Chola Dynasty: Did you mean...?

Like many great civilisations, the origins of the Chola, a Tamil Hindu dynasty in southern India, are shrouded in the temporal mists of uncertainty and obscurity. It is however known that they were influential from at least the 3rd century...

The great Temple of Tanjore (Thanjavur) was built between 1003 and 1010 AD in the reign of the great King Rajaraja, founder of the Chola Empire which stretched over all of South India and the neighbouring islands. Source: UNESCO TV /...

This map shows the extent of the Chola Empire during the reign of Rajendra I Chola (1012 - 1044 CE), around c. 1030 CE. It also shows the naval conquests of the Cholas in both India and Southeast Asia.

This is a Chola artist's depiction of the king Rajendra I (1014-44 CE) fighting his enemies, including elephants, in a Chola-built temple "almost a thousand years ago" (Exact date not known). Location: Kolaramma Temple, Kolar, Karnataka...

A bronze Chola sculpture of the Hindu god Shiva as the Lord of the Dance or Shiva Nataraja. He is represented in his triple role as Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. Created c. 11th century CE. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

A bronze Chola sculpture of Shiva Chandrashekhara – Lord Crowned with the Moon. The figure holds an antelope in his left rear arm and a battleaxe in his right rear arm, which emphasise his role as a protector, especially of the animal kingdom...

A bronze Chola sculpture of Shiva Vinadhara – Player of the Vina. He once held a lute-like vina, while his left and right rear hands still hold an antelope and battleaxe. Created 900-1300. (Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio, USA)

This is a model of a Chola ship, rebuilt by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Location: Government Museum, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu state, India

The Rashtrakuta Dynasty ruled parts of South India from the 8th to the 10th century CE. At its zenith, their kingdom included the modern state of Karnataka in its entirety along with parts of the current Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra...

The Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) was one of the greatest in Imperial Chinese history. It was a golden age of reform and cultural advancement which lay the foundation for policies which are still observed in China today. The second emperor, Taizong...