Society Of Imperial

Cholas
 Introduction
 During the middle period of the 9th Century, Vijayalaya founded a

powerful empire
 Their successors especially Rajaraja and Rajendra. In the beginning of

the 10th Century the Chola monarchs introduced a series of social

reforms for the benefit of the people as a whole.
 They divided the kingdom into provinces.

 Provinces were divided into districts and districts were divided into

taluks. Each taluk was divided into villages.

 Villages had separate councils to administer.
 Elected assembly existed in the villages. So village administration

figured as the primary administrative unit of the Cholas.

 the Indian Government follows this principle of the Cholas in giving

importance to the villagers.

Society
 The Chola ruler were Hindus.

 They followed the the tradition of Pallavas and enforced the

Varnasiramadharma in their country.

 They constructed temple based on agams.

 Vijayalaya constructed the temple as part of his administration and

donated wealth in the form of money or land.

 They considered it as a service to god and religion.

 The land donated to the temple appointed to conduct

regular religious ceremonies.

 The rulers spent of major state income for construct of

temple.
 The revenue of the temple lands was kept preserved in it.

 It acted as landlord and treasury.

 Brahmins position
 Brahmins became stronger, during this period the temples were
increased, it required the service of more Brahmins.
 Brahmins were invited from Northern part of India to settle
permanently in the Chola kingdom.
 Brahmins from Telungu, Kannada, Mysore, Gujarat ,etc.
 Special grant were awarded for their settlement. The grants were
called Brahmadanam land.
 The villages inhabited by Brahmins were called
‘Chadurvedimangalam’.
 it was also known as Mangalam, Agaram, Brahmapuram,
Agraharam, Agara Brahmadeya, Agara- Brahmadesa,
Brahamadesam and Brahmamangalam.
 These lands were exempted from taxation.
 An important of Kulothunga I mentioned an endowment for the
feeding the Brahmins on noon day.
 They were treated as highcaste in the society.
 Most of the settlements existed in and around the temple.
 The Brahmins were respected and honoured. They involved
Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads.
 Epic stories were also narrated to the common men.
 They also acted as Rajaguru to the king.
 Most of the Chief ministers and commanders -in -chief of the
army were the Brahmins.
 King appointed them as juries in the court.
 Temple oriented society
 The temple were closely associate with the society.

 It gave employment opportunities to the people.

 People worked in the temple as artist and labours in the temple.

 The temple also accommodated Potters, Blacksmiths, and

Washermen.
 The Tanjore and Tiruvorriyur temple inscriptions gave a clear
account of the servant who worked in their temple and
remunerations.
 It provided accommodation to the houseless servants.

 The houses constructed in the temple premises were rendered

memories services to the people by providing food and cloth.

 The importance was given to the education of the illiterate in the

society.
 The local temple was utilized to impart religious education to

them.
 It also rendered medical aid to public.

 As a debtor the temple lent money to the tenants of the village

for cultivation and maintance of their land.

 It encouraged cultivation in society.

 The commodities produced in the land related to the temple

solved to some extant, food scarcity.

 The consumers items produced in thee Devadana and

Brahmadana lands had great demand from the public.

 It also served as a centre of music and entertainment. Varies

performance of their artists,including dance were held in temple

and madams.
 It enlightened the local population.

 Thus the temple acted as an agent for the development of

 The development of the village and the towns were closely
associated with the temples.
 The temple was the nucleus around which, a town, in course of
time, grew.
 It attract a large number of population because cities and villages
were closely connected with the deities in the temple.
 As temples were the only recognized institution, people gave due
respect and importance to them.
 The political and economic situation that prevailed in this period
compelled the people to depend more on temples.
 People begin to settle very close to the Devadana and
Brahmadana lands and considered temple as their guide and
saviour.
 Most of the temples, exploited the situation and brought them
under their control and guidance.

 The enforcement of Varnasiramadharma confirmed the

domination and status of Brahmin in religious and society.

 They even acted as landlords and collected taxes from lands,

houses and articles in the name of the temple and government.

 They privileged high cast Brahmins treated the economically

backward and low natives as untouchables and slaves.

 Their legitimate rights were denied.

 The unprivileged Valangai sects, protested against the inhuman

activities of the privileged Valangai groups.

 As temple were mainly responsible for the dominance of

Valangai, the common people turned against the temple.

 The Idangai people destroyed temple and looted the Pandarams.

 People even opposed the feudal society and refused to pay taxes.

 In 1071 A.D the Chadurmangalam of the Brahmins were burnt.

 Valangai and Idangai Groups
The board divisions of the population of the Chola country into

Valangai or right – hand Idangai or left – hand highlighted the

social inequality that existed in society.
The origin of this division is unknown.

It was equated with an ancient in the royal court of Karikala. On

one occasion ,two section of the people laid their disputes before
Karikala,the sangam ruler.
The puranic evidences attributed that there were 98 tribes each in

Valangai and Idangai groups.

Later ,these groups flourished and had influence in politics,
society and even in military.
Several regiments of the Chola army counted as of the Valangai
in the region of Rajaraja I.
The Valangai divisions treated the unprivileged agriculturist and
other taxes payers as Idangai divisions.
The Chola period these divisions attained social colours and
quarrelled each other as enemies.
The Valangai groups enjoyed politacal,social,economic and
religious benefit.
the Idangai people were strictly denied to enjoy minimum rights
and freedom.
They were treated as low castes and prohibited to get education,
governments jobs, protection, land rights, temple entry and other
civic rights.
 Disparity was shown in the temples.

 This divisions affected even in the class of courtesans and

dancing girls.
 The Valangai and the Idangai rapture reached its zenith

during the reign of Kulottunga I.

 In 1071,the affected Idangai people burnt

Chadurvedimangalam, a Brahmin settlement and destroyed

a number of temples.