The Cholas were one of the three dynasties described as the Muvendhar in Sangam literature. After the Sangam period there are no records about them until about the ninth century CE. The expansion of agriculture in the river valleys, the temple, and the Bhakti movement of the Nayanmars and Azhwars led to the formation of a monarchy ruled by the descendants of the old Chola lineage. After the eclipse of the Chola kingdom, the Pandyas, who ruled from Madurai in the Vaigai river basin, wielded tremendous power during the 14th century.
1. Origin of the Later Cholas and Sources
- After the Sangam Age the Cholas remained subordinates to the Pallavas in the Kaveri region.
- The re-emergence began with Vijayalaya (850–871 CE), who conquered the Kaveri delta from the Muttaraiyar, built the city of Thanjavur and established the Chola kingdom in 850. Historians call them the Later Cholas or Imperial Cholas.
- In their copper plates the Cholas trace their ancestry to Karikala; an eponymous king 'Chola' is mentioned as the progenitor.