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The Chola Empire's Temple Endowments: How Land Grants Powered a Civilization
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Chola Empire's system of temple endowments — the devadana and tirunamattukkani land grants that turned temples into economic engines. They trace how Rajaraja Chola I's massive grants to the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur created a self-sustaining ecosystem of farmers, artisans, and administrators. They discuss the role of the sabha (village assembly) in managing temple lands, the use of inscriptions to record transactions, and the social impact of endowments on caste and labor. Specific examples include the 400-odd devadasis employed…
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