Thanjavur

Nestled in the highly fertile delta of the Cauvery River, Thanjavur was the capital of the Cholas during their supremacy (907-1310). A fortuitous combination of flourishing agriculture, competent monarchs, and a long religious revival begun under the Pallavas in Kanchi culminated in the building of Thanjavur's Brihadiswara Temple. The two greatest Chola monarchs, Rajaraja I (985-1016) and his son Rajendra I (1012-44), consolidated their South Indian empire from coast to coast, including Kerala, and added Ceylon, the Maldives, and Srivijaya, in what is now Indonesia, to their holdings. As a result, active trade developed with Southeast Asia and China, fostering a two-way cultural exchange: Thanjavur paintings of the period show some Chinese influence, and in Java, Indian influence led to universal appreciation of the epic poem The Ramayana.