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Rajaraja Chola II
இரண்டாம் இராஜராஜ சோழன்

Chola territories during 1170 CE
Reign	1146 – 1173 C.E.
Title	Parakesari
Capital	Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Queen	Avanimulududaiyal Bhuvanimulududiyal Ulagudai Mukkokilan
Children	Unknown
Predecessor	Kulothunga Chola II
Successor	Rajadhiraja Chola II
Father	Kulothunga Chola II
Born	Unknown
Died	1173 C.E.
Tomb	{{{Location of Tomb}}}

List of Chola kings Early Cholas Ilamcetcenni  ·  Karikala Chola Nedunkilli  ·  Nalankilli Killivalavan  ·  Kopperuncholan Kocengannan  ·  Perunarkilli Interregnum (c.200-848)

Medieval Cholas Vijayalaya Chola 848-871(?) Aditya I 871-907 Parantaka Chola I 907-950 Gandaraditya 950-957 Arinjaya Chola 956-957 Sundara Chola 957-970 Uttama Chola 970-985 Rajaraja Chola I 985-1014 Rajendra Chola I 1012-1044 Rajadhiraja Chola 1018-1054 Rajendra Chola II 1051-1063 Virarajendra Chola 1063-1070 Athirajendra Chola 1067-1070 Chalukya Cholas Kulothunga Chola I 1070-1120 Vikrama Chola 1118-1135 Kulothunga Chola II 1133-1150 Rajaraja Chola II 1146-1163 Rajadhiraja Chola II 1163-1178 Kulothunga Chola III 1178-1218 Rajaraja Chola III 1216-1256 Rajendra Chola III 1246-1279

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Rajaraja Chola II succeeded his father Kulothunga Chola II to the Chola throne in 1150 C.E. He was made his heir apparent and coregent in 1146 C.E and so the inscriptions of Rajaraja II count his reign from 1146 C.E. Rajaraja's reign began to show signs of the coming end of the great dynasty.

Contents 1 Growing weakness 2 Extent of the Empire 3 Death and succession 4 References

The extent of the Chola territories remained as they were during Rajaraja's predecessors. The Vengi country was still fimmly under the Chola rule. However the feudatory Telugu Chola chieftains of Velanadu began to assert their independence more and more. There had been string of disasters from towards the close of Kulothunga Chola I's reign. The Chola territories, which was at its greatest under Rajendra Chola II has become severely circumscribed by the successes of the Hoysalas and the Western Chalukyas. More remarkably, the local chieftains, and dynastieswho had so far been loyal to their Chola overlords, were beginning to grow in power and influence.

The Chola central administration was never very effective over the outlying parts of the empire, but at the end of Rajaraja's reign, it even started betraying weakness at the centre. It was no longer the vigorous autocracy it once was. The constant warfare and pursuit of territory that was driving the empire forward and the expensive enterprises such as temple building, had been absent since the end of Kulothunga Chola I.

During the closing years of Rajaraja's reign, a great civil unrest as a result of a succession dispute convulsed the Pandya country, further weakening Chola influence there.

The empire of Rajaraja II extended over the whole of the Telugu country up to Daksharama and over large area of Kungu country and the eastern part of Gangavadi.

The last regnal year cited in Rajaraja's inscription is 26. That makes the last year of his reign 1173 C.E. It seems likely that Rajaraja made Rajadhiraja Chola II heir apparent and coregent in 1163 C.E. Rajadhiraja was not the son of Rajaraja, but a son of Vikrama Chola by one of his daughters. It is very likely that this was because Rajaraja Chola II did not have any direct suitable descendant to ascend the Chola throne.

• Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1935). The CōĻas, University of Madras, Madras (Reprinted 1984).
• Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
• South Indian Inscriptions - http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/