Rajaraja Chola of the Chola dynasty was one of the greatest Kings of India. His reign started in 985 AD and he ruled for the next 29 years. At the peak of his reign, the Chola kingdom was spread over most of South India. This book details his life and his achievements.
What is it about? : Rajaraja Chola of the Chola dynasty was one of the greatest Kings of India. His reign started in 985 AD and he ruled for the next 29 years. At the peak of his reign, the Chola kingdom was spread over most of South India. This book details his life and his achievements. Cholas have an interesting history. They originated in what is called the Sangam era some 2000 years ago and then slowly vanished from history resurfacing again some 800 years later in the 9th century. These new Cholas were called Imperial Cholas by the modern day historians. This book starts from the Cholas of the Sangam era through the Imperial Cholas, the zenith of which was the rule of Rajaraja and later his son Rajendra Chola and finally the rest of the dynasty until its demise at the hands of their greatest rivals Pandyas.
Did I like it?: I found this to be an average read. Yes, there is a lot of knowledge to be gained from this book but the process to get it is not a smooth ride. This is an appeal to all writers who write on history. Please try to make the narrative enjoyable. I understand there is a difference in scholarly way of writing and something that appeals to the general reader but both these styles can be combined. India is in dire need of books on history that the youth of today can read and enjoy and perhaps maybe even tell their friends about it.
Positives: I learnt a lot about the Chola dynasty, their contributions to the cultural landscape of India, the immense temple building activity they engaged in and many other aspects of the time including trade and crime & punishment. It certainly added to my knowledge of the history of South India. Kamini not only talks about the Kings and conquests but also takes the time to talk about trade, crime and justice, important women of the time and other details. She also does not hide unflattering details about the Cholas. There is a tendency these days, among certain writers, to glorify certain rulers and vilify certain others. It was good to see Kamini not engage in such actions.
Negatives: For a book that is titled on one figure, it takes its own sweet time in arriving to the chapter dedicated to him. I felt like just summarizing in a few pages all the events and kings that came before and after Rajaraja would have been enough instead of dedicating multiple chapters to them. Also, the narrative does not hold steadiness as it moved along. In subjects like these there are always going to be too many distractions. Trimming these distractions to streamline the narrative would have been nice.
Any other personal notes, observations, fun facts etc.: A group of temples built by Cholas at their capital city of Tanjavur has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site of which Brihadisvara Temple is the crown jewel.
When Brihadisvara Temple was completed in 1010 AD it was the tallest structure in India.
