When did the Chola Empire exist?

The Chola Empire existed 848 – 1279. On this map it is drawn AD 850–1259.

How large was the Chola Empire?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Chola Empire covered about 525,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

South Asia · The regional kingdoms

Chola Empire

Empire · 848 – 1279

The Cholas were one of the three crowned kings of Tamilakam, mentioned in Ashoka's edicts (3rd century BCE) and in Sangam literature, with early capitals at Uraiyur and Kaveripattinam; the legendary Karikala and Kocengannan dominate the early record. After the Kalabhra interregnum, the Cholas survived as minor chieftains under Pallava and Pandya dominance until Vijayalaya, probably of the Pottapi Chola family, founded the imperial dynasty in 848 by capturing Thanjavur.

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Type: Empire
Existed: 848 – 1279
Shown on the map: AD 850–1259
Heartland: South India, centred on the Kaveri valley, with capitals at Thanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Peak area: c. 525,000 km² (with far wider maritime reach)
Region: South Asia

Origins and founding

Capitals and territory

The heartland was the fertile Kaveri delta (Chola Nadu). Aditya I defeated the Pallavas and Pandyas, taking Tondaimandalam and Kongu Nadu; Parantaka I defeated the Rashtrakutas at Vallala. Under Rajaraja I (985–1014) and Rajendra I (1012–1044) the empire unified peninsular India south of the Tungabhadra, annexed Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and dominated the Bay of Bengal; Rajendra built Gangaikonda Cholapuram ("the city of the Chola who took the Ganges") to celebrate his northern expedition.

Major rulers and key events

Rajaraja I conquered Sri Lanka, the Maldives and the Malabar coast, and built the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur. Rajendra I marched to the Ganges, defeated the Pala Mahipala I, and in 1025 launched a great naval raid on Srivijaya, capturing or plundering fourteen ports including Palembang, Tambralinga and Kedah; he sent embassies to China in 1016, 1033 and 1077. After the assassination of Athirajendra in 1070, Kulothunga I — son of an Eastern Chalukya prince and a Chola princess — founded the Later Chola line, which held the empire together until defeats by the resurgent Pandyas from 1215–16.

Government, economy and culture

The Cholas ran a famously well-documented administration with village assemblies and maritime merchant guilds; their navy made them the preeminent Indian Ocean power. The imperial era was the golden age of Tamil culture: the Shaiva canon was arranged by Nambi Andar Nambi, the Periyapuranam composed, grammars (Virasoliyam, Nannul) written, and Kamban flourished at Kulothunga III's court. Chola bronze casting (Nataraja images) and Dravidian temple architecture — the "Great Living Chola Temples" — reached unmatched refinement.

Decline and end

Defeat by Maravarman Sundara Pandya II (1215–16) and loss of Sri Lanka to reviving Sinhala power began the decline; succession disputes under Rajadhiraja II and Kulothunga III weakened the state, and the resurgent Pandyas absorbed the kingdom. The last ruler, Rajendra III, was deposed by 1279.

Legacy and significance

The Cholas projected Hindu-Buddhist culture across Southeast Asia — Prambanan shows South Indian influence, and the rulers of Malacca claimed Chola descent; Chola-era Tamil institutions and art remain foundational to South Indian identity.

Common questions

What was the Chola Empire?: The Cholas were one of the three crowned kings of Tamilakam, mentioned in Ashoka's edicts (3rd century BCE) and in Sangam literature, with early capitals at Uraiyur and Kaveripattinam; the legendary Karikala and Kocengannan dominate the early record. After the Kalabhra interregnum, the Cholas survived as minor chieftains under Pallava and Pandya dominance until Vijayalaya, probably of the Pottapi Chola family, founded the imperial dynasty in 848 by capturing Thanjavur.
When did the Chola Empire exist?: The Chola Empire existed 848 – 1279. On this map it is drawn AD 850–1259.
How large was the Chola Empire?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Chola Empire covered about 525,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Where was the Chola Empire?: The heartland was the fertile Kaveri delta (Chola Nadu). Aditya I defeated the Pallavas and Pandyas, taking Tondaimandalam and Kongu Nadu; Parantaka I defeated the Rashtrakutas at Vallala.
Who ruled the Chola Empire?: Rajaraja I conquered Sri Lanka, the Maldives and the Malabar coast, and built the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur. Rajendra I marched to the Ganges, defeated the Pala Mahipala I, and in 1025 launched a great naval raid on Srivijaya, capturing or plundering fourteen ports including Palembang, Tambralinga and Kedah; he sent embassies to China in 1016, 1033 and 1077.
How did the Chola Empire end?: Defeat by Maravarman Sundara Pandya II (1215–16) and loss of Sri Lanka to reviving Sinhala power began the decline; succession disputes under Rajadhiraja II and Kulothunga III weakened the state, and the resurgent Pandyas absorbed the kingdom. The last ruler, Rajendra III, was deposed by 1279.
How was the Chola Empire governed?: The Cholas ran a famously well-documented administration with village assemblies and maritime merchant guilds; their navy made them the preeminent Indian Ocean power.
Why does the Chola Empire still matter?: The Cholas projected Hindu-Buddhist culture across Southeast Asia — Prambanan shows South Indian influence, and the rulers of Malacca claimed Chola descent; Chola-era Tamil institutions and art remain foundational to South Indian identity.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Chola dynasty en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chola_dynasty

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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