Chola Empire's Plague and the Kaveri Granary Collapse

The Chola Empire: How South India Dominated the Indian Ocean — Fexingo History · May 9, 2026 · 6m · transcript

In the early 11th century, the Chola Empire faced a catastrophic famine triggered by monsoon failure and compounded by an epidemic that swept through the Kaveri delta. This episode examines how Rajaraja Chola I's administration responded to the crisis, drawing on temple inscriptions that record grain distributions, tax remissions, and the mobilization of temple granaries. We explore the role of the ur and sabha village assemblies in managing relief, the impact on trade guilds like the Ayyavole and Manigramam, and the long-term effects on Chola military campaigns and temple-building…