Decline of the Chola dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a vast and important dynasty that ruled South India for a very long time from early 9th century to late 13th century. The founder of the Chola dynasty was Vijayalaya. He was a great ruler and was followed by his son Aditya I who defeated the Pallava king Aparajitha and ruled from 907-955 CE. The Cholas became a supreme power and gained control over a significant number of territories during his reign. Later Aditya I was succeeded by Parantaka Chola I who was an ambitious ruler and engaged himself in various wars during his reign. He conquered Madurai from the Pandya ruler Rajasimha II and assumed the title of Maduraikonda. Later Rajaraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola II expanded the kingdom till the far areas of Tamil Nadu. Afterwards Kulothunga Chola I took over Kalinga to establish a strong rule. The glory of the Cholas lasted till the arrival of the Pandyas on the scene in the early 13th century CE.
BEGINNING OF THE DECLINE
The decline of the Cholas started with the death of Rajendra Chola I because his successors were incapable. Following the death of Athirajendra Chola, the Eastern Chalukya ruler Rajendra Chalukya seized the empire and established the Chola Chalukya dynsty. He assumed the throne after taking the title of Kulothunga Chola I. He ruled efficiently but lost control of the Chola territories in Ceylon. The Pandya territory fell out of Chola hands while Kanchipuram was conquered by the Telugu Cholas.
Kulothunga Chola I’s son Vikrama Chola tried to restore Chola power by reconquering Vengi and seizing control of Gangavadi. He ruled peacefully, except for the floods and famines that occurred during his reign. He was followed by a number of weak rulers on the throne namely Kulothunga Chola II, Rajaraja Chola II, and Rajadhiraja Chola II. Kulothunga Chola III who ascended the throne in 1178 CE tried to revive the Chola fortunes. He pushed back the advancing army of the Ceylonese in the empire. Despite these victories the empire continued to decline further and further.
At the same time the Hoysalas and the Pandyas were strengthening their positions in the area. Similarly, the rulers of Ceylon, Kerala and the Pandya kingdom who were initially subordinate to the Cholas tried to assume independence. Kulothunga Chola III was followed by his sons Rajaraja III and Rajendra III. At this time the empire had sunk to its lowest. The capital Tanjore was sacked by Maravarman Sundara Pandya during this time and Rajaraja III had to flee from the capital. He was captured by a Pallava chieftain named Kopperunjinga and had to appeal to the Hoysala ruler Vira Ballala II to come to his aid and rescue him from captivity. Later a civil war broke out between the two brothers, Rajaraja III and Rajendra III which gave a golden opportunity to their rivals- the Hoysalas of Dwarsamudra, the Kakatiyas of Warangal, and the Pandyas of Madura to enrich themselves.
The final blow was dealt by Jatavarman Sundar Pandya who overran a large portion of the Chola territory. Rajendra III was unable to deal with the swiftly changing circumstances and by 1267 CE the empire was parcelled between the Kakatiyas and the Hoysalas. The Cholas disintegrated completely and faded into obscurity.
REASONS FOR THE DECLINE
Although the Cholas were one of the richest and strongest imperial forces of the time, they were unable to regain their previous position due to a lack of resources. Increasing corruption and continuous expeditions drained the wealth of the empire.
The imperial army considered to be the strongest at a time became inefficient. Dishonesty and corruption crawled in during the final days of the empire.
There were continuous succession disputes and rivalries between the princes. It provided a golden opportunity for the rivals to take advantage of the situation. Also, the subordinates began becoming independent and the allies changed sides and aligned with the victorious sides.
The Chola morale broke after Maravarman Sundar Pandya defeated Kulothunga Chola III and drove him and his son into exile. The capital Tanjore was ransacked thus stripping off all the wealth and glory of the empire.
