Question

Who was the last ruler of the Chola dynasty?
A. Rajadhiraj
B. Kulotunga III
C. Rajaraja I
D. Rajendra III

Answer 1

Hint: The Chola dynasty is the empire of Southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in world history. The earliest references and sources of the Chola are in the inscriptions from the third century BCE that were left by Ashoka. Along with the kings, the dynasty continued to govern the different territories until the 13th century.

Complete answer: The rich and prosperous Chola dynasty originated in the Kaveri valley and Uraiyur was its oldest capital. The dynasty is said to have been founded by Vijayalaya Chola in 848 to 891 AD.
-Rajaraja I ruled between the period of 985 to 1049AD. During his reign, he built the temple of Brihadeeswarar in Thanjavur which is one of the largest Hindu temples and collected Tamil poems.
-After a time the successor rajadhiraja Chola came into power in 1044 to 1054 AD. He maintained the Chola authority and expanded the region to Vengi, Kalinga etc. During his reign, he got the title Jayagonda Chola.
-kulothunga Chola III in the period ruled between the period 1178 to 1218 AD. He commissioned the Sarabeswara temple at Tribhuvanam. He gained victories against many kingdoms.
-Rajendra Chola III was the last ruler of the Chola Dynasty. He ruled between the period 1246 to 1279 AD. Rajendra took effective control of the dynasty and came to the throne and defeated his brother. The civil war between the two brothers came to an end after Rajendra III killed his brother, Rajarara III. His inscriptions described him as a brave and cunning hero of the dynasty.
Therefore, option D is correct.

Note: During the reign of Rajendra Chola III Pandyas destroyed the outer walls and temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram. According to some sources, Rajendra III was killed in the Battle with Pandyas, however, historians declined this theory and believed he ruled up to 1280 after which there are no inscriptions found of the Chola rulers.