Cholas

The rule of the territory of Pondicherry came under the influence of the Chola dynasty in the tenth century. The Cholas established their rule in the region after defeating the last king of the Pallava dynasty. The powerful Cholas defeated the Pallavas who ruled the Deccan region of South India from the fourth to the beginning of the tenth century.

The kingdom of the Chola dynasty in the medieval period extended from the city of Nellore to Pudukottai along the coromandel coast in the east of India. The Chola dynasty rose to power under the rule of the King Aditya I. The empire of the Cholas were constantly under the threat from the Pandya dynasty that was an emerging power in South India. The son of Aditya I, Parantaka, was able to sentence the Pandya king to exile after his invasion of Ceylon and Mathura. The power of the Chola dynasty grew under the kingship of Rajaraja who ruled from 985 to 1014 A.D. The aggressive policies of the king won him several empires that fell under his power after their conquests. The empire fought several fierce battles with the Chalukyas and the king Rajadhiraja was killed in the brave battle with the Chalukyas in 1052. The decline of the Chola dynasty started in the 13th century. The Vijayanagar empire superseded the power of the Cholas in South India but the reign of the region of Pondicherry fell under the Pandya dynasty.

The Cholas are an important dynasty in the medieval history of Pondicherry that controlled and shaped the socio economic conditions of the territory.