Question

Gangaikonda Cholapuram was built during medieval India and was erected as the capital of the Cholas by?
A] Rajendra Chola I
B] Gajendra Chola
C] Vikram Chola
D] Rajendra Chola III

Answer 1

Hint: Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a village located in Ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu. During the reign of the Chola empire, it became the capital city of the kingdom. It remained in that position for around 250 years since the year 1025 AD. It has been recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The city was built after a bunch of conquests in the gangetic plains. The place is best known for the biggest temple of the Chola empire, Brihadeeswarar temple of Gangaikondacholisvarar .

Complete answer: The town of Gangaikonda Cholapuram was the major city under the Chola Dynasty and was the capital for a long time. It is situated 125 kilometres northeast of Tiruchirappalli international airport, Tamil Nadu. As of 2014 , the ancient city is recognized as a heritage town by UNESCO. The great temple of Brihadeeswarar Temple at this place is one of the biggest temples in south India and is next only to the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur.
In A.D. 1023 , king Rajendra–I built the city of Gangaikonda Cholapuram and included a Siva temple and a lake Chola Gangam in commemoration of his victory over the armies in the gangetic plains. He changed his capital from Thanjavur to this newly built town. From his period to the end of the Chola family rule in A.D. 1279 this city was the capital for the Chola Empire for a period of 256 years.

Hence, the solution is option A.

Note: In many contemporary works of the time, such as Muvar Ula and Kalingathuparani, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the temple are listed. Scholars like Vasanthi claim the definition of Ayodhya by the eleventh century Tamil poet Kambar was based on the streets and city layout of Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Based on the works of Sekkizhar in Periya Puranam, a similar connection is derived. A vivid account of the town and the temple is provided by Muvar Ula, a treatise on the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas.