The estab­lishment of large kingdoms resulted in the develop­ment of cities which played an important role in the political and social life of the country. Thanjavur in the lower Kaveri basin was the capital of the Cholas from the time Chola Vijayalaya wrested it from Muttaraiyan in the middle of the ninth century probably as a feudatory of the Pallavas. Rajaraja’s son, Rajendra Chola, set up a new capital in Gangai- kondacholapuram near Thiruchirapalli to commem­orate his successful expedition to North India when he is stated to have brought ‘Ganga jal’ on the heads of conquered kings for pouring into the tank- Cholagangam-dug out near the new capital. Details of these two places are available from numerous inscriptions, literary sources as also the hymns of Karuvurttevar praising Rajarajesvara-Thanjavuru.

It would appear that Thanjavur had a fort wall and a deep moat surrounding it; Gangaikondacholapuram had a big palace and another place of residence known as Cholakeralan; and even the servants of the king’s bath-house had separate quarters to stay in. Rajaraja and his sister Kundavai had a retreat in Palaiyaru near Kumbakonam which contained a temple of Arumoli Devesvara, named after Rajaraja. There was a palace for the Chola-Pandya viceroy at Madurai. After Aditya Chola’s conquest of the Pallava territory, Kanchipuram became a sort of subsidiary capital of the Cholas. Coronations were held there as also at Chidambaram whose principal deity Nataraja was held in great reverence by the Cholas.

Inscriptions reveal that the Rajarajesvara temple at Thanjavur was nearing completion in 1010 AD, and in 1011 the engraving of inscriptions on its walls began. The records mention the names of a number of streets, the royal palaces within and outside the city, and the velams (quarters) for the servants in the royal establishment. During Rajaraja’s time the city centre with its big bazaar was called ukatal and the outlying areas purambad. Two new streets running east to west in front of the temple were laid out during Rajaraja’s reign.

The streets were called northern and southern Talicceris and housed about four hundred courtesans brought from all parts of the domain including Ceylon. They were each given a house and enough agricultural land for mainte­nance. Their names and door numbers are still there in the inscriptions. Inscriptions also mention the Jayabhima and the Tanai Mamani temples. A hospital attached to a Vishnu temple was named after Kundavai, Rajaraja’s sister, and received an endow­ment from her. Thanjavur was a rich and well- provided city where the royal court and the temple were supreme.