The history of the medieval Chola dynasty is full of mystery and intrigue. Accounts of assassination and war are intertwined with a history rich in cultural pride, magnificent art and grand temples that convey the period as a prosperous time. From a few scattered tribes the medieval Chola dynasty rose to form a great civilization. As a society with a strong focus on naval and administrative achievements the Cholas affected the history of India.
The history of the medieval Chola Dynasty starts several hundred years after the Sangam age when Vijayalaya Chola took control of Thanjavur city in the middle of the ninth century CE (Chandrakumar). The Chola Empire grew over the next two centuries as each successive emperor conquered new land. During these centuries as emperors died, the best suited prince would take control of the crown. This fraternal royal hierarchy changed in the tenth century CE when, to keep civil war from starting, Rajaraja Chola I allowed his uncle Uttama Chola to take his crown(Varalaaru). Fifteen years later, after the death of Uttama Chola, Rajaraja Chola I became emperor. It was under the thirty year guidance of Rajaraja Chola I, that the Chola Empire entered into an age of immense prosperity and growth (V). After the death of Rajaraja I the Medieval Cholas ruled for just over fifty years, the dynasty ending when Athirajendra Chola was killed as a rebellion over his appointment rose (Varalaaru).
Of the thirteen men who ruled over the Chola Empire it is Rajaraja Chola I who made the largest impact on the Chola Empire. Rajaraja Chola I was a gifted strategist and amassed a large military force to protect and expand his empire. For his infantry Rajaraja Chola I used the power of elephants to gain an edge in bat...
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... bathed in milk and honey then dressed to bring peace and fertility to the people, this tradition continues to be observed today by then people of south India (Varalaaru). These religious acts are not the only acts the Chola Empire gave modern south India.
The inhabitants of southern India are confronted daily by the works of the Medieval Chola Dynasty. With his massive temple Rajaraja Chola I changed the landscape of south India and the people of south India continue pass on a culture born thousands of years ago. It is this strong tie to the past that is the most impressive thing created by the Medieval Chola Emperors. Rajaraja Chola I and the other leaders of the Medieval Chola Empire formed the foundation of an entire race of people who look back on the works of their ancestors with pride protecting and cultivating their culture generation after generation.
Asoka, an emperor born in 304 BC, earns the title as an “enlightened ruler.” He guarded his citizens during the Conquest of Kalinga by teaching them how to properly govern, and conquer land non-aggressively, which helped them become a conjoined country. During his reign, he did few malevolent things but he surpassed them with the positive deeds. Some of those accomplishments included providing services for the men he murdered, allowing the citizens who were to be killed to speak with their family, and laboring hard for his people and their futures.
Asoka was one of the greatest rulers of ancient India. He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya of Magadha who established the first Indian empire. Chandragupta reigned for twenty-four years before relinquishing his throne in favor of his son, Bundusara (Asoka’s father), who left no noticeable mark upon the empire. Asoka was born in 304 B.C. and was known in his youth as Canda Asoka (the fierce Asoka) because of his aggressive nature.
Some people say the Mongols were and still to this day are the most feared and successful army in the history of the world. Those people would be right and in this essay i'm going to talk about their military and all the people that ruled this great empire. Also how after almost 200 years of rule it fell apart.
The Mongol invasions were a very bloody and interesting time., While the Turks were in a constant state combat with each other, the Mongols first arrived in the Middle East in the early thirteenth century. (Mckay. 245) They were a very conquest driven and combat focused people, on par with the Turks in regards to combat prowess. The individual known as Chinggis Khan would bring about a change that no one would anticipate. In this discussion, will be the explanation of Chinggis Khan and his expansion of the control his empire with his successors.
Woodburne, A. S. "Can India's Caste System Survive in Modern Life?” The Journal of Religion, Vol. 2, No. 5. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. pgs. 525-537. Web
Stewart Gordon is an expert historian who specializes in Asian history. He is a Senior Research Scholar at the Center for South Asian Studies at the University of Michigan and has authored three different books on Asia. Gordon’s When Asia Was The World uses the narratives of several different men to explore The Golden Age of medieval Asia. The fact that this book is based on the travels and experiences of the everyday lives of real people gives the reader a feeling of actually experiencing the history. Gordon’s work reveals to the reader that while the Europeans were trapped in the dark ages, Asia was prosperous, bursting with culture, and widely connected by trade. This book serves to teach readers about the varieties of cultures, social practices, and religions that sprang from and spread out from ancient Asia itself and shows just how far Asia was ahead of the rest of the world
Barendse, R.J. “The Feudal Mutation: Military and Economic Transformations of the Ethnosphere in the Tenth to Thirteenth Centuries.” Journal of World History 14, no. 4 (2003): 503-529. EBSCOhost (accessed April 8, 2014).
Indian society was patriarchal, centered on villages and extended families dominated by males (Connections, Pg. 4). The villages, in which most people lived, were admini...
The Mauryan Empire was a very intriguing empire, with rulers of different beliefs and ways of ruling, as well as antithetical ways that the rulers gained and maintained their power. Important events occurred during this period of time that affected future generations. The Empire’s people mainly had a Buddhist religion. The people of the Mauryan Empire contributed greatly to the fields of art, and architecture. The Mauryan Empire was very important to India’s way of life.
What makes a great ruler? Several great powers in history including Cyrus of Persia, T’ai-tsung, the Duke of Valentine, and Agathocles will be analyzed in order to attempt to answer this question. Based on three readings, these questions will be answered:
India is well known as a nation of contrasts, and the nation itself is a paradox. It is one of the world’s oldest known civilizations, yet it has only existed as the nation the world now know sit for 67 years. Similarly, it has produced some of the most important contributions to mathematics, science, philosophy, and trade, yet it is still considered to be a developing nation. The country’s history is a long, winding journey that has led it to its current state – the world’s largest democracy featuring both the same technological advancements enjoyed by the first world and the same challenges and problems faced by the rest of the developing world.
the European era in Indian history. The lucrative trade in spices of Malabar - in modern Kerala - had tempted
What is an Empire? The definition of an empire is the extension of political rule by one people over another, different peoples. The extension of political rule usually comes through warfare. One group forcibly dictating it’s rule over another group. In my paper I will look at how Rome, China, and India extended their rule over their neighbors. I will also compare and contrast their hierarchical structures, historical literature, and emphasis on armed forces.
The Mughals took what was ‘Indian’, developed by the Delhi Sultanate and surrounding Hindu kingdoms that were consolidated into the Mughal Empire throughout its reign, and made it their own, creating whole new areas of study and development in the kingdom. One of the most majestic and famous results of this is the Taj Mahal, recognised by people all throughout the world as a true product of the Mughal Dynasty and proof of the Mughals wealth and ingenuity, combining traditional Indian and Persian architecture and as a result creating something so beautiful it is considered one of the world’s greatest wonders.
and not just at the Rajputs, who became one of the pillars of the empire.