Chola hegemony in South India under Kulothunga Chola II

Timeline

1. 1141–1144Chola core territories · Tamil NaduKulothunga Chola II continued the Chola tradition of centralization, maintaining control over the districts of the Kaveri delta through inscribed tax records and local official appointments, with the temple system and royal bureaucratic network mutually reinforcing each other.
2. 1144–1147Pandya frontier · South IndiaChola and Pandya repeatedly jostled along the southern border, each applying pressure in turn through military action and marriage diplomacy. Though the Cholas still held the upper hand, signs of a Pandya revival had emerged and the southern balance of power was beginning to loosen.
3. 1147–1150Coromandel coast · South IndiaChola naval and merchant networks sustained influence over trade routes to Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, while numerous temple inscriptions record royal donations and scholarly patronage. Economic and cultural prosperity masked signs of weakening military hegemony.