Latest / The Chola Empire: How South India Dominated the Indian Ocean — Fexingo History
The Chola Empire: When Tamil Merchants Ruled the Indian Ocean
Episode 42 of our Chola series dives into the everyday life of the empire's merchant class—the patinavar and nagarattar who financed temples, built guild halls, and sailed junks to China. We trace the career of one such merchant, Aiyyān Aṭikaḷ, whose name appears on a pillar inscription in Takuapa, Thailand, and follow the fortunes of the Ayyavole Five Hundred guild as they expanded from Karnataka to Sumatra. We examine how these traders paid taxes in pepper and cardamom, negotiated with Song dynasty officials in Quanzhou, and funded the renovation of the Brihadeeswarar Temple complex…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.