CHENNAI: One of the most distinguishing features of the Chola Empire was their comfort with diversity. Instead of replacing existing cultures after conquest, the Cholas added a new layer to them which helped them to build a transregional empire, said author Anirudh Kanisetti at the second day of the ThinkEdu conclave on Tuesday. Kanisetti was speaking with Ravi Shankar, Consulting Editor of The Sunday Standard, during a session titled “Enigmatic Empires: Who Were the Cholas?”Highlighting the difference between Cholas and other empires, he said that Chaulukyas would defeat enemies, force tribute and appoint local puppet rulers. However, Cholas removed local dynasties and replaced them with princes from their own family and encouraged Tamil merchants to migrate and blend with local cultures which was new to South India at that time. This fostered strong logistical ties, enabling the Cholas to maintain control over distant regions and create a truly transregional empire. He also noted that unlike Mauryas or Guptas, he said the Cholas unified India’s coast. Talking about the influence of Cholas in the growth of Tamil, he said that the language became international with it being spoken in courts of South Karnataka and north Lanka. “We know that embassies from Cambodia and even China came to Chola court. It would not be ridiculous to expect that Tamil would have been heard in Angkor,” he said. He also highlighted the influence of the Chola dowager queen and great-aunt of Sembiyan Mahadevi in the kingdom and establishing the Nataraja idol as an iconic symbol of India. Stating that Natarja, the Sembiyan Mahadevi’s favourite deity, was rarely depicted in temples on the Cauvery floodplain before her time, he said that the queen built 12 temples and contributed to many more, even beyond the Chola core territory during her tenure.
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