Chola military

Ancient and medieval Tamil armed forces

The Chola military was the combined armed forces of the Chola Empire organized during two separate Tamil golden ages, the Sangam Period and the Medieval Era. The Chola military fought dozens of wars, and it also underwent numerous changes in structure, organization, equipment and tactics, while conserving a core of lasting Tamil traditions.

It has not been possible to assemble an internal chronology of the Sangam works and pinpoint when and how the early Chola military was formed. The earliest mention of the Chola army comes from Indian historian, K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, who claimed that King Ilamchetchenni defeated Maurya Empire King Bindusara, son of Chandragupta Maurya, in battle. Fragmentary poems in the Purananuru also state that, Ilamchetchenni Chola, revered as a brave king and hard fighter, successfully resisted the exploration of the Mauryan army in Tamilakam.

Karikala Chola stands pre eminent amongst all those mentioned in Pattinappaalai. 'Karikala' means 'elephant feller' or 'charred leg', which is assumed to be a reference to an accident by fire that befell the prince early in his life. Pattinappaalai describes this accident and the enterprising way in which the prince escaped and established himself on the Chola throne. Pattinappalai is a poem on the then Chola capital Kaveripattinam and describes the numerous battles Karikala fought against the Cheras and Pandyas, including the famous Battle of Venni where the Chola army defeated a confederacy of (about) a dozen rulers headed by Chera and Pandya kings. Following the battle, the Chera king was disgraced (received a wound on his back) and committed suicide. Karikala thus broke the confederacy that was formed against him, conquered the Chera and Pandya kingdoms, and established Chola hegemony over Tamilakam. After the Battle of Venni, Karikala defeated the confederacy of nine minor chieftains in the Battle of Vakaipparandalai. He also invaded Sri Lanka and took away, among other things, 12,000 Sinhalese men to work as slaves in the construction of the Kallanai Dam. The poet Kovur Kilar mentions a protracted civil war between two Chola chieftains Nalankilli and Nedunkilli. Nedunkilli isolated himself in a fort in Avur, which was being besieged by Mavalattan, Nalankilli's younger brother. The poet chided Nedunkilli to come out and fight like a man instead of causing untold misery to the people of the city. In another poem, the poet begs both the princes to give up the civil war as whoever wins, the loser will be a Chola. Kalavali by Poygayar mentions the Chola King Kocengannan and his battle with the Chera king Kanaikkal Irumporai. The Chera was taken prisoner and Poygayar, who was a friend of the Chera, sang a poem praising the Chola King Kochchenganan in 40 stanzas. The Chola king, pleased with the work, released the Chera. Kalavali describes the battle fought at Kalumalam, near the Chera capital. Kocengannan is one of the 63 nayanars. Kocengannan became the subject of many instances in later times and is portrayed as a pious Siva devotee who built many fine temples for Siva along the banks of the river Kaveri.

The Chola dynasty faded into darkness after c. 300 CE. During this period, the Cholas lost their sovereignty in Tamilakam and held on to their old capital city of Urayur by serving as a vassal state under the Kalabhra and Pallava dynasties and by making use of the opportunity during a war between the Pandyas and Pallavas, Vijayalaya Chola rose out of obscurity and captured Thanjavur and re established the Chola dynasty. In 852 CE, Vijayalaya Chola declared war on the Pandyas and defeated them and at the same time, the Cholas became so powerful that the Pallavas were also wiped out from the Thanjavur region at a later stage. The Medieval Chola Empire traced their ancestry to the ancient Tamil King, Karikala, making him the dynasty's ancestral father.

Cholas recruited military personnel of four types: soldiers of hereditary military families, soldiers raised from various tribes, personnel provided by various tradesmen and merchants, and mercenaries. In addition to the divisions, there were the Nadapu—the commissariat and Payanam—the admiralty and logistics. The addition to these, bureaucratic reforms revolutionized the Chola Army, resulting in victories on a massive scale.

The military administration system of the Chola dynasty in ancient India was a meticulously planned and executed strategy to ensure the security and stability of their vast empire. The army was stationed throughout the country in the form of local garrisons and cantonments, commonly known as "Kadagams." These garrisons were established in strategic locations to provide immediate security to the surrounding regions. They also served as administrative centres for the collection of taxes, maintenance of law and order, and the dispensation of justice. The Cholas' military administration system extended beyond their borders, with garrisons stationed in the territories they had conquered. These garrisons were responsible for the collection of taxes and the maintenance of law and order in these regions. They also acted as a deterrent against any rebellion or uprising, thereby ensuring the continued subjugation of the conquered territories. The Cholas' military administration system was not limited to the establishment of garrisons and cantonments. They also maintained a well trained and well equipped army that was ready to respond to any threat to the empire's security. The Cholas also had a navy that patrolled the seas around their empire, protecting their trade routes and preventing piracy. Overall, the Cholas' military administration system was a testament to their foresight and strategic planning. It provided security and stability to their empire, ensuring its continued prosperity and longevity. Following the Chola conquest of Anuradhapura, Senathipathi of the Sri Lanka Front Army of Rajaraja l and Rajendra I, Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan, garrisoned the city of Polonnaruwa to administer control over the island and deter any attempt of reconquest by the Sinhalese armies. After the troubles in the Pandya country, Kulothunga Chola I stationed his army in several military colonies along the main route to Pandya from Chola lands. One such colony was found at Kottaru and another at Madavilagam near South Arcot district in Tamil Nadu.

The maritime force of the Chola dynasty was established with ships primarily utilized for trade and transportation. Notably, the dynasty lacked a dedicated ship for naval combat. Instead, these ships were repurposed to transport the land army overseas. The Chola maritime force consisted of several types of ships, such as the Kalamukha, Manthai, and Sandhani ships. The Kalamukha was a warship equipped with a battering ram, while the Manthai was a cargo ship with a capacity of up to 500 passengers. The Sandhani was designed specifically to transport horses and elephants overseas. Despite the lack of a ship designed for naval battles, the Chola dynasty maintained a formidable maritime force through the strategic utilization of their ships for both trade and transportation purposes.