Rajaraja Chola, King of Kings,
\nIncomparable Chola, Great Saviour, Jewel of the Solar Dynasty, Lion Among
\nKings, was one of the greatest rulers of medieval India. During his reign,
\nthe Chola empire expanded through virtually all of the southern reaches of
\nthe peninsula and beyond, from the Krishna-Godavari delta in northern Andhra
\nPradesh to large parts of northern Sri Lanka. Born Arulmozhi Varman in 947
\nce, he trained under his father and uncle for over a quarter of a century and
\nthen ruled for twenty-nine years. King of Kings is a fitting title for this
\nmultifaceted man who was brilliant, ambitious, ruthless, and a visionary. He
\nfortified the foundations of what was till then a ragtag kingdom, put into
\nplace a meticulously organized system of administration, and led the kingdom
\nto reign supreme in military might, as an economic powerhouse, and in art,
\narchitecture, literature, music, and dance.

In this book, Kamini Dandapani explores the man behind the larger-than-life
\nimage of Rajaraja and the milieu in which he reigned. The origins of the
\nChola empire lie in the Sangam era around 2,000 years ago, when the first
\nrulers of the family, men like Karikala and Kochengannan, ruled over small
\ntracts of land around the Kaveri delta. By the middle of the ninth century,
\nthe ?Imperial Cholas? (as historians named them) began to consolidate power
\nat the expense of rivals like the Pallavas, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Cheras,
\nGangas, Pandyas, and other smaller kingdoms. Rajaraja became king in 985 ce
\nand, during his reign, the Chola empire reached its zenith. All his major
\nachievements are described in detail?victories on the battlefield, the
\nexpansion of territory, the building of the monumental Brihadeeshwara Temple,
\nthe gargantuan land survey, and much else besides. The book
\ngoes into every aspect of Chola society?the place of women, the flowering
\nof culture, including the making of exquisite Chola bronzes, the spread of
\nreligion, and the lives of ordinary people. After the death of Rajaraja in
\n1014, his son Rajendra expanded the empire; others that followed had mixed
\nfortunes and, a couple of centuries later, the dynasty succumbed to their
\ngreatest rivals,
\nthe Pandyas.
\nHowever, in their heyday, and especially under their greatest king, few
\nempires or emperors could compare with the Cholas and Rajaraja. This
\nscrupulously researched and brilliantly told biography brings to vivid and
\ncompelling life one of India?s greatest empires and rulers.