Rajaraja Chola restores Saktivarman in Vengi

01The refugees

Around 973 Jata Choda Bhima, a chief of the Telugu Choda family, killed the Eastern Chalukya king Danarnava and seized Vengi. Danarnava’s sons, Saktivarman and Vimaladitya, escaped and found shelter with the Cholas. Rajaraja I took up their cause. His army invaded Vengi, and the Chalukya grants say Saktivarman defeated Bhima with Chola help and was crowned around 999. Bhima fought back for several years before he was finally overcome.

02A marriage that made Kulottunga

Rajaraja gave his daughter Kundavai in marriage to the younger prince, Vimaladitya, who followed his brother on the throne. Their son Rajaraja Narendra married Rajendra Chola’s daughter, and his son in turn became Kulottunga I, who in 1070 united the Chola and Eastern Chalukya crowns. The war of 999 thus began the merging of the two dynasties, and made Vengi the main point of conflict between the Cholas and the Chalukyas of Kalyani.

Person · Reigned 1070–1122 CEKulottunga Chola IBorn Rajendra Chalukya, prince of Vengi and grandson of Rajendra Chola through his mother, Kulottunga took the Chola throne in 1070 and joined the two houses. In a reign of over fifty years he gave up Lanka, held the mainland, abolished transit tolls and sent an embassy to China.Read →