Rajaraja Chola: Interplay Between an Imperial Regime and Productive Forces of Society

by Raghavan Srinivasan

When Rajaraja Chola ascended the throne, the land of Tamils entered upon centuries of grandeur. He left behind a stupendous legacy, which has not lost its sheen even after a thousand years. During his regime, we see powerful productive forces at work, newly liberated by the advances made in manufacturing and trade.

Through interesting facts and riveting analyses, the reader can vividly experience the tumultuous developments of this perioud. It bring to life the social, political and economic underpinnings of that time - expansion of agriculture, rise of nagarams , maturing of self-governing corporate bodies, phenomenal increase in inland and overseas trade networks, and overall strengthening of the administrative and military apparatus, which would later bring South-east Asia under its influence. Equally important to the stability of the empire was the compelling iconography of Saivism, which this book presents in a sublime and engrossing style.

Written by Raghavan Srinivasan, the author of Yugantar , this book recreates the history of a South Indian king and his imperial empire, in a form that would appeal to the academia and the wider public audience alike.

"A rousing attempt at piecing together the lives and times of the Tamil country's most remarkable medieval personality, Rajaraja Chola, who despite the rich artistic legacy, plethora of inscriptions and maritime amnbtions, has remained an enigmatic figure." - SHARADA SRINIVASAM, Professor, School of Humanities, National Institute of Advanced Studies.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Indian Literature

251 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2021

About the author

Author, writer, social activist, political commentator, Social development professional

Reviews

[Dalia (book_o_creativity) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sitting on a throne was thousand times harder than winning one. When Rajaraja I ascended the throne the land of Tamils entered upon a golden era of grandeur. What he established the coming ages will remember with a glory. During his regime he not only advanced the socioeconomic status of the Chola empire but set a landmark in trading on international level. This book provides an explicit analysis on the expansion of Chola dynasty from the very beginning. A riveting tale of the imperial regime under the Chola kings, the conspiracies that came along with it and the phenomenal upsurge of inland and international trading.

This book is an authentic recollection of history of South India during the Chola dynasty. Here the author has reconstructed a series of incidents that followed throughout the regime of that period. It's a good appetizer for history lovers nonetheless can be used for academic purpose as well. Astonishing amount of details have been put into each period of Chola dynasty with great effort and emphasis on Rajaraja Chola, the ambitious king.

This book talks a great deal about bureaucracy and judicial system influencing the life of the royal family and their subjects. Although most of the details do not follow any particular order which can cause confusion among the readers. Although writing style is good and very much absorbing, the narration is bit monotonous. It was a delight to read this book which is pretty much offbeat from the conventional history taught in general academic years.

[Farha Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a history lover, you might have heard of the Chola dynasty. I remember reading about this dynasty back when I was in 9th-10th, though I wasn’t aware of a lot of facts. This book provides a lot of information about the power of the Rajaraja Chola of the Chola dynasty. He was the ruler in the southern part of India, though so powerful still not known by a lot of people. The Chola Dynasty was the first-ever empire of South India. Sir Raghavan, author of this book has done a great deal of research in drafting this book. The amount of knowledge he has is depicted in his book. This book is full of knowledge about the Chola dynasty, Rajaraja Chola in particular.
Though this book has everything related to history, the language is kept quite simple to make it very accessible for all types of readers. I won’t say it’s very easy to read it, but whatever you will comprehend from this book will be worth your time. The author has to be applauded for writing this book and letting us know about so many great things.
Highly recommended for history lovers.

[Solitude and books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can be considered as an academical take on the reign of the first imperial empire of the south India - The Chola Dynasty mostly focusing on the life and contemporary socio political and economic scenario during the reign of the great of the greatest RajaRaja chola.

There are huge expectations amoung the youth today to learn more about our rich heritage from authentic sources and I find this book a very insightful one backed by intense research for the learning process.

Each chapter discusses particular aspects of the reign and has been kept lucid throughout added with important figures and pictures as references.

Rajaraja Chola was born in 947 CE. As he came to power in 985 and ascended the throne, the lands of the Tamils entered grandeur. His reign has been compared to the great Maurayan Ashoka. An afford has been made to address divergences, controversies, allegations while providing us facts and insights into historical events from the rise of Cholas from 9th to 12th centuary till their ultimate dominance of the territory from Tungabhadra to kayanakumari till Sri Lanka and Maldives.


The works they did in terms of formulating and implimenting administrative strategies influencing sicio political structure through collection of tax, bringing socio-economic revolutions has been described. The then scenario of religion, caste, types of assemblies, distinguished architecture in terms of construction of various temples in puding the largest of all in India and structure of marauding army, conquests and expeditions concluding to annexation of territories, trade and craft, rise of sangam literature all has been touched providing us a wholesome and deep insights into their established structure proving why Rajaraja Chola was considered one of the greatest rulers of the Indian peninsula.

[Mahi Aggarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review 📚:-

❤️Name -Rajaraja chola
❤️ Author- @rags.srinivasan
❤️ Pages-250
❤️ Format- paperback
❤️Publishers- leadstart Inkstate (@leadstartcorp )

🤩Story + maps + charts + pictures🤩

💞Total chapters -9

Before write I just wanna say author do a great research and put all his soul to write this book. As this book is soooo informative like even our social studies book don't gave.

💞About book:-
The unheard story for me and may be for many . This is the story of legend king ~ Rajaraja chola. Here author share all his research of history of chola empire where he described or we can say highlight many aspects of their rich culture, politics , their art and craft , economics of that time , trade , military and ... Also share that chola' s are the devotee of lord shiva and many more....

One think i noticed author firstly share various maps to make reader understand what exactly the book is , where that places and where they ruled etc etc
He also share the whole chronological chart of the imperial chola dynasty. It is very helpful for the readers.

In this book author also tells up about the northern king the GREAT ASHOKA . Author well compared both the kings ( means their similarities and differences).

Once their was a time when there ancestor lost everything but after a continuous battle they again ruled and make a history....

A book which cover all about southern kingdom of India. Get to know more go ahead and buy a book to read more🤩

❤️Mytake :-
No doubt the book is wonderful for the history lover like me 😊.
I must say and damnly recommend you...
A complete package of knowledge.

🌻 Language- little typical because the southern name is Little hard to understand. It took alot of time to understand but author tried to make it simple for reader.

🌻 Rating:- 5/5
🌻Book cover :- beautiful and creative 5/5
🌻 Seating- depend on you ....and your interest.

Its worth if you buy and read it . Completely worth and highly recommend.

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞

[Ishan Agrawal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history that is taught to us is the history of invaders. Ones who establish their institutions of conversions on the blood of countless innocent souls . There are many unsung heroes who dint find their place in our books and hence its high time to make people aware of them. This book is one such brave attempt.

Chola empire was one of the oldest and most grand dynasty of Bharat. The book gives an account of Rajaraja Chola who was one important figure of that time and who plays a crucial role in establishing peace and carry out development in all forms ranging from infrastructure to iconic architecture and ingraining values of social and cultural significance amongst the individuals. Also without the aid of any technology the manual inscriptions carved out on stones is something that often makes most of the people awestruck and amazed at the kind of skillset and talent the workers of those times posessed.

The narration is spellbinding. In a single book author has done extremely well in highlighting almost all aspects of a dynasty which was there for one of the longest time not just for Bharat but also in world's history. The author has adopted a storylike approach in narrating events which is a huge plus point and will attract even the readers who are not interested in history. Also the amount of research author has done is quite visible as there are maps and illustrations too in decent number. The cover though simple is quite charming too

Overall a near flawless work and hence I highly recommended it.

[Sunshine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chola dynasty, a name we learnt in school during our history lessons. But as we grew up, this name slipped out of our minds because it wasn't as talked about as the Mughal or Mauryan empire.
Though one of the largest dynasties in India, literature on Chola dynasty are limited to parts of South India.
This books takes us through the journey of the rise and fall of the Chola dynasty. In the very beginning of the book we have two maps showing the region under Chola Empire. There's also a chronological chart of the Chola dynasty, which I found helpful to glance at while reading the book.
The book gives us facts that the very first mention of Cholas are found in the inscriptions of Ashoka's period, even though Cholas rose to powers during 9th century onwards.
Even though the book is good from a historical point of view, after a while the book becomes very overwhelming, with one fact after the other pouring in without a breather.
It starts to feel like, the book has monotone and thus it makes it feel a tad bit dull. Though there are a few illustrations in the book, I wished the writing could have been a little bit more relaxing so that reader could grasp the facts better.
That being said, I think this book was a good attempt.

[Raghavan Srinivasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy to note that my book on Rajaraja Chola has been reviewed along with the works of stalwarts such as Nilakanta Sastri, Hermann Kulke, S R Balasubramanyam and Y Subbarayulu.

Soma Basu says 'Last year, Leadstart published Raghavan Srinivasan’s Raja Raja Chola - An Interplay between an Imperial Regime and Productive forces of Society that appealed to the academia and public. The author rivetingly weaves together the lives and times of one of the most enigmatic medieval personalities, Rajaraja Chola. He elucidates the king and his stupendous legacy from the eyes of a commoner to help readers see history in ways they wouldn’t imagine'.
@leadstartcorp
#rajarajachozhan #cholas

https://www.thehindu.com/books/the-gr...

[Rick Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly,

1. I do want to appreciate, the author
2. He has made an attempt to contribute
3. In Tamil History, there are few writers, authors

In this era of Social Media; It requires, patience, humility to read, write.

Full credit, effort, perseverance goes to the Author.

Having said this -- I'd like to be honest.

I felt disappointed

Why?



Can you read this?

Sadly, No


1. Unorganized
2. Not Coherent
3. Jump too many ideas in a paragraph


When people are reading any work, they ask

a. Why should I care about this?
b. So, what if I read this?
c. Does it have something valuable?

My specific questions before reading:

Who are Chola Empire?
What did they do?
Why should anyone care about them?
How do I explain this story to others?

Sadly, I am not able to recommend this.

Deus Vult,
Gottfried

[bookswithsakshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book depicts the journey, power and reign of King rajaraja chola of chola dynasty. The World is already aware of the great samrat ashok for his ambitious and ruthless nature and how he conquered Aryavarta or India or Bharatvarsh. He ruled over the northern part of India where Chola dynasty ruled over the southern part of India. However there is more than 1000 years gap between the two. (Actually 1300 year gap).

Rajaraja ascended through the throne recovering all the lands his ancestors had once lost. He ascended to power, crushing his enemies and made history through war and brutality, yet he is remembered for his good deeds throughout the history. Chola dynasty was the longest dynasty to have existed and reigned till date.
The cholas raided Lanka and reigned over it. They defeated their enemies, the pandyas and cheras.

The culture, politics, arts, crafts, religion, military, trade and economics which existed in that timeline and their improvement by time is portrayed.

Cholas were great devotees of lord Shiva and erected multiple temples and stupas at various region some of which still exists. Many socio-cultural activities that took place would be near Temples and bhakti places became pilgrimage and political centres.

What is disappointing is that the book is monotonous. This is not for those who aren't interested in history or doesn't have a good idea about historical figures and history. Vocabularies of south indian languages didn't help either. It felt like everything was mashed up together.

However the writing style used was somewhere between moderate and high. Author made sure to explain almost every word taken from south indian language.
Moreover, Introducing family tree/ lineage chart was helpful. Also, the author has shared real time Pictures of inscriptions and currency.

[Readwithmadhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fighting and showing their valor and bravery on the battlefield was a trait that was considered the duty of aristocracy. And it was the King or their ruler who had to prove to be the strongest of them all by leading his troops into the battlefield.

Yet, if we look into our history, there were so many Kings who tried to stay away from the fray in order to protect themselves.

Rajaraja Chola was a stark exception to the above and was amongst the few who contributed to many fields and stood by his troops as well as his people throughout his reign.

Rajaraja Chola: Interplay Between an Imperial Regime and Productive Forces of Society by Raghavan Srinivasan is a book that will make the readers acquaint themselves with one such King who was able to turn tides and mark his presence, thereby resulting in him in leaving a lasting legacy and being remembered even after ages.

Rajaraja Chola was considered to be a ruler with inexhaustible energy who brought many reforms and his ability and fame were considered to be extraordinary.

The people from the South would no doubt know about his achievement, but it has been seen and was a common notion that he was misunderstood by the people from other regions.

In such cases, this book was a great ode to bring light to the life of the Chola dynasty as well as educate the readers about an emperor, who thought so well ahead of his time, and was the source of bringing so many reforms. Hence, I am going to give this FIVE STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Stories_to_telllll(Priscilla) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is solely based on life and reigning period of the great warrior and king Rajaraja Chola, the king of Southern India.It focuses on his life, his tactics and skills of conquering and spreading his kingdom. It also provides insights into historical events, administrative strategies, socio-political conditions, economic system, resources of the Chola dynasty and culture & architectural influence in that period. His familial background has also been discussed here.
The book starts with the comparison between the great Mauryan king, Ashoka, the king of Northern India and Rajaraja Chola, the king of Southern India. These comparisons will help us to get deep insights on their mode of reign, ideology and doctrine of war and politics.
There are lot to learn from our history so that we don't make the same mistakes which can lead to downfall. This book is one of such book which can help us academically as well as in our life.This book will help us to better understand politics, sociology and economics. Thus, it's a must read for everyone especially researchers, history scholars, history lovers, students.Even this book will be loved by non-history lovers too as it will not make you bore.....

[Fathima Ashab · Rating 4 out of 5]

RajaRaja Chola is a grandeur attempt as the namesake to rethink the history and thereby shape the future. If you are a South Indian, you would have heard the legendary name many a times but this perspective was quite interesting for it has been perceived through different lenses at various aspects of that King's period such as the agricultural development, trade network, building of the cities and its governing bodies, and much more. It's surreal to even think the land we are living right now had gone through changes in the history to become what it is today.
I particularly liked the way the author shed his light on treatment of women and other minorities during such period which goes unnoticed in most of the history texts.
I also liked how the author balanced the glorifying history with it's bitter truth of injustices. I wouldn't be surprised even if this hits the history shelves in schools. In fact, I am looking forward to it. I can only imagine how much research the author has done by looking through all the footnotes. This is going to help many for their researches or even people who are craving to know the South Indian history during the Chola period.

[Srija · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Rajaraja Chala's interplay between an imperial regime and the productive forces of society. As per the book, the author has well researched the Empire of Rajaraja Chola. This book is obviously the outcome of the author's quest for history.

Most of us, only have limited knowledge of the most important dynasty in our history. Like Rajaraja Chola is also the prominent Empire. The author has an authentic way of narration, which gives the readers to get the exact chronological of the Chola Empire.

Even though the era and the technology have developed we will be awestruck till now about the stone inscriptions, copper plates, coins, architectural findings of the Empire's era.

While reading this book I have come across a vast range of cultural, rebels, deviated history and administrative systems of the Chola empire, which gives me a profound knowledge of the expanded imperial Chola dynasty.

[Sireesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book tells the journey and power of King rajaraja chola of chola dynasty. The politics , military, culture, religion , arts , crafts, and trade which existed at that time are explained.

Author did a fantastic job by giving information about one of the important part of history. There are some tamil words used in the middle which created confusion but those meanings are explained by Author.

The language used is between medium and hard and it effects the reader flow. For history lovers this book is a treat to read. Book cover is quite impressive and it is the reason I bought this book.

[Nimisha Sewag · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Rajaraja chola by Raghavan Shrinivasan is an historic read.
The books shows Rajaraja chola and Ashoka's differences and similarities. Rajaraja chola who ruled for 30 years, his history good deeds, ruthless behaviour is shown here basically. Tamil phrases, words are also used. Buddhism, Jainism, Vaishnavism are also mentioned. Yes it's a long read and you get unattached if it's not your choice. Rajaraja chola lived an impactful life.
The cover feels apocalyptic. The language is rigid. The book hitched it's readers because of the whole decade scenerio. Must read for all the Historic liking readers.

[Arun Tankasali · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book that depicts the forgotten stories to the front, of courage, valour and reign of King Rajaraja Chola of Chola dynasty. For most Indians, especially those hailing form South India, Rajaraja Chola is nothing more than some king of yesteryears whose insignia has been incorporated on the flag and other symbols and in our history books. But Raghavan Srinivasan has conveyed in this book that whatever we have learnt about the great king is just a tip of the iceberg of the vast Indian history that we have been untold about.

Set in the era somewhere between c. 985 – c. 1014, the book explores the prior history to help us comprehend the way Rajaraja ascended through the throne recovering all the lands and possessions that were once lost to the enemy rulers by his ancestors. The bravery and his ascendancy to power by crushing his enemies had made him a well talked legend during his time. Chola dynasty was the longest dynasty to have existed and reigned till date and the author has painted a broad picture of the period, including crucial socioeconomic issues.
The reader is given a fascinating glimpse on the importance of education being parted to the society and various administrative structures formed, as well as the various strata of society, tax and revenue collection techniques of the time. Cholas is being a great devotees of lord Shiva, the book also details on the various contributions in the field of engineering which resulted in the construction of marvellous Brihadeeswara temple in Thanjavur which is recognized as a World Heritage site by UNESCO

I appreciate the author’s decision in the point of view in which the narrative has been produces. I think his effort is praiseworthy, and it is to be applauded for the attempt of something written in an epic context with a laid-back approach. The author has clearly attempted to join the dots between the voids that exists between the knowledge imparted through the other history books in terms of the arts, crafts, culture, politics, trade military, and economics which existed in that timeline which made this book a more fascinating to read.

I truly enjoyed this book, and I wish the future brings in many more of such stories about the true heroes and heroines of Bharat. This is the kind of a book you would want to gift any young reader enthusiastic about history of India.

[Anjali Sharma (Anjali_scribed ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cholas were perfervid patrons of art, architecture, poetry, literature and drama. Their grandeur remained undefeated because of their excellent tactics and courageous warcrafts.

Our Author, an erudite and experienced person has garnered the best content and factual data and written this book with such storytelling expertise that not only this book is intresting and impactful and useful for the historophiles but also to curious readers of all kind.

This book deals with the then socio- economic and political scenario of the Chola rule and how their kingdom became the epitome of art, culture, dravida style architecture and many more valuable assets to our socio-history.

The language used in this book is refined and exceptional but the reference data of the temples, scripts and idols is also top quality.

Any reader will be proud to know a piece of histoy this well in such limited number of pages which is actually quite impressive. History is made a thrilling read by this book.

Ps. I am pretty confident that I'll never get no MCQ or essay answer wrong if it comes to the Chola Empire. Thanks to the author.

Recommended to the bookphiles and people like me who are intrested in history or just a reader.

[Prahalathan KK · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts with the context of the earlier and later Cholas. It focuses on the later Cholas, beginning with one of Raja Raja Chola's great-grandfathers. It covers his conquests, government, religion, social system, art, etc. This book is not a biography of the king but a book about the only south Indian empire, and society at that time, both before and after his reign. PS: Raja Raja Chola is Ponniyin Selvan; you can also read about the non-fiction version of the palace intrigue in this book

[Oindrila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do u love History or Historical fiction ?? Then this book is just made for you.

In this book Rajaraja chola the author Raghavan Srinivasan talks about chola dynasty.


Rajaraja chola seated upon the throne by recovering all the lands his ancestors had once lost. He Gain power by killing his enemies and made history through war .Chola dynasty was the longest dynasty to have existed and reigned till date.

The author also briefly described many changes that occurs during their ruling period, He talks about Rajaraja chola life, power , ruling and many more .

Author has done a great research about chola dynasty while writing this book . The writing style was impressive and after reading this book u will get to know many hidden facts about this dynasty and the famous king Rajaraja chola.

Highly recommended

[Chitra Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are curious about the magnificent Chola kingdom, then there is no other book like this one to browse. It is detailed, beautifully worded and paints the era of the epic ruler wonderfully.

[Souvik Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first picked up Rajaraja Chola: Interplay Between an Imperial Regime and Productive Forces of Society, I was intrigued by its promise to look beyond mere military conquests and temple-building to explore the socioeconomic currents of the Chola era. From the outset, I found Srinivasan’s holistic framing—linking statecraft, agrarian expansion, and religious patronage—to be both ambitious and refreshing. It wasn’t just another dynastic chronicle; it felt like a deep dive into the very fabric that sustained one of South India’s greatest empires.

Narrative Structure and Organization
I appreciated how the book is structured into thematic sections rather than a strictly chronological tale. Early chapters lay the groundwork by detailing the administrative machinery and land-reform measures that Rajaraja instituted. Subsequent parts zoom out to survey urbanization, trade networks, and maritime links. This organization allowed me to follow each thread—political, economic, social—without losing sight of the big picture. For someone like me, who often juggles multiple interests, this modular layout made it easy to revisit specific topics.

Deep Dive into Agrarian and Economic Policies
Perhaps the most compelling section for me was Srinivasan’s analysis of land grants, irrigation projects, and revenue systems. He convincingly argues that the Cholas’ prosperity hinged on harnessing the “productive forces” of peasant communities. Reading about the extension of the Kallanai dam system and the role of local village assemblies, I felt I was witnessing the interplay of central authority and grassroots participation. It challenged my preconception that medieval Indian polities were uniformly top-down.

Cultural and Religious Dimensions
Srinivasan’s treatment of Saivism and temple economy resonated deeply. I was struck by his portrayal of temples not merely as devotional centres but as hubs of economic redistribution—patronizing artisans, facilitating loans, and anchoring markets. His chapter on the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur brought the stones to life for me; I could almost hear the chants, see the bustling temple tank, and sense how faith and fiscal policy intermingled.

Use of Sources and Scholarly Rigor
As an informed reader, I looked carefully at Srinivasan’s citations—stone inscriptions, copper plates, and contemporaneous Tamil literature. He weaves these primary materials into a coherent narrative without drowning the reader in footnotes. At the same time, he engages skeptically with earlier historians, questioning simplistic readings of Chola “absolutism.” This balance of respect for the sources and critical analysis impressed me; I felt the author was both guide and fellow investigator.

Writing Style and Accessibility
While the subject matter is scholarly, Srinivasan’s prose remains engaging. He sprinkles vivid anecdotes—such as the legendary night march of Rajaraja’s elephant corps—amid analytical passages. I found myself nodding along to his concise summaries at the end of each chapter, which reinforced key takeaways without feeling repetitive. Though occasional technical terms appear (e.g., mangalam, ur), the glossary at the back ensures accessibility for general readers like me.

Scholarly Contribution and Reflections
Reflecting on the book as a whole, I recognize its value in shifting the focus from conquests to the underlying economic and social structures. Srinivasan convincingly argues that Rajaraja Chola’s empire was not merely imposed by the sword but sustained through productive collaboration with local actors. This perspective has reshaped my understanding of medieval South India, and I now view the Cholas as much more than temple-builders or naval conquerors.

Conclusion
In sum, Rajaraja Chola: Interplay Between an Imperial Regime and Productive Forces of Society is a richly detailed, well-argued study that speaks to both specialists and enthusiastic lay readers. From my point of view, it stands out for its interdisciplinary approach and lucid storytelling. Whether you’re fascinated by agrarian history, temple economies, or the art of imperial governance, this book will leave you with fresh insights into how one of India’s greatest dynasties truly flourished.

[Raghav Mimani · Rating 4 out of 5]

"About 6 kms from Kumbakonam, in Udayalur village, lies Rajaraja’s grave in an unattended quiet spot. For a king who built the largest empire of South India, the grave is too self-effacing compared to the glittering mausoleums erected for later day emperors and politicians. Belying the gospel that ‘all those who take the sword shall perish with the sword’, the emperor died in peace."

Rajaraja Chola happens to be one of my most favourite of all the rulers that have been in India and beyond. Right from the first time I had come to know about him in Class 7th history book, I was 11 years old and there was but a paragraph on him and the brilliant marvel of a temple that he built in Thanjavur, I was fascinated. This wonder only grew much further in 2007 when I saw a documentary on the Brihadeshwara temple of Thanjavur. In March of 2020, just a week before COVID turned the world upside down, I had the pleasure of visiting the place. It was as exceptional as I had imagined. Last year, in 2022, the movie Ponniyin Selvan made me realise how I yet hadn’t read much about Rajaraja Chola. Thus, the need and desire of reading this biography came into being and after much gradual pacing, I have finally had the fortune of knowing and understanding about a king I hold in the utmost regards.

“It will not be an overstatement to say that Rajaraja Chola left a stupendous legacy behind him, which has not lost its sheen even after a thousand years. His reign holds a vital place in the history of Thamizhagam. His thirty long years of rule constituted the formative period of the Chola Empire. Victory in wars can get you on the throne, but they are not enough to keep you there. It is beyond debate that ‘in the organisation of the civil service and the army, in art and architecture, in religion and literature, we see at work powerful forces newly liberated by the progressive imperialism of the time’. The productive forces that emerged, the nagarams which flourished, the in-land and overseas trade networks that were established, the high standards of art, literature and craft that were attained, makes him an extremely popular emperor. Women of the upper class and saints enjoyed honour and privileges in the empire.. The state did not play on the religious divisions among the people. The thousand-year-old administrative system and the principle of self-administration that he encouraged are relevant even today, of course after rendering them modern. That altogether would be right approach to take to the great stories, legends and achievements of this great empire and its accomplished architect – the emperor and the entire talent he commanded from every corner of the empire.”

What I have always remarked when speaking of Rajaraja Chola is how his reign laid the foundation for his successors to build upon particularly his son Rajendra Chola who will take the Chola Empire to its expansive peak. It is perhaps a note to self as well: to build foundations for others to take forward. “The earlier years of Rajaraja, when he subdued rulers of the South and North, with an iron hand mark the more aggressive part of his reign. In the bigger part of his reign, however, he is eulogised for the prosperity he brought to his realm and the encouragement he provided to the new productive forces to sprout and blossom. He could be reproached as over ambitious and ruthless but name an emperor who wasn’t! His achievements during the calmer years of his regime were a rare characteristic in other kingdoms in contemporary times. By the time he rested his head in his grave, no one remembered that he had had a great-grandfather who killed his Pallava suzerain and usurped his kingdom and a brother who was fond of spiked heads.”

The Chola dynasty for the next three hundred years and an intellectual successor a thousand years later pay their humble tribute to a life well lived.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today when the promise and the threat of globalization are top concerns, it is fascinating to read about how it all started. In Rajaraja Chola, Raghavan Srinivasan resurrects the history of Rajaraja Chola, from the story of his relentless rise to the throne of the Chola dynasty to the waging of his devastatingly successful ruling and the explosion of civilization that the Rajaraja Chola unleashed. This dazzling work of revisionist history doesn’t just paint an unprecedented portrait of a great leader and his legacy, but challenges us to reconsider how the modern world was made.

The Chola dynasty, a Tamil thalassocratic empire in southern India, was one of history's oldest monarchy. During the period 1010–1153, the Chola territories stretched from the islands of the Maldives in the south to as far north as the banks of the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, annexed parts of which is now Sri Lanka and occupied the islands of the Maldives. Rajaraja Chola's ascension to the throne led to centuries of grandness for Tamil land. The legacy he left behind is still shines even after more than a thousand years. With the advances made in manufacturing and trade, we see powerful productive forces at work during his rule.

Raghavan Srinivasan presents a wide-scoping history of the Chola dynasty, starting from the birth and childhood of Rajaraja Chola. In the process, Raghavan Srinivasan chronicles the military and diplomatic genius of Rajaraja Chola, as well as the social, political and economic growth of that time brought forth by his empire, including expansion of agriculture, rise of nagarams, maturing of self-governing corporate bodies, phenomenal increase in inland and overseas trade networks, and overall strengthening of the administrative and military apparatus. Author also lays out the influence that the Chola dynasty has had on history, and how the reputation of Rajaraja Chola was shaped over time.

Raghavan Srinivasan’s book 'Rajaraja Chola' provides the well written life and history of Rajaraja Chola and the equally well written and inspiring economic, political, and cultural history of the Chola conquests and rule. The rise of Rajaraja Chola, the spread of his immense empire, the surprisingly farsighted policies he implemented, the intrigues of his successors, and the way South-east Asia was changed in their wake, make this book an interesting read with lots of dramatic events.

The writing style was engaging and not dry at all as can be the case when reading books that strictly deal with history. The narrative explores the figure of Rajaraja Chola more, tries to convey his views and thoughts, and how he created laws that were quite progressive for the empire. Author Raghavan Srinivasan really does a great job of putting the reader in the shoes of people living in the time of Rajaraja Chola and following the journey of the great king and his descendants.

Rajaraja Chola by Raghavan Srinivasan is well documented, thoughtful, very informative, page-turner history book. If you know nothing (or very little) about the Rajaraja Chola and the Chola dynasty, this is a good introduction; It's an easy, fast read and gives you a good overview of their lives and the times they lived in.

[Vedika Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Of The Book Rajaraja Chola By Author Raghavan Srinivasan📚


This was my first time reading the work of Author Raghavan Srinivasan and to be honest i’ve had a great time reading this one as it makes a grip with the readers and makes it more intriguing for the readers. Throughout the book the readers can appreciate the efforts of the author in terms of thorough research regarding the history of the chola dynasty and the different charts for the explaining the family tree and usage of different pictures throughout the book for better understanding helps the readers.

Rajaraja chola was considered one the greatest ruler in the southern part of the India, he was as great as the ruler of the northern India Samrat Ashoka although there was a great gap between the ruling of both of them approximately more then 1300 years gap. He was one the most successful ruler of his time in the south India as during his reign period many different changes were made and which was very helpful for the kingdom, in his period he made various socio economic relations with neighbouring kingdoms and due to which trading process was going well, he also promoted the cultural, arts, politics, crafts, trades, and many more improvements in his kingdom. The Chola dynasty was a great devotee to lord Shiva so during his reign period many stupas were made and temples of lord Shiva were made. His Chola dynasty was the longest running in terms with the ruling in the southern india and they had their control to the parts of Sri lanka and Maldives.

One thing that i loved of the book is that the author has depicted all the things in truthful way so that the readers gets a wide idea about our history all the achievements of the ruler was stated as well as all of the truth of the injustices in their ruling period and the conditions of the minorities and life of women in their reign and that honesty in the book makes it more interesting to read.

Some of the south Indians words were difficult to understand but the author has translated most of them so that’s a good part and apart from that the vocabulary of the book is good and as the books is of historical genre makes it interesting.

[Karthik Govil · Rating 1 out of 5]

Raghavan Srinivasan prefaces this book by saying he aims to appeal to the youth, which is increasingly interested in history today.
Sadly, he does nothing interesting, continues to dish out history in a boring NCERT textbook-like manner.

The book cites many (sorry for the buzzword but it is instantly recognisable today) Marxist historians, which completely warps the Chola empire into a non-Hindu narrative. Whenever Sanatan Dharm in the Cholas life is mentioned, it is forcefully framed as "reformative". Even the dancing Nataraj is claimed as South Indian despite being common in the North. Laxmi is referred to everywhere as "goddess of fortune", because may the Gods forbid Cholas showing Vaishnavite/pluralistic tendencies (Parvati is mentioned as is, ofc). Modern lingual spites are projected onto a historic empire that championed Sanskrit as their court language. The examples of such transgressions are endless.

Such things, put together, come out as propaganda, which is not just garbage but an extremely boring eyesore to read. Such narratives are not "harmful", the kids are sick of hearing rotten boring perspectives, where everything about their civilization is written off as the doing of evil forces, or their greatness is credited to foreigners and invaders. It simply isn't true!

When Gen Z develops an interest in history, it is precisely because such narratives beat their interest in history out of them at a young age. The interest is precisely a rebellion against these boomer and regressive/conservative schools of thought.

Only interesting bits were the first few chapters about the wars that Cholas waged, but they failed in scope, they failed to humanize the far extents of their empire to the reader.
This book is nothing but an extension of regressive NCERT propaganda, residue remaining after a 1300 year colonial period.

Being only 180 pages, it took me 10-15 days to finish this book! That's how boring it is.
Readers can choose whether they want to read this or not.

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[Ruchi Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is too apt. It gives suggestions of the content. It’s a non fiction work especially historical. We must have heard about Chola dynasty. The book is so vast and each topics are important so I am confused what to include and what not to. But I will highlight key features here. They have so many known and little known facts such as, the chola company comprised the land locked between two rivers, both called Vellaru in the north and the south, and bounded by the sea in the east and Kottaikarai in the west. ‘The Cholas adopted the tiger as their crest; the same animal was configured on their banner’. Tamil legend has it that the Chera, Pandya and Chola were brothers from Korkai, near the mouth of the Tamiraparani river. They have equal passion for love and war. Author has included pictures too. I liked that. Through interesting
facts and riveting analyses, the reader can vividly experience the tumultuous developments of this period. It bring to life the social, political and economic underpinnings of that time - expansion of agriculture, rise of nagarams, maturing of self-governing corporate bodies, phenomenal increase in inland and overseas trade networks, and overall strengthening of the administrative
and military apparatus, which would later bring South-east Asia under its influence. The book includes their customs, business, socio economical aspect, dynasty, war, almost everything. It shows that author has done ample amount of research before penning it down. Author has stated the fact and wrote straightforward instead of twisting the story. I liked that. At time I felt bored too as it’s huge but still it is a quite informative read. The language of the book is lucid so that everyone can read it. The narration style of the author is crisp. Author went with facts and straightforward literature mentions. Overall good one. Quite an informative read.

[Binit Agrawal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was always fascinated by multiple aspects of Southern Indian history, polity and architecture, which conventional history of India fails to address: first, why are the best preserved (and splendidly wealthy) per-medieval temple architecture centered in Southern India (especially Tamil Nadu and Kerala); second, what exactly was the interplay between the Cholas, Cheras, Pallavas, Rashtrakutas, Pandyas, and Lanka; third, what were the features of the Cholas which allowed them to become the first-ever colonizers of the world (they had comprehensively defeated Srivijays - modern-day Indonesia, had suzerainty over most of Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia, and directly ruled over Lanka and Maldives), even as the Northern empires, despite being a lot larger could never go beyond the Himalayan borders; and fourth, what kind of art and religious philosophy flourished in early medieval southern empires and how did the influence of Buddhism and Jainism decline so precipitously.

This book answers many of these questions and provides a more accurate picture of the convoluted political economy that flourished during the Chola Empire. It had some very unique features as to taxation, decentralisation, and temple economies (akin to the role played by Church in medieval Europe). Not all was hunky dory, and the Chola empire was built on mass murders and cleansing of the general public of the defeated kingdoms. Nonetheless, it was history's first expansive cross-regional empire and had many features which were later present in the European colonisation of the World: strong navy, high levels of decentralisation of economic power, strong trade guilds, investment into economic technologies, transfer of culture and religion to colonized regions, a strong core of productive forces providing economic might, large scale infrastructure projects, and so on.

[Sakshi Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Rajaraja Chola : Interplay between an Imperial regime and Productive forces of the society" is a non-fiction account of the period of Rajaraja Chola's reign in South India. It is a non-chronological narration of the mechanisms of the society during The Chola king's height of power. The book contains ample illustrations such as maps and timeline flowcharts to guide the reader through the events presented by the author. The book starts off with establishing the origin of the Chola empire, and goes on to enumerate the succession of various kings upon it's throne, and the changes that they brought with them. The book talks in detail about the political and social decisions that shaped the kingdom, as well as the process by which these decisions came into play. The author has payed attention to detail, and has carefully mentioned the original names and terms of various important books and sociological tools of the time, which only make the book even more enriching. As a whole, the book recounts the reign of Rajaraja Chola, as well it's origin and decline, in a comprehensive manner.

I loved this book. The first thing I would like to mention about it is the immaculate talent that the author has in forming a book. The language is extremely polished , and yet doesn't seem hard to swallow. The flow of the book is as smooth as a drink of Seqér gin, (which I highly recommend), and it made a seemingly lackluster history topic become very interesting for me. It has even motivated me to revisit the history books from high school which I hated, and now I feel excited to actually read about the history of India and it's kings.

Highly recommend this book to all the readers of all age groups, especially if you've hated history class in school like I did.

[Debabrata Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

👉𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊:-
📚ⓉⒾⓉⓁⒺ:- Rajaraja Chola
🖋️ⒶⓊⓉⒽⓄⓇ:- Raghavan Shrinivasan
🗞️ⓅⓊⒷⓁⒾⓈⒽⒺⓇ:- Leadstart Publication
🔤ⓁⒶⓃⒼⓊⒶⒼⒺ:- English
📖ⒻⓄⓇⓂⒶⓉ:- Paperback
👉𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒:-
Indian history & the dynasties were largely spread & quite inspiring.
.
Chola dynasty is the first empire of South India. It has its unique culture, unique kingdom, unique tradition & many more.
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Rajaraja chola is the most powerful & successful king of chola dynasty. He gave the empire a recognization on world map. His power, his strength, his emperor & his effort were indispensable.
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He was someone who played a vital role in the development of Tamil peoples by giving them new sources of income. Not only that he expanded the treading along with built many temples, historical places during his emperor.
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To know more about the Chola dynasty grab it & give it a try.
👉𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 :-
🙂 Cover of the book is nice designed simply but quite eye-catching.
🙂 Writing style of the book is good. Author just showcased all the aspects of chola dynasty in a very apt manner.
🙂 Language used in the book is good. It's nicely blend with the storyline & beautifully showcased the whole journey of Rajaraja chola in the book.
🙂 Narration of the book is classy & gripping. The way author narrated the chola dynasty it's just a beautiful experience of reading.
🙂 The amount of research author did before writing the book can be easily marked while reading it.
🙂 The addition of maps, illustrations, chola dynasty chronologies adds an extra crunch to the reading
🙂 The images of royal seals & ancient things of chola dynasty along with the architects of that time gave a beautiful reading experience.
🙂The epilogue, glossary, attributions, endnotes along with the praise of the book gives a smooth experience of reading.
🙂 The pace of the book is moderate. Historical book with such a moderate pace can ruined your reading experience a bit.
𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑:-🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Rudra Maheshwari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foremost I'd take a moment to appreciate the author Mr. Raghavan Srinivasan, who penned such extensive insights. I had always been an avid reader when Indian glory is reckoned and I was eager to read the book from the very next moment I saw it on amazon. To my scrutiny, India had rich history which has been overthrown in attempt to colonize our minds and forced us to believe certain invaders had to do with the nation's well-being. The academia is hijacked with Euro-centric perspective and a Marxist inclination alongside, we never find our book revering those fierce rulers of the land.
Rajaraja Chola was one such fierce rulers, who hailed and ruled Southern part of the united land Aryavrata. The book is a historical scrutiny and comprise of some facts that might astonish the readers, however it'd be difficult for an individual to get it if one lacks with the minimum historical knowledge.
The read is divided into several chapters, out of those each segment touch on various aspects of Chola Dynasty. It includes culture, trade, social life, political relations and military conquests and etc during the regime of Rajaraja. I must appreciate the idea to mention the lineage tree, which helped more to link the events.
The struggle to pen such scrutinized non-fiction can be easily sensed by the level of informative data this book deals with. This book literally appealed me to dig out more about all those rulers who can't be seen in our text books.
The author had his best while the journey to compile this book, but being a non-Tamil reader, I felt difficulty while reading in the flow, however the explanation was subtle cope which balanced it.
I'd cordially invite fellow readers to give this book a try, I bet it to be a time worthy read.