Who was Vijayalaya Chola?
Q: Who was Vijayalaya Chola?
A: Vijayalaya Chola was a king of South India who founded the imperial Chola dynasty.
Q: Where did he rule?
A: He ruled over the region to the north of the river Kaveri River.
Q: What caused the 'dark' age of Tamil history?
A: The 'dark' age of Tamil history came about after c. 300 CE when the ancient Chola kingdom almost completely disappeared from their native land and faded into darkness.
Q: How did Vijayalaya re-establish his dynasty?
A: During a struggle or war between the Pallavas and Pandyas, Vijayalaya captured the Thanjavur region from Elango Mutharaiyars and defeated both powers, making himself ruler of Thanjavur and surrounding regions.
Q: What title did he take on?
A: Vijayalaya took on the title of Parakesarivarman, while succeeding kings took turns taking titles such as Parakesari and Rajakesari to acknowledge their ancestor's legacy.
Q: What is attributed to him in terms of construction?
A: It is said that he built a temple to goddess Nisumbhasudani (Durga) in Tanjore city, which he also developed, as well as a solesvara temple in Narttamalai, Pudukkottai.
Q: When did he die?
A: He died c. 871 CE and was succeeded by his son Aditya I.
