CHOLA NAVAL EXPEDITION

 CHOLA NAVAL EXPEDITION

Good morning, I am Swapan Kumar Ray. Today I am discussing about the Chola Naval Expeditions. 

INTRODUCTION : 

The emergence of the Cholas as a major power in South India is notable for two reasons , One is their naval expedition and the other is the implementation of the local self - government system . Here we know about chola naval expedition . From the day of Rajaraja to Kulotunga -I. There naval expedition was continued around 135 years . During this time they made Bay of Bengal as a Chola lake by their activity .

Firstly we take a look at the map of Chola dynasty. We know, 

In the middle of the 9th century AD, Vijayalaya Chola founded the  Chola dynasty  in south India. 

After him, Aditya I defeated Pallava king Aparajita Varman and got the control over the Pallava kingdom.  

The next king  Parastaka-I  captured  the Pandya kingdom and  expanded the Chola kingdom up to Kanyakumari.

 Thus  the small Chola kingdom turned into an empire. Here we know about their Naval Expedition and the motives behind the expedition.

Rajaraja ( 985-1018 ) : 

The chola naval expedition was started by Rajaraja ( 985-1014 ) . He was the first who introduced a strong naval army. 

The Buddhist literature Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa showed that , in a campaign , Rajaraja overrun the northern part of Ceylon ( Simhal ) . He forced Mahendra V , to take refuge in the hill country in the south east of the island . Rajaraja wanted  to control  the trade with the south east Asian countries.

Later Rajaraja destroyed Anuradhapur ( the capital of Ceylon ) and established his capital at Polonnaruva . 

towards the end of his reign , Rajendra is credited with the conquest of 12000 islands in the Maldive islands , by a successful maritime operation . The Coromandal coast and Maldives were the centre for india trade with the south - east Asian countries . 

Rajendra ( 1012-1044 ) :

Ceylon : - 

Rajendra invaded Cylon and completed the conquest of the island began by his father . 

Ceylon became a mandalam or province of chola empire . Mahendra V was taken prisoner and transported to the Chola country where he died twelve years later . 

There after Mahendra V's son kassapa became the center of Ceylon resistance against the Chola . After war of six months  he made himself king of Rohana , the southern half of the island . He ruled as Vikrambahu I for twelve years from 1029 . 

Gangaikondachola :-

One of the most remarkable exploits in the reign of Rajendra I was the march across Kalinga to Bengal , in which the the chola armies crossed the river Ganga , and defeated two local kings . This expedition which was ied by chola took place in 1022 . 

In this case, he wanted to establish his supremacy over the prosperous ports of the eastern subcontinent of India.

 To commemorate this occasion , Rajendra-I assumed the title of Gangaikondachola ( the chola who conquered the Ganga ) . He built a new capital near the Kaveri river and called it Gangaikondacholapuram ( the city of chola who conquered the Ganga).

Srivijay : -

The remarkable expedition  in the time of Rajendra I were against the Sri Vijay empire . The Srivijay empire , which had been revived in the 10th century , extended over the Malay peninsula , Sumatra , Java and the neighboring islands , and controlled the overseas trade route to China . The rulers of the Sailendra dynasty of the Sri Vijay kingdom were Buddhist and had good relation with the Chola . The Sailendra ruler Vijayottungavarman had built a Buddhist vihara at Nagapatam ,  rajendra I gave a village for its upkeep . Later the chola tried to remove obstacles to indian traders and to expand trade with china . 

The expeditions led to the conquest of Kadaram or Kedah and number of the other places in the Malay peninsula and Sumatra .After his navy defeated Sailendra Empire , Vijayatungavarman became prisoner in the hands of Rajendra l.  The chola navy became the strongest in this area , and for some time the Bay of Bengal was converted into a chola lake.

China :-

 The chola rulers also sent a number of embassies to China . these were phartly diplomatic and partly commercial . Chola embassies reached china in 1016 and 1033. According to Chinese account, A chola embassy of 70 merchants reached China in 1077  , received 81800 strings of copper cash , that is more than four lakhs of rupees in return for the articles of tribute , glass ware , rhinoceros horns , ivory etc.

 Later Chola :-

 The next descendants of Rajendra Chola were - Rajadhiraj ( 1044-54 AD ) , Rajendra II ( 1054 '62 AD ) , Bir Rajendra ( 1062-70 AD ) , Adhirajendra ( 1070 AD ) etc.

 During their reign , the Chola expedition was continued mainly against Sri Lanka . From 1058 AD onwards , the Chola kings occasionally sent troops to Sinhalese and often brutally tried to break the rebellion .

 When King Vijayabahu I of Sinhalese tried to attack the Chola rule , Veer Rajendra invaded Sinhalese in 1065 AD . An inscription of Veer Rajendra claims that he defeated Vijayabahu and re established control over the whole of Sinhalese .

 Kulottunga's ( 1070-1120 ) achievement :-

The last powerful king of the main Chola dynasty was Kulottunga I,  ( 1070-1120 AD ) ) During his reign , he did not send any expedition against Sri Lanka . By 1070 AD , Sinhalese was virtually free from Chola rule . 

After 1070 no Chola inscriptions are found in Sinhalese . The independence of Northern Sinhalese is also mentioned in the book ' Mahabamsa ' . 

But the strength of the Chola navy was intact during his reign . The book ' Kalingattupparani ' claims that Kulottunga crossed the open sea and made the ' Kararam ' expedition .

 The emperor maintained diplomatic relations with various kingdoms like Kanauj in north India , Kabboja in Indo - China , and with Vyanzittha rule of Pagan .

Motive behind the expedition : -

There were some confusion behind the motive of the expedition among the historians . A doubt naturally arose as to the nature and purpose of the sea expeditions of the Cholas . 

Ramesh Ch . Majumder , K.G. Krishnan , D. N. Jha said that it is started that the main purpose of the naval expedition by the chola kings was actually political and they want to expand their political control beyond the sea . So it was actually a part of their imperialistic policy or ' Digvijaya '.

 But American historians Burton Stein , George Spencer etc. consider the maritime activities of the Cholas is not imperialistic but also plundering activitie . According to them , the main feature of the Chola regime was the decentralization of authority . The king was at the centre , but revenue collection was done by the local authorities Ure , Sabha , Nattar etc.

 The collection of the revenue and the depositing revenue by the local self government were huge different . But money was needed for administration . Hence the Chola kings were always engaged in collection and the main aim of the maritime expeditions was to collect money . 

reference :-

1. Chandra Satish , History of medieval India , Delhi , orient Blackswan , 2020 . 

2. K.A Nilkanta Sastry, The Cholas(vol- i - ii), Madras, 1955.

journal : 

1. S. Rajagopal , Chola naval expedition from AD 985 to AD 1029 ; A study , 10,2019 .

 2. Gautam P.K , The Cholas , journals of defence studies , vol7,2013 .

Extras:- Dipavamsha and Mahavamsha. Ptolemy's book, Periplous of the eritian sea, Ashokan inscription etc.

----

Shrivijay Expedition:-

Rajendra Chola I the great son of Rajaraja Cholal , [ 40 ] whose next great expedition was against the kingdom of Srivijaya in his 13th regal year . [ 41 ] Which consisted in the despatch of a powerful fleet which crossed the Bay of Bengal . Srivijaya was the powerful maritime state which ruled Malaya , Sumatra , Java , [ 42 ] Cambodia , Thailand , Kalimanthan , ( Modern Borneo ) and Sulawesi ( modern Celebs ) . [ 43 ] He travelled more than 2500 nautical miles from Tamil country ( one side travelling distance ) . But , what type of warships the Chola fleet had is not known but some of the transport ships were so large that they could carry 600 to 700 soldiers while other ships could as much as 100 horses along with their riders and weapons . Rajendra Chola was a great strategist . He had noticed that the Sailendra forces had well organised fleet but had possessed only few horses . So Rajendra Chola had thoughtfully carried a large number of Arabian horses in the various transport ships . He had planned in detail the way ; he was going to fight the war . According to strategy , he first to defeated Sailendra's naval fleet by fighting a series of naval battles in and around Malacca Straits . [ 44 ] He also fought battles on land by using Cholas cavalry which was basically responsible for victory over Sailendra land forces .

----

Establishment:-

Vijayalaya was a feudal lord under Pallavaraja Nripatunga.  On behalf of Pallavaraja, he occupied Tanjo.  His son Aditya also helped Pallavaraja in the battle of Sripurambiam against the Pandavas.  Instead, Pallavaraja, the undefeated Burman, accepted Aditya's rights over Tanjore.  Thus strengthened, he finally defeated the unconquered Varman and took possession of the entire Pallava kingdom.  Gangaraj accepted his supremacy.  Thus he turned the small Chola kingdom into an empire.  The next king I Parastaka reigned for a long time (907-55 AD).  After conquering the Pandya Raj, he expanded the Chola kingdom up to Kanyakumari.  He defeated Rashtrakutaraja Krishna II in the battle of Ballal.  But towards the end of his reign, the Chola dynasty became increasingly weak under incompetent kings for the thirty years before Rashtrakutaraja Krishna Rajaraja III ascended the throne.  After that, the real glory of the Chola dynasty began when Rajaraj sat on the throne.

----

Conquerred areas :-

 Rajendra I also defeated and captured the following places : Pannai ( Sumatra ) , Malaiyur , Mayuridingam , Ilankasoka ( part of Malaya ) , Mapappalam , Mevilimbagam , Valaippanduru , talaikkolam , Madamalingam ( lower Malaya ) , Ilamurudesam ( northern part of Sumatra ) and Kadaram ( capital of Srivijaya ) , Manakkavaram ( old name of Nicobar island ) .