The Chola empire was one of the most powerful medieval period Hindu dynasty that ruled most parts of south India and parts of Sri Lanka, Maldives, South East Asia from 9th century to about 13th century. While this is true, many Historians believe that the early Chola established their first kingdom in Sothern India around 600 BC. The Cholas were famous for their art, architecture, Literature and administration but also for their military might and naval expansion. The Cholas reached its zenith under the reign of Rajaraja I and Rajendra Chola I, who made the empire a Military, economic and cultural powerhouse in Asia. Rajaraja Chola spread his kingdom from Southern parts of India to parts of Srilanka and Maldives. He then sent a victorious expedition to Northern parts of India that reached Ganges by defeating the Pala king of Patlipatra, Mahipala.
He then expanded overseas and conquered Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Bangladesh , Maldives and Indonesia. To begin with Cholas did not have a permanent Navy, they used their merchant ships for naval purposes. These merchant ships were used to transport infantry soldiers overseas to foreign lands for military operations. The Cholas were masters of foreign trade and maritime activity, extending their influence outside of India. However, as Cholas grew in prominence they started expanding their Navy with increasing sophistication.
Later, the Chola navy used different types of ships for different purposes, such as transport ships, patrol ships, and warships. The transport ships were large and strong, capable of carrying hundreds of soldiers, horses, and elephants. The patrol ships were smaller and faster, used for scouting and reconnaissance. The warships were equipped with catapults, fire pots, and boarding equipment’s. As explained earlier, The Cholas had a very complex and elaborate classification system in their navy that was introduced by Raja Raja Chola I, and later his son Rajendra Chola.
The four main classes of Ships were as below-
Dharani– Dharani was equivalent of today’s destroyers, used for combat on the high seas. This class of ships could last up to 3 months however these ships generally travelled in groups and avoided one to one combats.
Loola– Loola was Equivalent of modern day’s corvettes, used for light combat action and escort duties. This class of ships was not meant for frontal assaults.
Vajra– Vajra class is Equivalent to a modern day frigate mainly used for swift attack actions. However was Mostly sent as reinforcements for stranded fleet.
Thirisadai– This class of ships were heavily armoured and fortified and could engage multiple targets at the same time. These class of ships were the main battleships of those times. They had the capacity to carry a 400 strong, well trained Marine Corps to board or storm into enemy vessels and eventually neutralize, seize or capture enemy ships/vessels.
Apart from the above class of ships, The Cholas also had certain class of ships or Royal Yachts, which were
Akramandham– Having the Royal Quarters in the stern.
Neelamandham– Mostly used for carrying officials, ministers for conducting extensive meetings.
Sarpamugam– Shaped like River snakes these were Smaller yachts used in rivers mostly.
The other ships and boats that Cholas used were:
Yanthiram– Hybrid kind of ship using sails, oars and paddles. Oars are a long shaft of wood used primarily for propelling a boat by rowing. It generally has a broad blade that is dipped into and pulled against the water for rowing the boat.
Kalam– Large vessels with 3 masts (the mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical pole which supports the sails. Larger ships have several masts, with the size depending on the style of ship., that could travel in any direction.
Punai– These were Medium sized vessels, meant largely for inland transport on rivers, lakes or smaller water bodies.
Patri– Vessel mainly used for carrying goods.
Oodam– Small boat with large oars.
Ambi– These were Medium sized boats, generally having one mast and one oars.
Toni– Very small boat with strong underbody to sustain rocky areas of shallow sea seas, used in mostly rocky areas.
Conclusion–
The Chola navy was not just a military or naval force but also a cultural envoy of the whole chola civilization. The naval expedition journey’s brought back valuable knowledge, goods, culture and people from various lands enriching chola culture and society as a whole. The chola navy also played a key role in spreading Hindu Vedic culture as well Tamil language to other regions thereby creating a lasting legacy of cultural exchange and integration. The Chola navy was a pioneer of the world’s first blue water maritime force, which could operate across the deep waters of the open ocean. This Navy navy was a formidable and influential force in the Indian Ocean and beyond, shaping the history and geography of Asia for centuries. The Chola navy was a testament to the vision, courage, and innovation of the Chola kings and their people.
