Latest / The Chola Empire: How South India Dominated the Indian Ocean — Fexingo History
The Chola Maritime Empire: Shipbuilding and Ocean Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the maritime infrastructure that powered the Chola Empire's dominance across the Indian Ocean. They discuss the types of ships used by Chola merchants — sturdy wooden dhows stitched with coir — and the bustling ports of Nagapattinam, Puhar, and Kaveripumpattinam. Lucas explains how the Chola navy, under Rajaraja and Rajendra, was not a standing fleet but a merchant marine repurposed for war, and how the empire maintained a network of guilds like the Ayyavole and Manigramam that operated charter agreements across Southeast Asia. The conversation…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.