The ancient Chola kingdom, once famous in Tamil literature and the writings of Greek merchants and geographers faded into darkness after c. 300 CE.

This "dark" age of Tamil history came to an end with the ascendancy of the Pandyas and the Pallavas after overthrowing Kalabhras in 590 CE.

The Cholas disappeared from the Tamil land almost completely in this debacle, though a branch of them can be traced towards the end of the dark period in Rayalaseema—the Andhra Chodas, whose kingdom is mentioned by Yuan Chwang in the seventh-century CE.

[5] Making use of the opportunity during a war between the Pandyas and Pallavas, Vijayalaya rose out of obscurity and captured Thanjavur.

Around mid ninth century CE, there was a great struggle going on between the Pallavas and the Pandyas for the political supremacy of South India.

Making use of the opportunity during a war between Pandyas and Pallavas, Vijayalaya rose and established the Chola empire at Thanjavur with help of Muttaraiyar king Sattan Paliyilli (826–852 CE).

The Pandyan army reached the north bank of the Kaveri near Thanjavur and for a while the Chola revival looked short lived.

The Tiruvalangadu plates state that Vijayalaya captured the city of Tanjavur and made it his capital and that he also built in it a temple to the goddess Nisumbhasudani (Durga).