Renati Cholas

The Renati Cholas, or the Telugu Cholas of Renadu, were in charge of the Renadu area, which is now known as the Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh.

Who are the Renati Cholas?

The Telugu Cholas of Renadu (also called as Renati Cholas) ruled over Renadu region, the present-day Kadapa district.
They were originally independent, later forced to the suzerainty of the Eastern Chalukyas.
They had the unique honour of using the Telugu language in their inscriptions belonging to the 6th and 8th centuries.
The earliest of this family was Nandivarman (500 AD) who claimed descent from the family of Karikala and the Kasyapa gotra.
He had three sons Simhavishnu, Sundarananda and Dhananjaya, all of whom were ruling different territories simultaneously.
The family seems to have had its origin in Erigal in the Tunmkur district, situated in the border between Pallava and Kadamba regions.

Key Points

A farmer found an inscription engraved on a dolomite slab and shale in a field.
Dolomite is a rock made mostly of calcium magnesium carbonate, while shale comes from the compaction of silt and clay particles.
The inscription, dating back to the 8th century AD, was written in archaic Telugu.
It mentions a gift of six Marttus of land to a Brahmin Priest, emphasizing the importance of morality in that era.
In July 2020, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) located the capital of Renati Cholas in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh.
ASI deciphered two inscriptions from the 7th century, one about the capital Erikal and the other detailing the battle between Renati Cholas and Banas.
The Telugu Cholas of Renadu, also known as Renati Cholas, ruled over present-day Kadapa district.
Nandivarman, from 500 AD, was the earliest known ruler in this family.
Renadu Cholas were Chola dynasty feudatories and claimed descent from Karikala Chola’s dynasty.
They were pioneers in using Telugu for administration and inscriptions, breaking from the traditional use of Sanskrit.

Chola Dynasty

The Cholas controlled the central and northern parts of Tamil Nadu from around the 8th-12th century AD.
Their core area of the rule was the Kaveri delta, later known as Cholamandalam.
Their capital was Uraiyur (near Tiruchirapalli town) and Puhar or Kaviripattinam was an alternative royal residence and chief port town.
Tiger was their emblem.
The Cholas also maintained an efficient navy.
King Karikala was a famous king of the Sangam Cholas.
Many Sangam poems mention the Battle of Venni where he defeated the confederacy of Cheras, Pandyas and eleven minor chieftains.
Trade and commerce flourished during his reign.
He founded the port city of Puhar (identical with Kaveripattinam) and constructed 160 km of an embankment along the Kaveri River.
Recently, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched ‘Project Digital Poompuhar’ to recreate the Chola Dynasty port city (Poompuhar) in Tamil Nadu.
Recently, the consecration (Kumbhabhishekam) ceremony was held at the Brihadisvara Temple after 23 years in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The temple was built by Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola I (985-1014 AD) between 1003 AD and 1010 AD.