Cholas : Trade and Commerce

5.1 Do you know

Description Image Source “Trade and commerce flourished under the Chola . The Imperial Cholas tried to enhance their maritime strength by gaining control over all strategically important Chola inscriptions and Tamil coastlines. They captured the Southwest give vivid picture on Coast of and almost the entire Indian the Chola’s maritime activities. east coast up to the mouth of Gangas. They Chola Port at also seized the , Sri , and the Kambhoja Andamans”.

“There were many port towns during the Kaveripattinam, Chola period. The Chola inscriptions portray Chola Port the Chola ports and its international trade Chola inscriptions and Tamil activities. Kaveripattinam, a Coromandel literature give vivid picture on Coast port was described in classical Tamil works, was very active in maritime trade. the Chola’s maritime activities From that port town the Chola merchants exported and imported the commercial goods.”

5.2 Timeline

Timelines Image Description

848 CE Vijayalaya founded the medieval

985 CE became ruler of the Imperial power of the Cholas

Rajaraja I

1012 CE Rajendra I became ruler

Suryavarman of Kambhoja sought friendly relation with the 1002-50 CE Cholas

The Chola port Kaveripattinam was very active in maritime 1st century CE trade

1077 CE An embassy from the Chola reached Chinese court

1246-1279 CE Rajendra III, last ruler of the

5.3 Glossary

Staring Related Term Definition Character Term A Market in the commercial center Angā di pē rangā di

C Chitrameli- An agricultural Guild involved in the transactions of periyanattar periyanattar agricultural products.

C Chu-lian Means Chola, mentioned in Chinese records yavanas

M Mahanagaram Big town or big commercial center nagaram

M Manigramam Merchants guild of the medieval valinjiyar

N Nagarattar Name of merchant class, inhabitant of Nagaram unit Chettiyar

N Nanadesi A powerful merchant guild, who involve in foreign trade Ayyavole

N Nanadesi Literally means that the five hundred merchants from Tisaiayirattu four countries and thousand directions. Ainurruvar Ainurruvar

5.4 Web links

Web links https://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/chola_dynasty www.historytuition.com/modern India/Cholas https://ithihas.wordpress.ccom/trade-and commerce- in ancient India https://cs.magill.ca/arwest/link-suggestions/wped_2008/Chola_Dynasty.html www.island.lk/2005/09/05/features6.html www.gatewayforindia.com/articles/cholas.shtml https://en.wikipedia/Chola_Navy www.indianetzone.com/History of South India/ Chola Dynasty www.history discussion.net/Indian History/Empire/Chola Empire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/relationship_of_the_Cholas_with_the_Chinese hsshistory blogspot.com/chola-dynastry-html

5.5 Bibliography

Bibliography Appadorai. A, Economic Conditions in South India, 1000-1500 AD, 2 Vols., University of Madras, Madras, 1936. Chapakalakshmi. R, Trade, Ideology and Urbanization: South India, 300 B.C. to A.D 1200, Oxford University Press, , 1996. Dietmar Rothermund, Asian Trade and European Expansion in the age of Mercantilism, Manohar, Delhi, 1981. Kanakalatha Mukund, The Trading World of the Tamil Merchant: Evolution of Merchant Capitalism in the Coromandel, Orient Black Swan, Hyderabad, 1999. Kanakasabhai. V, The Eighteen Hundred Years Ago, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 1989 (reprint). Kenneth R. Hall, Trade and Statecraft in the Age of Colas, Abhinav Publications, New Delhi, 1980. Meera Abraham, Two Medieval Merchant Guilds of south India, Manohar, New Delhi, 1988.

Nilakanta Sastri. K.A, A , 4th ed., Oxford University Press, Madras, 1975. Nilakanta Sastri. K.A, Foreign Notice of South India: From Megasthenes to Ma Huan, University of Madras, 1939. Nilakanta Sastri. K.A, The Colas, University of Madras, Madras, 1955. Noboru Karashima, A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2014. Noboru Karashima, South Indian History and Society: Studies from Inscriptions, AD 850-1800, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1984. Ranabir Chakravarti (ed.), Trade in Early India, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2001. Shanmugam. P, The Revenue System of the Cholas, 850-1279, New Era Publications, Madras, 1987. Subbarayalu. Y, Political Geography of the Chola Country, State Department of Archaeology, Madras, 1973. Subbarayalu. Y, South India under the Cholas, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2012. Vijaya Ramasamy, Textiles and Weavers in Medieval South India, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1985.