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Question 76 of 93 · Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms
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The great Chola king Rajaraja I ascended the throne in the year:

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Answer: Option C — 985 CE

Detailed Solution

The great Chola king Rajaraja I (Rajaraja Chola I) ascended the throne in 985 CE, and ruled until 1014 CE.

About Rajaraja I:

  • His original name was Arulmozhivarman.
  • He was the son of Sundara Chola (Parantaka II).
  • He is regarded as one of the greatest rulers of the Chola dynasty, who laid the foundation of the Chola empire.

His conquests:

  • He defeated the Cheras and destroyed their fleet at Kandalur Salai (on the Kerala coast).
  • He conquered the Pandya kingdom.
  • He invaded Sri Lanka, destroyed the old capital Anuradhapura, and made Polonnaruwa the capital of the northern part of the island, which became a Chola province.
  • He conquered the Gangas (Gangavadi), parts of the Western Chalukya territory, and Vengi.
  • He conquered the Maldives ("the 12,000 islands").
  • He built a strong navy.

His administration:

  • He organised a land survey and a strong administration.
  • Village assemblies (sabhas and urs) managed local affairs.
  • He began the practice of recording the history of his reign in the long introductions (prashastis or meikirtis) of his inscriptions.

The Brihadeshwara temple:

  • He built the famous Brihadeshwara (Rajarajeshwaram) temple at Thanjavur, dedicated to Shiva, completed in 1010 CE.
  • Its vimana (tower above the sanctum) is about 66 metres high, one of the tallest in the world.
  • It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples".
  • He took the titles "Mummudi Chola" and "Rajakesari".

His successor:

His son, Rajendra I (1014-1044), extended the empire further, conquering the Ganga valley and sending a naval expedition to South-East Asia.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗907 CE was the beginning of Parantaka I's reign.
  • ✗1014 CE was the year Rajendra I became king.
  • ✗1070 CE was the beginning of Kulottunga I's reign.

Quick tip

Remember: Rajaraja I = 985-1014 CE (Brihadeshwara temple, Thanjavur, 1010; conquered Sri Lanka and the Maldives); Rajendra I = 1014-1044.

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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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