Editing History of India (section)

=== Cholas ===
{{Main|Chola dynasty|Chola Empire}}
[[File:Rajendra map new.svg|thumb|right|250px|[[Chola Empire]] under [[Rajendra Chola]], {{circa}} 1030]]
Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century and established the greatest empire South India had seen.<ref>''History of Ancient India: Earliest Times to 1000 A.D.'' by Radhey Shyam Chaurasia p. 237</ref> They successfully united the South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influence in the Southeast Asian countries such as Srivijaya.<ref name="The Dancing Girl p. 129" /> Under [[Rajaraja Chola I]] and his successors [[Rajendra Chola I]], [[Rajadhiraja Chola]], [[Virarajendra Chola]] and [[Kulothunga Chola I]] the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia and South-East Asia.{{sfn|Kulke|Rothermund|2004|p=116}}<ref>{{harvnb|Keay|2000|p=215}}: The Cholas were in fact the most successful dynasty since the Guptas ... The classic expansion of Chola power began anew with the accession of Rajaraja I in 985.</ref> Rajendra Chola I's navies occupied the sea coasts from Burma to Vietnam,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.en.articlesgratuits.com/the-last-years-of-cholas-the-decline-and-fall-of-a-dynasty-id1804.php|title=The Last Years of Cholas: The decline and fall of a dynasty|publisher=En.articlesgratuits.com|date=22 August 2007|access-date=23 September 2009|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100120085302/http://www.en.articlesgratuits.com/the-last-years-of-cholas-the-decline-and-fall-of-a-dynasty-id1804.php|archive-date=20 January 2010}}</ref> the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], the [[Lakshadweep]] (Laccadive) islands, [[Sumatra]], and the [[Malay Peninsula]]. The power of the new empire was proclaimed to the eastern world by the expedition to the [[Ganges]] which Rajendra Chola I undertook and by the occupation of cities of the maritime empire of [[Srivijaya]] in Southeast Asia, as well as by the repeated embassies to China.<ref>[[K. A. Nilakanta Sastri]], ''A History of South India'', p. 158</ref>

They dominated the political affairs of Sri Lanka for over two centuries through repeated invasions and occupation. They also had continuing trade contacts with the Arabs and the Chinese empire.<ref>''Buddhism, Diplomacy, and Trade: The Realignment of Sino-Indian Relations'' by Tansen Sen p. 229</ref> Rajaraja Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola I gave political unity to the whole of Southern India and established the Chola Empire as a respected sea power.<ref>''History of Asia'' by B.V. Rao p. 297</ref> Under the Cholas, the South India reached new heights of excellence in art, religion and literature. In all of these spheres, the Chola period marked the culmination of movements that had begun in an earlier age under the Pallavas. Monumental architecture in the form of majestic temples and sculpture in stone and bronze reached a finesse never before achieved in India.<ref>''Indian Civilization and Culture'' by Suhas Chatterjee p. 417</ref>

[[File:Ranganathaswamy temple tiruchirappalli.jpg|300px|thumb|centre|[[Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam|Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple]] is the world's largest functioning Hindu temple<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5894/|title=Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam}}</ref> present in [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]] ]]
{{Gallery|align=center
|width=180|File:Big Temple-Temple.jpg|The granite [[gopuram|gopuram (tower)]] of [[Brihadeeswarar Temple]], 1010
|File:Chariot detail, Airavatesvara, Tamil Nadu.jpg|Chariot detail at [[Airavatesvara Temple]] built by [[Rajaraja Chola II]] in the 12th century
|File:Back view of Raja gopuram.jpg|The pyramidal structure above the sanctum at [[Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram|Brihadisvara Temple]].
|File:Brihadeeswara Temple Entrance Gopurams, Thanjavur.JPG|Brihadeeswara Temple Entrance Gopurams at [[Thanjavur]]
}}