Rajendra Chola- Indias Ocean King! - Shakhsiyat By Virad Dubey - Study IQ IAS Hindi - YouTube

The sea was calm, but the king had a storm in his eyes. This king was Rajaraj Chol. The mighty Rajaraj Chol, who led the great Paranthak dynasty. Rajaraj Chol defeated the Pandya empire, then defeated the Kerala kings, and after that, he also won over the Ganga dynasty and Kalinga. Now his eyes were looking somewhere else, looking for victory. No one knew that he was not a king, but the son of an emperor. An emperor whose borders could not be closed, whose eyes were on the other side of the sea, Ceylon, that is, Sri Lanka. But why? Was it only for looting? No. This hunger was not for eating, it was a hunger for the world. Sri Lanka was not just a lake at that time, it was a treasure trove, a crown of maritime trade, where foreign ships came, But under this calm ocean, a storm was brewing. The king of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Pancham's own soldiers, had rebelled against him. The king was upset and fled to Rohana, the southern eastern part of the country. Just on seeing this opportunity, the Chol emperor Rajaraja Pratham, attacked Sri Lanka. The year was 933. Chol's huge army crossed the sea and touched the land of Sri Lanka. But there was no big army in front, there was no strong resistance. What was there, was Rajaraja's resolve to surrender a kingdom. Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's ancient capital. Chol turned it into ashes. Temples, temples, walls of palaces, everything was destroyed. And then what? Rajaraja made a map of his name there. He included northern Sri Lanka in his kingdom. He named it Mumandi Chol Mandalam, meaning the Chol area with three crowns. Then he changed the capital from Anuradhapura to Polo Norua. And named it Jananathan Mangalam, which was the name of Rajaraja himself. There was another major reason for the attack on Sri Lanka. It was to create religious and cultural pressure. Rajaraja was a strict Shiva devotee. And there was a lot of religion in Sri Lanka. He got Shiva temples built there and also tried to spread his culture. Shiva's name started echoing in the temples. The flags of Chol started waving in the temples. Karvasuli started and Sri Lanka was now in the shadow of Chol, not of India. At some point in time, Sri Ram had won Lanka by building a setu on the sea. But Rajaraja Chol crossed the sea and crushed the kingdom with his ships. Rajaraja was not just a king. He had become a swami who won the sea in the south. But Rajaraja could not win the victory he deserved. But friends, this was just the beginning. Because Rajaraja had taken a birth to complete his unfinished work. At the time of his birth, it was predicted by looking at the star in the sky that this child will not be ordinary. Either he will become a great monk or a great poet. His father had only won the south sea kingdom. But his destiny was to win the entire Indian Ocean. He was going to become the God of kings, that is, Rajendra. He was the same Rajendra who not only had to change history, but also the world. So, the hero of today's story is the great king Rajendra Chol Friends, as always, before proceeding with the story, I would like to tell those viewers who are preparing for UPSC that how this topic can be useful in your preparation. See, this topic is directly related to the great Chola dynasty of the ancient south Indian history in the initial exam of UPSC-CSE. In addition, it is also related to art and culture from the point of view of temple construction, etc. And apart from this, it can also be seen by combining history, art and culture in the first question paper of the general study in the main exam. The story of Rajendra Pratham starts not like a prince, but like a warrior who had put his name on the sword before sitting on the throne. Friends, the time from the 10th to the 11th century was the time where South India was an emerging political field. There was no king here who ruled all over South India. In fact, this was the time when some powerful state in every direction was trying to raise its flag. In the west, there was the empire of Chalukyas. From their capital Kalyani to Karnataka and Maharashtra, there was an organized and powerful rule. They were the biggest rivals of the Cholas. Here in Andhra Pradesh, there were the Poorvi Chalukyas, who were initially rivals of the Cholas. But the king Chola married his daughter to the prince there and made her his wife. To the south, there was the Pandya kingdom, which ruled over Madurai. At times, it was very powerful, but at that time it was a little weak. Still, it was troubled by revolts and secret conspiracies. In Kerala, there was the Cher Rajvansh, which had a prosperous commercial port and had a close relationship with the Arab traders. They used to fight with the Cholas again and again on sea routes. On the other hand, there were small but politically important kingdoms such as Kongu and Nulambu, on which the Cholas could find their way to the borders of Chalukya. Amidst all this, the Rajvansh of the Rajput dynasty was on the verge of collapse. There was a powerful rival in every direction who either wanted to suppress the Cholas or wanted to prove himself superior. But the real strength of the Rajraja Chola was not just his sword. It was his clairvoyant mind and he knew every enemy from its roots. Then he would throw him out of there. One by one, the Rajraja defeated all his enemies. Over time, the Rajraja Chola had taken the empire to new heights. From Kanchi to Sri Lanka, from Kodikarai to Kalahandi. But he knew that to save the empire, not just a successor, but a winner was needed. Rajendra Chola had been tested on the battlefield since childhood. Around the year 1002, when Rajendra was just a prince, he was given the responsibility of the most difficult campaigns of the empire. First of all, he was sent against the Pandavas and Cherarajas, where he destroyed the armies of the enemies in Madurai and Kerala. After this, the Rajraja Chola sent him to Kaling, which is today's Odisha, in that campaign. There, Rajendra won many forts and even covered the capital of Kaling with his flag. Towards the west, he was sent against the western Chalukyas, where he conquered Uttrikarnathak and expanded the Chola borders. Rajendra also succeeded in Koshal, i.e. Chhattisgarh, and Vengi, i.e. today's Andhra Pradesh. He proved his strategic ability. In every battle, he was made not only a commander, but also the emperor of the future. When the Rajraja Prathan saw that his son did not just want to win the war, but also wanted to lead the army, he officially declared him the emperor in 1012 A.D. Rajendra not only participated in wars, but also participated in the royal assembly. His name was mentioned in the orders. The commander started guiding him. And his presence in the court itself became a sign that the next emperor is ready. Then came the year 1014 A.D., when the Rajraja Pratham left this world. But Rajendra had already proved his right on the crown. When he took the throne, the kingdom had already accepted him as its king. And this is where the real story begins. The story of an emperor who made his kingdom bathe in the waters of the Ganges, who crossed the sea and brought a kingdom like Vijay to its knees, and whose name continued to echo from the port of Southeast Asia to the Ganges. Now let's see how Rajendra Chol became so great. It was the year 1019 A.D. The great Chol Emperor Rajendra Chol Pratham had set out for the north. But it was not just a journey. It was a military storm. Rajendra Chol's move towards North India was not sudden. There was a special reason for it. The reason was the Uttaradhika dispute in the Eastern Chalukya Empire. Two brothers were fighting for the throne there. King Vimladitta's son, Rajaraja Narendra, who was Rajendra Chol's sister, Kundavai's son, and Vishnuvardhan Vijayaditya, Vijayaditya was supported by the kings of Kalinga and the Western Chalukya. Now it was not just about the throne. It was a question of Chol's honor. As a result, Rajendra Chol sent his most trusted commander, Arayan Rajrajan. Vijayaditya was defeated, and Rajaraja Narendra was made the ruler of the Eastern Chalukya. But the story did not end there. Now it was time to teach those kings a lesson, who were standing with Vijayaditya. And this is where Rajendra Chol's great campaign begins. His first target in Kalinga was King Indrarath. After defeating him, Chol's army advanced. From there, they advanced through Bastar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand. And then the biggest target appeared. Bengal's king, Mahipal. Chol's army defeated Mahipal in a big battle. One by one, they defeated Dharmapal of Dandi Bhukti, Govindchand of Chandra Vansh, and the remaining kingdoms of Bengal. In the end, they reached Ganga. From there, they retrieved Ganga water and returned. And with this Ganga water, Rajendra Chol, built a big tank in the Kaveri delta. Which was named Chol Ganga Jalash, which was historically known as Vijay's Minar. In the scriptures, it was said, Now this Jalash is known as Ponnori lake. After this victory, King Rajendra Chol became Gangai Kond Chol. That is, Chol who won Ganga. And as a symbol of that pride, the capital Gangai Kond Cholpuram was built. And a famous Shiva temple was built here. It is clear that this was not a pilgrimage. This was a demonstration of power and victory. What was the effect of this war? Some soldiers who had come with Chol army, settled there. It is believed that one of them, a Kannada commander, later established the Sen Vansh. Not only this, hundreds of Shiv Brahmins were brought to South India in Bengal. Who were given land near Kanchi and Kaveri delta. These people later became Shivacharya communities. So this campaign of Rajendra Chol was not just a battle. This was a demonstration of power, a historical example, which shows how a South Indian king, made the whole of North India realize his power. But if Rajendra's desire for importance had calmed down, then how could he have become the greatest Chol emperor in history? Now Rajendra, who wanted to win the entire East Indus Ocean, the year was 1025. This is the year in Indian history, when the empire crossed the sea, trembled with the roar of the Indian sword. Rajendra Chol launched a naval attack, which was not just a war, but a campaign to shake the entire structure of South East Asia. Rajendra Chol, who did not want to be limited to the south, like his father Rajaraja Chol, even crossed the sea and saw the dream of great victory. And he started with Shri Vijay. Such an empire, which had been in control of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand for centuries. This was the same Shri Vijay, who had a close relationship with India. The Shri Vijay empire and India, especially between the Chols, had a deep cultural and commercial relationship. Between the Pal and Shri Vijay rulers, there was a friendly relationship with Buddhism. And the Shri Vijay kings had also donated the Nalanda University. The Chols also had a sea trade and religious connection. But now, in front of the sea ambition of the Chols, this Shri Vijay had become the imperial wall. The main reason for the enmity between the Chols and Shri Vijay, was that he controlled two major sea ports, Malacca and Sunda. His rule was that any ship, whether it goes to China or Arabia, it must first pass through their ports, or must be ready to be looted. Historians say that this rule of the Shri Vijay empire, started troubling the ships of the Chol empire. And now it was time to teach them a lesson. Because of this, the Rajen Chol attacked, which no Indian emperor had done until then. Year 1025, which changed the picture of the entire Southeast Asia. This attack of the Chols, not only shook that prosperous empire, but it also raised a new power beyond the borders of India. But the question arises, why? Was Rajendra Chol facing obstacles in business? Or was it a political triumph, which not only shook India, but also the entire Southeast Asia? Rajendra Chol's first attack on the Shri Vijay empire, was not an ordinary military operation. Rather, there were deep political, economic, and diplomatic reasons behind it. The main reason was the control over business. At the beginning of the 11th century, this was one of the most prosperous and powerful empires of the Chol empire. And its economic backbone was foreign trade. Especially with China, Sri Lanka, Arab countries, and Southeast Asia. The pressure of Shri Vijay was also there, because he controlled two major sea ports, the Malacca Strait and the Sunda Strait. His rule was that, any ship, be it Chinese or Arab, had to pass through his ports, or he had to be ready to be looted. It is said that, he tried a lot to stop the commercial ships of the Chol empire, or to harass them. Due to which, Chol was deeply hurt by commercial interests. Rajendra Chol did not see it only as a financial loss, but he considered it a direct challenge to the prestige and dominance of the Chol empire. He did not want to be just the emperor of South India. He also wanted to establish the power of his empire at the international level. Prior to this, his father, Rajaraja Chol Pratham, also had a friendly relationship with Shri Vijay. But as soon as Shri Vijay obstructed commercial activities, he took a stand in place of his friend. The second major reason was the political turmoil. At that time, in Southeast Asia, there was a struggle between the Khamer empire and the Tambraling empire. Khamer emperor Suryavarman Pratham had asked Rajendra Chol for help. Whereas, Tambraling had asked Shri Vijay for help. In this way, this struggle between the Chol and Shri Vijay was not just a commercial clash, but it turned into an international military occupation between these two political groups. Rajendra Chol saw this opportunity not only as a way to help his ally, but also as a way to achieve his dream of world victory by going across the sea. Apart from this, this step of Rajendra Chol was also inspired by the ambition of expanding the empire. He not only wanted to show his strength across the sea, but also across the Indian Ocean. In South India, he had already defeated the Pandya, Cher, Chalukya and Ganga dynasties. Now, his eyes were on those areas where Indian culture and religion had already entered. And Shri Vijay was such an empire. Here, the influence of Buddhism and Indian culture was already there. In this way, this attack was also an attempt to establish a cultural and intellectual heritage. And in the year 1025 A.D, Rajendra Chol sent his 9th army directly to the western coast of Sumatra from India and launched a swift and swift attack. Let's understand how this attack took place. Usually, Indian ships used to go towards Indonesia from Malacca. But this time, Chol's army made a move. They attacked directly on the western coast of Sumatra. Shri Vijay had no idea about this, because his 9th army was ready at the north-western gate. Whereas, Chol's army had entered from the southern route of Sunda. A powerful attack was made on the capital, Palembang. King of Shri Vijay, Sangram Vijayatung Varman was captured. Temples, palaces, and treasures were all looted. Chol's army had even brought with them a treasure-holder named Vidyadhar Toran to Thanjavur. But interestingly, Chol's did not try to rule over Shri Vijay. This was a swift, precise, and clean attack. As if a storm comes, destroys, and returns. Chol's used monsoon winds in this battle, which allowed them to reach from one port to another very quickly. This strategy was so effective, that Shri Vijay neither had time to defend himself, nor to ask for help. After this battle, Shri Vijay's empire was completely disintegrated. The Shalendra dynasty was destroyed. Just think, an Indian king crossed the sea and looted the capital of a foreign empire. Captured the king, and kept his influence there for many decades. Not only this, in Chinese documents, that area was called Shri Vijay of Chol. In Chinese documents, Shri Vijay of Chol is mentioned. After this, Tamil trade unions like Madigramam, Ayyavol, and Anur Ruvar expanded rapidly there. In some parts of Shri Vijay, Tamil temples, statues, and monuments were found. Which not only proved trade, but also proved cultural existence. This was not an ordinary looting. This was India's first and most influential maritime expansion. However, with the advent of the 12th century, the control of Chol began to loosen. In a poem written around 1120, Kalingattuparani, it is mentioned that Kulottung Chol destroyed Kedaha. After this, the mention of Kedaha disappears from Indian sources. But this maritime victory of Chol had become an example in the history of Asia. A time when India's one king crossed the sea and captured the kings. And a time when the Tamil ship was not only used for spices and clothes, but also for the glory of the empire. But history does not call an emperor only by the length of his sword or the length of his army. The real question is, what was his administration like? Did he make the lives of the people better? Did he only increase his empire or did he also work to reduce it? If we look at Rajendra Chol Pratham on this basis, we see a ruler who was as skilled as a warrior, as well as a far-sighted ruler and a water-wise king. He was successful not only in winning the war, but also in winning the heart of his king. The most important thing about Rajendra Chol's administration was local self-government. In Chol administration, the villages had the freedom to do their own work. There were institutions to work in the villages, such as Urdh, Sabha and Nagram. All of them worked together like panchayats. Rajendra not only made these institutions, but also gave them the right to solve land, tax and disputes. This was the real grassroots governance that we still try to implement. Now let's come to agriculture and agriculture, which was the greatest need of that era. Rajendra had built dams, lakes and canals everywhere. He knew that agriculture would flourish only when the water would reach the right time. Gangai Kond Cholpuram's capital is a great example of this, where the water supply and distribution system was so strong that it is still mentioned after so many years. Rajendra was also very professional in the state administration. The land was surveyed regularly and the tax was fixed according to each field. There was no arbitrariness. Apart from tax, he also ensured the proper use of the land, i.e. roads, ponds, schools, temples, etc. All this was a part of his administration. Now let's talk about religious and cultural policy. Rajendra was not a strict king. He supported the Hindu temples as much as he supported the Buddhists and Biharis. He donated to Nalanda University and also helped religious institutions in Sri Lanka and Sumatra. In his administration, the temples were not only a place of worship, but they were also educational, artistic and cultural centres. And most importantly, Rajendra Cholpuram's ideology was not limited to his own kingdom. He promoted trade and diplomacy. He took Tamil trade guilds like Madigramam, Ayyavol and Ennuruwar abroad. These guilds spread trade in South-East Asia and played an important role in the local economy. What are guilds? In reality, a guild is an organization in which people from the same business or profession come together. This organization protects all the interests of its members, keeps their businessmen in control and regulates competition. In this way, Rajendra Cholpuram started the era of globalization when the rest of the world did not even know how to get out of the village. Rajendra Cholpuram was not just a swordsman. He was such a king who knew that if he wanted to make the kingdom sustainable, it was necessary for the administration to be strong, the farmers to be satisfied and the businessmen to be able to fly. His ideology was known far beyond the scope of the kingdom to the cultural and administrative unity. This is why he is still considered not just a winner but a visionary ruler. And this is why Rajendra Cholpuram's Jayanti was celebrated in South-East Asia at the beginning of the construction of the Gangai Kond Cholpuram Temple So friends, how did you like today's personality program? If you have actually learned something from it, then do write the summary of this story below in the comment section. And also suggest who you want to see in the next section. If you want to serve the country as IAS-IPS, then it is time to stand up, prove yourself and take your UPSC-CSE preparation to a new level. Because now, StudyIQ IAS Hindi has come to you for the complete preparation of UPSC-IAS P2I i.e. Prelims to Interview Badge which will prove to you the one-stop solution from prelims to interview. But listen carefully, this is not just a course, it is a game changer. Because this program has been prepared for all such candidates. Whether you are starting or at the advanced level. 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