Is Raja Raja Chola, the Famous Tamil King Over-hyped?
A deep-dive into his conquests, administration and architecture.
Raja Raja Chola is considered to be the most inspiring Tamil King of all time. Even till this day — over a thousand years after his lifetime, he continues to be a heart-throb of many! But how?! Could there be a genuine reason behind such a passionate following? More importantly, is he over-hyped? Let’s find out!
An Intro
Out of the three major dynasties that thrived for about 1500 years in South India, the Chola dynasty came back to dominance and power in the 10th century.
During this time, the Prince Arul Mozhi Varman was born to King Sundara Chola, who later became Rajaraja Chola. When he took up the throne, what he inherited was a meagre territory in comparison to what he was able amass by the end of his 30-year rule.
Now, let’s begin evaluating him. I’d personally judge the quality of a King using the following three factors:
- Conquests & Victories — Valiant king?
- Governance & Administration — Cared for his subjects?
