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

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.

Rajaraja Chola was one of the most significant Chola dynasty monarchs in southern India. Raghavan Srinivasan's book Rajaraja Chola offers a comprehensive analysis of his life, reign, and legacy. The book covers Rajaraja Chola's rise to power, military conquests, and administrative and economic reforms that created the Tamil kingdom and influenced much of South Asia. His dominion had a significant influence on the political, economic, and cultural climate of the day, extending from South India to areas of Sri Lanka and the Maldives.The author delves into Rajaraja Chola’s political genius, diplomatic strategies, and how he fostered economic growth through advancements in agriculture, trade, and governance. Their devotion to Shaivism, as well as the construction of great temples like as the Brihadeeswarar Temple, highlight the Chola dynasty's contributions to art, culture, and religious peace. He also mentions the development of trade networks and self-governing business structures.The author fascinated me with his meticulous historical research and realistic depiction of the Rajaraja Chola dynasty.The book also includes illustrations of money, statues, temples, and maps to assist readers understand the time period. The book also includes drawings of money, statues, temples, and maps to help readers understand the historical period. The book will be valuable to a wide variety of readers. I really liked how the author investigated the lack of emphasis on the Chola period in contemporary Indian history curricula. I recommend this to my co readers who are intrested in knowing chola period and its depth details.

Having read and loved History in school,then Yugantar by Raghavan Sir,I was elated to find out that Rajaraja Chola was also available for our reading!According to me,our Indian CBSE/ICSE syllabus hardly gives enough credit to various such noteworthy monarchs like Rajaraja Chola.Of course,they have mentioned his name and Brihadeeshwara temple and a bit of Chola empire but not as much as the Delhi Sultanate or the Mughals.So,this led me to jump into reading this book that gives me an authentic glimpse into the past with the expert sources of information and lucid language penned by Raghavan Sir.Much to my surprise,this book has quite a few pictures of coins,statues,temples and the architecture of the time gone by which adds a very nice touch to the book.These pictures helped me relate to what was being told in the book with items to visualise easily available.As was seen in the previous book by the author,we do get to understand unknown Tamil phrases or colloquial terms from the glossary provided at the back of the book too!As for the story,I was overjoyed to find out things that I hardly was aware of till this day.For those of you who loved History in your school days but wanted more of our very own Indian kings,this is the right book for you.For those of you who don't like History that much,I assure you, Raghavan Srinivasan sir's books are the perfect place to start to fall in love with our past❤️Happy reading!

This is a great book for someone wanting to learn about the kingdoms of India in the South and definitely about Chola empire of Rajaraja Chola.

The book is an enjoyable read of South Indian history dating back to the 10th and 11th century CE told through the reign of Raja Raja Chola, a pre-eminent emperor who ruled for 30 years. The book traces the preceding history to help us understand the conditions that led to Raja Raja Chola's ascension and paints a broad picture of that time, touching on the important socio economic aspects of that era. The reader gets a fascinating view of how the administrative and geographical structures were organized, the different strata of society, tax and revenue collection mechanisms of the time and the hierarchy of power with tribal chieftains and feudal kings. More importantly, the book describes what is recognized as Raja Raja Chola's key contributions in the advancement of architecture based on his administration's pioneering effort in constructing the Thanjavur temple which has stood the test of time and is recognized as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, along with other temples constructed by the emperor. The vivid description of the central role played by this temple and how it acted as a fulcrum around which the society and its activities were organized, transports the reader back to those times. The book describes the many contrasting forces prevailing in that era -- the northern influence of Sanskrit and the people's language which was Tamil, between the coexistence and occasional friction between brahmanas, Vellalars and other classes organized based on trade and line of work, the Vedic ritualistic traditions and the burgeoning Bhakti movement as the challenger, between Saivism, Vaishnavism, Buddhism and Jaina religious and other sects, the impulses of war, oppression and loot and the recognition on the need for peace among different groups required to advance the arts and literature -- and the emperor's skill in striking the right balance and leaving an indelible mark on the pages of history. The profusion of literal quotations from various sources throughout the narrative, far from intruding the flow, is a delight unto itself owing to the exquisite choice of words by the referenced authors that convey the full panorama of life and meaning in that era in a few words. The book is an accessible read for anyone and can be consumed cover to cover in a couple of days, although one may wish to enjoy in smaller increments leaving enough time in-between to pause, reflect and savor our shared heritage.