A dynasty that introduced the sengol — a sceptre symbolising power that was recently in the spotlight — established international trade relations with Sri Lanka ...

In a couple of decades after Rajendra Chola's raid on Kedah, this great Malay trading emporium, we have archaeological evidence of Tamil merchant settlements in Sumatra. They were present on both ...

There is no arguing that today, the Chola period is best remembered for its overseas expansions. In 1025-26, Chola emperor Rajendra I (r. 1014-1044) dispatched an expedition to Kedah, a rich Malay ...

As much as kings, Tamil merchants are the unsung heroes of medieval India’s global footprint. Sometimes, cultural diasporas can achieve as much, if not more, than an armed force.

Women had played a central role in the rise of Chola power but as their power faded, so too did the status of their women. Chola royal women practically disappeared from the historical record from the ...

In 1024, Rajendra Chola dreamt up the grandest, riskiest, campaign ever planned by a medieval Indian ruler: an attack across the seas on Kedah (in today’s Malaysia). Both Rajendra Chola and the ...

Rajendra Chola’s wide ranging expeditions were due to his relationship with the Tamil merchants, Mr. Kanisetti. There was no Indian king before the Cholas who had a strong relationship with the ...

But there really is no modern parallel to this remarkable organisation. Like the Chola state, the Five Hundred had a formidable ability to incorporate diverse groups. Its members included Brahmins, ...