Chola |
| Nedunkilli | Nalankilli |
| Killivalavan | Kopperuncholan |
| Kocengannan | Perunarkilli |
| Interregnum - c 200-848 | |
| Medieval Cholas | |
| Vijayalaya Chola | 848-871(?) |
| Aditya I | 871-907 |
| Parantaka Chola I | 907-950 |
| Gandaraditya | 950-957 |
| Arinjaya Chola | 956-957 |
| Sundara Chola | 957-970 |
| Uttama Chola | 970-985 |
| Rajaraja Chola I | 985-1014 |
| Rajendra Chola I | 1012-1044 |
| Rajadhiraja Chola | 1018-1054 |
| Rajendra Chola II | 1051-1063 |
| Virarajendra Chola | 1063-1070 |
| Athirajendra Chola | 1067-1070 |
| Chalukya Cholas | |
| Kulothunga Chola I | 1070-1120 |
| Vikrama Chola | 1118-1135 |
| Kulothunga Chola II | 1133-1150 |
| Rajaraja Chola II | 1146-1163 |
| Rajadhiraja Chola II | 1163-1178 |
| Kulothunga Chola III | 1178-1218 |
| Rajaraja Chola III | 1216-1256 |
| Rajendra Chola III | 1246-1279 |
| Chola Society | |
| Chola Government | Chola Military |
| Chola Art | Chola Literature |
| Poompuhar | Urayur |
| Gangaikonda Cholapuram | Thanjavur |
| Telugu Cholas | |
| edit | |
Gangaikonda Cholapuram (Tamil: கங்கைகொண்ட சோழபுரம்) was erected as the capital of the Cholas by Rajendra Chola I, the son and successor of Rajaraja Chola, the great Chola who conquered a large area in South India at the beginning of the 11th century C.E. It occupies an important place in the history of India. As the capital of the Cholas from about 1025 C.E. for about 250 years, the city controlled the affairs of entire south India, from the Tungabhadra in the north to Ceylon in the south. The great temple of Siva at this place is next only to the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur in its monumental nature and surpasses it in sculptural quality.
Contents |
[edit] Founding the City
The city was founded by Rajendra Chola to commemorate his victorious march to the Ganges. The name means The town of the chola who captured the Ganges. It is now a small village, its past eminence only remembered by the existence of the great Siva Temple.
C. 1022 C.E. Rajendra undertook an expedition to the Ganges along the east coast of peninsular India. The emperor himself accompanying the army up to the banks of the Godavari river. The Chola armies conquered all the countries north of Vengi, which included Kalinga, Odda, Southern Kosala, the lower and upper Lada and finally the Vangaladesa (Bengal). The triumphant Chola armies brought back waters from the river Ganges in golden vessals.
To commemorate this celebrated victory, Rajendra assumed the title of Gangaikonda Chola and had the Siva Temple Gangakkondacholeswaram built. Soon after the capital was moved from Thanjacur to Gangaikondacholapuram. The city of Gangaikondacholapuram was probably founded by Rajendra before his 17th year.
Most of the Chola kings who succeeded Rajendra were crowned here. They retained it as their capital, reoriented and trained the efficient Chola army.
[edit] Fortifications
Judging from the available literature and the remains we may conclude that it was an extensive city, carefully planned and laid in accordance with the architectural treatises to suit the needs of a capital.
The city seems to have had two fortifications, one inner and the other outer. The outer was probably wider. The remains of the outer fortification can be seen as a mound running all around the palace.
The outer fortification built of burnt bricks, was about six to eight feet wide. It consisted of two walls, the intervening space (the core) being filled with sand. The bricks are fairly large in size and are made of well-burnt clay. Systematic brick robbing by the local inhabitants has reduced this structure to its current state.
The outer fortification was known as Rajendra Chola Madil and is mentioned in inscriptions. The inner fortification was around the royal palace, probably identical with the Utpadi vittu madil of the inscriptions.
Probably in the reign of Kulottunga I, the fortifications were renewed and the city underwent some alteration and additions. An epigraph refers to the fort wall of Kulottunga Chola (Kulottunga Cholan Thirumadil). The strengthening of the fortification and additions to the city in the reign of Kulottunga I were probably necessitated by the uprising which led to the murder of Chola king Adirajendra, Kulottunga's predecessor.
[edit] Royal Palace
The royal palace also was built of burnt brick. The ceilings were covered with flat tiles of small size, laid in a number of courses, in fine lime mortar. The pillars were probably made of polished wood, supported on granite bases; a few pillar bases have survived to this day. Iron nails and clamps have been recovered from this palace site.
In the reign of Virarajendra Chola, Rajendra's third son, the palace at Gangaikondacholapuram is referred to as Chola-Keralan Thirumaligai (Chola Keralan palace) evidently after one of the titles of Rajendra I. The same inscription mentions a few parts of the palace as adibhumi (the ground floor), Kilaisopana (the eastern portico), and a seat named Mavali vanadhirajan. Evidently the palace was multistoried. In an inscription dated in the 49th year of Kulottunga I(1119 C.E.) reference is made to Gangaikondacholamaligai at this place. It is likely that there were more than one royals building each having their own name.
[edit] Roads and City gates
Besides the names of the palace and fort walls, the names of a few roads and streets are preserved in the epigraphs. The entryways named Thiruvasal, the eastern gate and the Vembugudi gate, evidently the south gate leading to the village Vembugudi situated in that direction are mentioned. Reference is also found to highways named after Rajaraja and Rajendra as Rajarajan Peruvali and Rajendran Peruvali. Other streets mentioned in epigraphs are the ten streets (Pattu teru), the gateway lane (Thiruvasal Narasam) and the Suddhamali lane. The inscription also refers to the highways, Kulottungacholan Thirumadil peruvali, Vilangudaiyan Peruvali and Kulaiyanai pona Peruvali (the highway through which a short elephant passed by).
[edit] City layout
The epigraphs also refer to the Madhurantaka Vadavaru, now called the Vadavaru, running about six kilometers east of the ruined capital. Madhurntaka Vedavaru, named after one of the titles of Rajendra I, was a source of irrigation to a vast stretch of land bordering the capital. An irrigation channel called Anaivettuvan (destroyer of elephants) is also mentioned.
There were both wet and dry lands inside the Fort, used for cultivation and other purposes. The present positions of the existing temples throw some light on the lay out of the city. With the palace as the centre to the city, the great temple, and the other temples in the city seem to have been erected. Towards the northeast (Isanya) of the palace is the great temple of Siva. The Siva temple according to Vastu and traditional texts should be in the northeast of the city or village and should face east. The temple of Vishnu should be in the west.
A number of small tanks and ponds mentioned in inscriptions and a number of wells, supplied drinking water to the residents.
[edit] Destruction of the city
This capital of the most powerful empire in Asia at one time is now absolutely desolate only the temple of Gangaikondachola survives. To those who know of the brilliant history of the Chola empire it is a tragedy.
What caused the destruction of this city? The Pandyas who put an end to the Chola empire late in the 13th century, avenging their earlier defeats, should have razed the city to the ground, a misfortune that befell on capitals in early times. It should have remained a heap of brick debris, the inhabitants of the nearby villages pilfering the bricks for their constructions. The people have also dug systematically deep into the ground and extracted cartloads of ancient bricks.
[edit] References
- Nagasamy R, Gangaikondacholapuram (1970), State Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamilnadu
- Nilakanta Sastri, K. A., The Colas (1955), University of Madras, Reprinted 1984
[edit] External links
- Maligai Medu - Buried in Time
