Loved the trailer of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus? Here’s the incredible history of the Chola Dynasty, which was among the world’s longest ruling and greatest empires.
“The Cholas are coming,” reads the caption on many posts sharing the magnificent teaser of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus, which is based on Tamil writer Kalki Krishnamurthy’s famous historical novel Ponniyin Selvan (The Son Of Ponni).
In the film, the lead role of the fierce Chola warrior Ponniyin is played by Jayam Ravi. Vikram stars as Chola crown prince Aditya Karikalan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stars as vengeful queen Nandini, Karthi stars as army commander Vanthiyathevan, and Trisha stars as Princess Kundavai.
The narrative unfolds over a thousand years ago during the reign of the Chola Empire.
But few know about this remarkable civilisation, which was among the world’s longest-ruling, but today remains largely forgotten.
In its heyday, the Chola dynasty was one of the greatest empires in the world.
It controlled land that was more than five times the size of Britain. And under the wing of its trailblazing rulers, art, architecture, and literature flourished.
So when did the reign of the first Chola kings start? Nobody knows exactly, but the dynasty was well established by the 3rd century BCE, a fact mentioned in one of the Ashokan pillars. Interestingly, not only did the Cholas outlast the rule of Ashoka’s Mauryan dynasty, they continued to be in power till 1279 CE i.e for more than 1,500 years.
The Chola Empire is also mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (a Graeco-Roman eyewitness account of ancient travel in 40 – 60 CE), and in Ptolemy’s Geography. According to historians, the Cholas began their journey as a little-known, if privileged, feudal clan settled on the banks of river Kaveri, and went on to attain unmatched naval and militaristic supremacy that helped them conquer islands across southeast Asia.
Read More at https://www.thebetterindia.com/290452/ponniyin-selvan-trailer-mani-ratnam-chola-empire-rajaraja-i-thanjavur-history/
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