Here the good is good; An empire ruling the sea; An interesting history of the Chola dynasty, a legacy of valor

• An empire ruling the sea;
• An interesting history of the Chola dynasty, a legacy of valor

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had the vision “He whose power is over the sea, the sea is his. He whose armor is strong, he dominates the sea” and that is why he established Armara in Swarajya. For this reason, Maharaja is called the father of Indian Navy. Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre, the head of this army of Marathas managed this axis successfully. Apart from Shivrayan, one such empire was established in South India, that is the dynasty of Chola dynasty. The Chola dynasty dominated the sea coast of South India, so foreign powers especially feared the British and other trading Cholas. Let us know where exactly this Chola family is from and what was their occupation.

Thousands of years ago, this dynasty established a South Indian empire on the sea. The southern part of India is surrounded by sea. Therefore, since the geographical environment is the same, the basic business of this Chola dynasty is shipbuilding. The Cholas built excellent ships. The Cholas were not only good traders but also skilled in the art of war. There were many shipbuilding guilds but the Cholas had a specialty in this work.

Why were Chola ships so powerful?

The Chola dynasty made ships of iron and copper as well as teak and banyan wood, making them very fast, strong and fully equipped for long voyages. One of his ships was the ‘Thirisadai Ships’ which were distinct from the Chola Navy. These ships were mighty and looked like floating forts in the sea

What is the ancient history of Maharashtra? ‘These’ old royal families contributed to the Marathi soil

These ships were specially sent for long-term missions, carrying troops, horses and supplies. Along with this, Cholas used ‘Vajra Ships’ for fast and sudden attacks on long journeys or in warlike situations. The peculiarity of these ships is that the pointed structure on the front of these ships used to tear apart enemy ships and ensure victory! Actually not every Chola ship was built for war. Apart from being skilled in the art of war, the Chola dynasty was also skilled in trade. Trading in spices, cloth and gold. ‘Marakkalam ships’ were used to carry goods on long journeys.

How to make such a long sea journey?

The entire life of the Cholas was spent by the sea. His study of oceanic weather stars and monsoon winds was great. It was this knowledge that enabled them to build routes from China to the Arab countries. None of this would have been possible without their bustling port cities – cities like Nagapattinam, Kaveripatinam and Arikamedu became world trade centers.

Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj:”He whose armor is his power”; Shivaraya started the armara of Swarajya with ‘Ya’ fort

In 1025 King Rajendra Chola’s sea expedition surprised the whole world! This king’s army reached 5000 km to Indonesia and Malaysia (then Srivijaya Empire). Not only this, this empire also gained control over the trade routes and dominated the Indian Ocean. The Cholas expanded trade all over the world with their maritime power. Exporting cloth, spices and gold led South India to great heights in naval and mercantile industries.Thus the Cholas had established not only maritime power but also trade.