1. Who was the founder of the Chola empire, initially a feudatory of the Pallavas?
2. In which year did Vijayalaya capture Tanjore?
3. Which Rashtrakuta ruler defeated the Chola king and annexed the northern part of the Chola empire, a setback from which the Cholas rapidly recovered after his death?
4. Consider the following statements about Chalukyan king Pulakesin II:
(I) He defeated Harsha
(II) He prevented Harsha from expanding his kingdom towards the Deccan
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
5. Who were the two greatest Chola rulers, described as a father-son succession?
6. During whose reign was the Chera navy destroyed at Trivandrum and Quilon attacked?
7. Which king did Rajaraja capture after conquering Madurai?
8. Rajaraja's naval exploits included the conquest of which islands?
9. Which region did Rajaraja overrun, in addition to annexing the northwestern parts of the Ganga kingdom in Karnataka?
10. Rajendra I had been appointed to which position during his father's lifetime, gaining experience in administration and warfare before his accession?
11. What was completed during Rajendra I's reign, involving the capture of the crown and royal insignia of the king and queen?
12. In which year was the Brihadishwara temple at Tanjore, the most famous of the temples built by Rajaraja and Rajendra I, completed?
13. How do historians know a great deal more about the Cholas than their predecessors?
14. In which year did the Chola army, led by a Chola general, march across Kalinga to Bengal, crossing the Ganga and defeating two local kings?
15. What title did Rajendra I assume to commemorate his Bengal expedition?
16. What did Rajendra I name the new capital he built near the mouth of the Kaveri river?
17. The Sri Vijaya empire, revived in the 10th century and ruled by the Sailendra dynasty, extended over the Malay peninsula, Sumatra, Java and controlled the overseas trade route to which country?
18. What was the apparent cause of the breach between the Cholas and the Sailendra rulers of Sri Vijaya, despite earlier cordial relations?
19. Rajendra I's naval expeditions against Sri Vijaya led to the conquest of Kadaram, also known as which place?
20. Consider the following statements about Chola embassies to China:
(I) Embassies reached China in 1016 and 1033
(II) A Chola embassy of 70 merchants reached China in 1077
(III) The 1077 embassy received 81,800 strings of copper-cash, more than four lakh rupees, for articles the Chinese termed "tribute"
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
21. The dynasty that succeeded the Rashtrakutas and with whom the Cholas fought constantly, ruling from Kalyani, is known as the:
22. The Cholas and the later Chalukyas clashed for overlordship of Vengi, the Tungabhadra doab, and which other region?
23. Which ancient capital of Sri Lanka did the Cholas destroy, also treating its king and queen harshly?
24. Despite the harshness of their conquests, what was one remarkable feature of Chola administration once a country was conquered?
25. During which century did the Chola empire decline, after continuing to flourish through the twelfth century?
26. Consider the following pairs regarding the successor states after the decline of the Cholas and later Chalukyas:
(I) Cholas – succeeded by the Pandyas and Hoysalas
(II) Later Chalukyas – succeeded by the Yadavas and Kakatiyas
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
27. What were the three components of the Chola army, together called the "three limbs of the army"?
28. The Chola infantry was generally armed with which weapon?
29. Which Venetian traveller, visiting Kerala in the thirteenth century, claimed that royal bodyguards burnt themselves on the king's funeral pyre?
30. What was the basic unit of Chola administration, consisting of a number of villages with close kinship ties?
31. In the Chola kingdom, nadus were grouped into larger units called:
32. Into how many mandalams (provinces) was the Chola state divided?
33. Who were sometimes appointed as governors of Chola provinces?
34. In addition to land tax, from which of the following did Chola rulers NOT draw income?
35. Consider the following statements about the two Chola village assemblies:
(I) The ur was a general assembly of the village
(II) The sabha or mahasabha was a gathering of adult men in Brahman villages called agraharams
(III) More is known about the working of the mahasabha than the ur
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
36. Agraharam villages, where the mahasabha functioned, were characterised by which feature?
37. How were members of the executive committee managing agraharam village affairs selected?
38. What was the term of office for members of the agraharam village executive committee before they had to retire?
39. Which committee looked after the distribution of water to the fields in Chola villages?
40. Consider the following statements about the powers of the mahasabha:
(I) It could distribute new lands and exercise ownership rights over them
(II) It could raise loans for the village
(III) It could levy taxes
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
41. What ultimately restricted the autonomy of Chola village self-government, despite it being described as a very fine system?
42. Besides land revenue assessment and collection, village committees existed for which other purposes?
43. What is the name given to the style of temple architecture that flourished in south India under the Cholas, confined largely to that region?
44. In Dravida-style temples, what is the term for the multi-storeyed superstructure built above the garbhagriha (the innermost sanctum)?
45. What was the pillared hall, placed in front of the sanctum and used as an audience hall and for ceremonial dances, called?
46. What term describes the women dedicated to the service of the gods who performed ceremonial dances in the mandap?
47. What were the lofty gates piercing the high walls enclosing the temple courtyard called?
48. Which eighth-century temple at Kanchipuram is cited as an early example of the Dravida style of temple architecture?
49. The Brihadishwara temple at Tanjore, built by Rajaraja I, is also known by which alternative name, reflecting the Chola practice of installing images of kings and queens in temple courtyards?
50. After the fall of the Cholas, temple-building activity continued under the Chalukyas of Kalyani and which other dynasty, whose capital was at Halebid?
51. Which temple at Halebid is described as the best example of the Chalukyan style and the most magnificent of the Hoysala temples?
52. At which location is the giant statue of Gomateswara, an example of the high standard of sculpture attained in south India during this period, found?
53. What is the name given to the masterful dancing-figure bronze images of Siva that reached their zenith during this period?
54. Between which two centuries did the popular Tamil saints known as the Nayanmars and Alvars, devotees of Siva and Vishnu respectively, flourish?
55. The writings of the Saivite Nayanmar saints were collected into eleven volumes, known by which name, and regarded as the fifth Veda?
56. Which Tamil poet, believed to have lived at the court of a Chola king, is regarded as belonging to the golden age of Tamil literature and composed a celebrated version of the Ramayana?
57. Consider the following statements about Kannada literature during this period:
(I) The Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha wrote a book on poetics in Kannada
(II) Many Jain scholars contributed to the growth of Kannada
(III) Pampa, Ponna, and Ranna are regarded as the three gems of Kannada poetry
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
58. Who began the Telugu version of the Mahabharata while living at the court of a Chalukyan king?
59. In which century was the Telugu Mahabharata, begun by Nanniah, completed by Tikkanna?
60. What term is used in Telugu for popular or folk themes not derived from Sanskrit, reflecting popular sentiments and emotions?
