Tag: medieval india: south india and the cholas

Parantaka Chola I  (907–955) ruled the Chola kingdom in southern India for forty-eight years, annexing Pandya. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success and prosperity. Parantaka continuing the expansion started by his father, invaded the Pandya kingdom in 910. He captured the Pandyan capital Madurai and assumed the title Madurain-konda (Capturer of Madurai).

Parantaka I was an ambitious ruler and engaged himself in wars of conquest from the beginning of his reign. He conquered Madurai from the Pandya ruler Rajasimha II. He assumed the title of Maduraikonda (captor of Madurai).

Vijayalaya was the founder of the Imperial Chola dynasty which was the beginning of one of the most splendid Empires in Indian history. Vijayalaya, possibly a feudatory of the Pallava dynasty, took an opportunity arising out of a conflict between the Pandya dynasty and Pallava dynasty in c. 850, captured Thanjavur from Muttarayar, and established the imperial line of the medieval Chola Dynasty. Thanjavur became the capital of the Imperial Chola Dynasty.

The Pallava’s rule continued upto the ninth century A.D. However their authority during the ninth century was no longer that of a major power. The last of the Pallavas, Aparajita Varma was defeated by Aditya Chola I by the early tenth century A.D.