Chola Maritime Navy

Timeline

1. c. 900–1050Thanjavur–Kaveri Delta · Tamil NaduUnder Rajaraja I and Rajendra I, the Chola established a standing fleet, expeditioned to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia; ports such as Nagapattinam and Kaveripattinam became hubs for warship construction, resupply, and trade, with the navy operating integrated with the tributary trade network.
2. 1161–1170Nagapattinam · Tamil NaduDuring the reign of Rajaraja II (c. 1150–1173), the Chola navy continued to control northern Bay of Bengal routes, maintaining a military presence at trade nodes in northern Sri Lanka and the Malay Peninsula; inscriptions and documents record that port taxes and escort systems were still operating.
3. c. 1250–1279Coast of South India · IndiaThe rise of the Pandyas and internal Chola divisions weakened central naval coordination, while ports grew more independent; after the Chola Empire fell, its unified fleet system ceased to exist, though coastal shipbuilding and trade traditions were partly inherited by successor states.