We have absolutely no authentic information regarding the origin of the name Chola. Col. Gerini connected the word with Sanskrit Kala (black) and with Kola which in the early days designated the dark-coloured pre-Aryan population of southern India in general.

Bhandarkar connected it with Sanskrit ‘Chora ‘(thief) while it has been connected with ‘Colam’ which means millet in Tamil. Killi, Valavan and Sembiyan are the other names of the Cholas.

The Cholas adopted the tiger as their crest which figured on their banner. The Chola dominion came to be known as Tondaimandalam or Cholamandalam in early medieval times with the capital at Uraiyur in Tiruchirapalli district and subsequently at Kaverippumpattinam or Puhar founded by the Chola king Karikal, a contemporary of the Chera King Perunjeral Adan. In the middle of the 2nd century BC, it seems that a Chola king called Elara conquered Sri Lanka and ruled over it for nearly 50 years.

Karikala, the foremost among the Sangam Cholas, was the son of Ilanjetcenni. Karikala means ‘the man with the charred leg’. It is said that in his early life he was kidnapped and imprisoned by his enemies, who subsequently set the prison on fire.

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While he was passing through the fire, his leg was caught in the flames and charred and so, it is said, he was called Karikala. In later times, under Sanskritic influences, the name was explained as Death (Kala) to ‘Kali’ or death to (‘enemies’) elephants.

Karikala Chola was a very competent ruler and a great warrior. He fought a great battle at Venni in which the Pandyas and the Cheras both suffered crushing defeats. In this battle eleven minor chieftains were also uprooted. He again defeated a confederacy of nine minor chieftains in a battle at Vakaipparandalai.

With this victory, he established his hold over the entire Tamil country. Karikala maintained a powerful navy, which he used to conquer Sri Lanka, from where he brought a large number of prisoners of war whom he used for building a huge embankment of 160 km to the Kaveri River.

This was built with the laboul 12,000 slaves brought as captives from Sri Laifl He made Puhar or Kaverippumapattinaml important port and an alternative capital of Chola kingdom. The poet of Pattinappalai \ an account of the port of Puhar, state of indui and commerce under Karikala, who also pron the reclamation and settlement of forest land; added to the prosperity of the countryj multiplying irrigation tanks. He is also credited v converting the Oliyar community from nomadij to a settled life.

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After the death of Karikala, his dominion steeped in utter confusion as a result of dome! Strife in the Chola family two sons of Karilf ruled from two different capitals – Nalangilli from Puhar and Nedungilli from Uraiyur consequent civil war ended with the deathl Nedungilli. After Nalangilli, Killivalavan came the throne that captured Karur, the Chera capif He seems to have died in a battle with the PandJ forces.

Another renowned Chola king Kopperunjolan who also ruled from Uraiyur.’ was a serious quarrel between Kopperunjolan i his two sons and the king ultimately commitlj suicide, along with his friend and poet Andai.

Perunarkilli was another Chola king who is only one among the Sangam kings who perform the Rajasuya sacrifice attended by Chera M| Venko and Pandya Ugra Peruvaludi.

Koccenganan come next as Chola king. Generally known for his religious zeal Chola king was Ilanjetcenni who captured I fortresses (Seruppali and Pamulur) from the Senganan, the Chola king famed in legend for I) devotion to Siva, figures as the victor in battle Por against the Chera Kanaikkal Irumporai. Chera king was imprisoned and later release Senganan Chola is said to have built 70 fine temple of Siva. With the rise of Pallavas, the Choi became only a marginal force in South Indf history.