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Kulottunga I

Type Figure Region South India Time c. 1025–1122 Also known as Copper-Crowned Chola King

Kulottunga I (c. 1025–1122) was one of the longest-reigning emperors of the Chola dynasty, combining both Eastern Chalukya and Chola royal lineages.…

Timeline

  1. c. 1025–1070Vengi · Andhra PradeshKulottunga I was born the son of the Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra and the Chola princess Amangadevi, combining the bloodlines of both dynasties. At the Vengi court he received a military and statecraft education; through his maternal Chola lineage he was qualified to inherit the Chola imperial throne, and gradually established his position within the political networks of South India.
  2. c. 1070–1095Gangaikonda Cholapuram · Tamil Nadu StateAfter the death of the Chola emperor Adhirajendra around 1070, Kulottunga I smoothly succeeded to the imperial throne through his status as a royal in-law, ending a brief period of succession turmoil. He abolished the tribute owed by Sri Lanka, began reforming the tax system, and achieved administrative integration with the former Vengi territories, consolidating the legitimacy of the dual royal lineage.
  3. c. 1095–1122Gangaikonda Cholapuram · Tamil Nadu StateIn the later part of his reign, Kulottunga I implemented the kadamai land survey system, systematically cataloguing the empire's lands and tax base, and was praised in inscriptions as lord of the measured earth. He greatly patronized Shiva temples such as Chidambaram, maintained maritime trade influence over Southeast Asian ports, and contended with northern powers such as Kalinga. His reign of over fifty years made him a representative monarch of the Chola golden age.

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