Chola government

Cholas were the first dynasty who tried to bring the entire South India under a common rule and to a great extent succeeded in their efforts.

The operations in the field were taken care of by the ambalakkarars (local chieftains or panchayat leaders) who were in connection with the respected ministers.

The bulk of the conquests occurred during Rajaraja, and in his reign the Chola kingdom ceased to be a small state, and the character of the Empire took true imperial proportions.

The presence of the great Brihadisvara Temple also provided the impetus to the grandeur of the monarchy as well as the financial hub of the empire.

Inscriptions on the walls of the Brihadisvara temple give us information on the number of royal palaces once present in the city.

Rajendra Chola established the town of Gangaikonda Cholapuram and made it his capital commemorating his successful expedition to the Ganges in 1023 CE.

His share in the administration consisted of issuing oral commands to responsible officers when representations were made to him.

An inscription of the eighth century CE at Uttaramerur temple describes the constitution of the local council, eligibility and disqualifications for the candidates, the method of selection, their duties and delimits their power.

We have an example of such reports in an inscription from the reign of Uttama Chola which gives us the details of the remissness and neglect of some officials in the delay of recording a particular grant.

The Chola government was very mindful of the need for the fair and accurate collection of tax to run the state machinery.

They attested and certified important documents drawn up by local government agencies such as village councils.

Justice was mostly a local matter in the Chola Empire, where minor disputes were settled at the village level.

The punishments for minor crimes were in the form of fines or a direction for the offender to donate to some charitable endowment.

Crimes of the state such as treason were heard and decided by the king himself and the typical punishment in such cases was either execution or confiscation of property.

Rajendra Chola II ordered the culprit to endow 96 sheep for a lamp at a neighbouring temple.

Towards the end of the ninth century CE, the countries of southern India had developed extensive maritime and commercial activity.

The Tang dynasty of China, the Srivijaya empire in the Malayan archipelago under the Sailendras and the Abbasid Caliphate at Baghdad were the main trading partners.

A fragmentary Tamil inscription found in Sumatra mentions the name of a merchant guild Nanadesa Tisaiyayirattu Ainnutruvar (நானாதேச திசையாயிரத்து ஐந்நூற்றுவர்) (Lit.

The inscriptions are dated 1088 CE, clearly proving that there was an active overseas trade during the Chola period.