Kediri was a Hindu kingdom based in East Java from 1045 to 1221. In 1045 Airlangga divided Kahuripan into two kingdoms, Janggala (based on contemporary Malang) and Kediri, abdicates in favor of his sons to live the life of an ascetic. He died four years later. In 1068, Virarajendra, the Chola king of Coromandel, conquered Kedah from Srivijaya. The Cholas continued a series of raids and conquests throughout what is now Indonesia and Malaysia for the next 20 years. Although the Chola invasion was ultimately unsuccessful, it gravely weakened the Srivijayan hegemony and enabled the formation of regional kingdoms based, like Kediri, on agriculture rather than trade.

Kediri collected spices from tributaries in southern Kalimantan and the Maluku Islands, known to the West as the Spice Islands or Moluccas. Indian and Southeast Asian merchants among others then transported the spices to Mediterranean and Chinese markets by way of the Spice Route that linked a chain of ports from the Indian Ocean to southern China. In 1117 Kamesvara became king of Kediri and ruled until 1130. He married a princess of Janggala and reunited the two kingdoms founded by Airlangga.

In 1135 Joyoboyo acceded to the throne of Kediri and ruled until 1157. Joyoboyo's reign was a golden age of Old Javanese literature. The 'Prelambang Joyoboyo', a prophetic book ascribed to Joyoboyo, predicted that Indonesia would be ruled by a white race for a long time, then a yellow face for a short time, and then get independent. The Joyoboyo prophecies also mention Ratu Adil, the Just Prince, a recurring figure in Javanese folklore. Many other literary works were produced, including Bharatajuddha Kakawin, a Javanese version of the Mahabarata by Mpu Sedah and his brother Mpu Panuluh. This work was published in 1157. During the reign, Ternate was a vassal state of Kediri.

Kediri fell in 1221 when Ken Arok, the lord of Tumapel, defeated the forces of Kediri at the Battle of Genter and founded the new kingdom of Singhasari.

source: http://www.eastjava.com/tourism/kediri/history.html

The Cholas were very powerful rulers who ruled over South India. The Chola kingdom was located on the Coromandel Coast and extended from present day Nellore to Pudukottai. The Cholas came to power after defeating the Pallavas in the ninth century. The first Chola king was Aditya I. His son and successor Parantaka ruled the kingdom for 42 years. During his reign, he defeated the Pandya king and exiled him. Additionally, he also invaded Ceylon and captured Mathura.

The Chola kingdom reached its highest point of glory under Rajaraja Chola who ruled from 985 to 1014 AD. He pursued a policy of conquest and conquered Vengi, the Cheras and the Pandyas. Additionally, other territories along the Malabar coast and in Ceylon were also annexed. He married the daughter of the Vengi kingdom and this promoted unity among the Cholas and the Chalukyas.

After Rajaraja, the Chola throne was ascended by Rajendra Chola. He ruled for 28 years during which he expanded the territories further by occupying Andaman Nicobar islands, Sumatra and Malaya. He also defeated the Pala king of Bihar and Bengal in 1023. In commemoration of his victories, he built a new city known as "Gangaikonda Cholapuram". The city had a magnificents palace, temple and a lake.

Rajendra Chola was succeeded by Rajadhiraja. He was killed fighting the Chalukyas and was succeeded by Adhiraja. Adhiraja was assassinated in 1074 AD. He was followed by Rajendra Kulottunga I who formed the line of rulers from the Chalukya cholas.

The Chola kingdom declined in the 13th century. After the decline of the Chola kingdom, South India saw the rise of Viajayanagara kingdom.

source: http://www.indianmantra.com/mantras-pages/indian-history/the-cholas.html

Malaysian Indians are a group of Malaysians largely descended from those who migrated from southern India during the British colonization of Malaya. Prior to British colonization, Tamils had been conspicuous in the archipelago much earlier, especially since the period of the powerful South India kingdom of the Cholas in the 11th century. By that time, Tamils were among the most important trading peoples of maritime Asia.

There is evidence of the existence of Indianized kingdoms such as Gangga Negara, Old Kedah, Srivijaya since approximately 1500 years ago. Early contact between the kingdoms of Tamilakkam and the Malay peninsula had been very close during the regimes of the Pallava Kings (from the 4th to the 9th Century C.E.) and Chola kings (from the 9th to the 13th Century C.E.). The trade relations the Tamil merchants had with the ports of Malaya led to the emergence of Indianized kingdoms like Kadaram (Old Kedah) and Langkasugam. Furthermore, Chola king Rajendra Chola I sent an expedition to Kadaram (Sri Vijaya) during the 11th century conquering that country on behalf of one of its rulers who sought his protection and to have established him on the throne. The Cholas had a powerful merchant and naval fleet in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Three kinds of craft are distinguished by the author of the Periplus – light coasting boats for local traffic, larger vessels of a more complicated structure and greater carrying capacity, and lastly the big ocean-going vessels that made the voyages to Malaya, Sumatra, and the Ganges.

The overwhelming majority of migrants from India were ethnic Tamil and from British Presidency of Madras. In 1947 they represented approximately 85 per cent of the total Indian population in Malaya and Singapore. Other South Indians, mainly Telugus, Kannadigas and Malayalees, formed a further 14 per cent in 1947, and the remainder of the Indian community was accounted for by North Indians, principally Punjabis, Bengalis, Gujaratis, and Sindhis.

Large scale migration

British acquisition of Penang, Melaka and Singapore - the Straits Settlements from 1786 to 1824 started a steady inflow of Indian labourers, traders, sepoys and convicts engaged in construction, commercial agriculture, defence and commerce. But large scale migration of Indians from the subcontinent to Malaysia followed the extension of British formal rule to the West coast Malay states from the 1870s onwards as British brought the Indians as workers to work in the rubber plantations. The Indian population in pre-independent Malaya and Singapore was predominantly adult males who were single with family back in India and Sri Lanka. Hence the population fluctuated frequently with the immigration and exodus of people. As early as 1901 the Indian population in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States was approximately 120,000. By 1931 there were 640,000 Indians in Malaya and Singapore and interestingly they even outnumbered the native Malays in the state of Selangor that year. The population was virtually stagnant until 1947 due to many leaving for Burma during the Japanese occupation as recruits for the Indian National Army and "Indentured Japanese labors" for the Death Railway.' At the time of Independence in 1957 it stood at a little over 820,000. In this last year Indians accounted for approximately 8 to 12 per cent of the total population of Malaysia (in the range 1.8 to 2.5 million) and 8 per cent in Singapore (250,000). There has also been a significant influx of Indian nationals into Singapore and Malaysia in recent years to work in construction, engineering, restaurants, IT and finance with many taking up permanent residence in Singapore where they account for nearly a quarter of the Singapore population.

Occupational divisions

A vast majority of people from the Indian sub-continent brought over were the Tamils. They were predominantly estate workers, the majority being employed on rubber estates, though a significant minority worked in Government public works departments and also many tamil merchants and businessmen in malaysia. The North Indians, with the exception of the Sikhs, were mainly merchants and businessmen. For example, the Gujaratis and Sindhis owned some of the most important textile firms in Malaya and Singapore while the Bengalis were professionals. The Sikhs were either in the police or employed as watchmen.

source:http://miha.org.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83&Itemid=89

Hope the Tamil King - RAJA RAJA CHOLAN was the First Indian Ruler to establish the First Indian Naval Fleet some 1200 years back. He had established his rule extending from India up to South East Asia with his Naval Fleet. His rule extended beyond the Bay of Bengal Sea. He even ruled the Java, Sumatra Islands in S.E.Asia, parts of Malaysia, Myanmar, Brunei islands and even some territory Islands that belongs to Australia & even Tasmania, New Zealand.

The TAMIL KING - RAJENDRA CHOLA - son of Raja Raja Chola also has the Honour of establishing the FIRST INDIAN MERCHANT NAVAL FLEET. He transformed the Naval Fleet of his Father in to Merchant Naval Fleet and thereby established Trade from India to the S.E.Asia and even the China. There are also evidence that they had Trade through Sea with the Romans.

Regards,
Mr. Rangaswami ANBU
Marine Engineer, India.
Mail: anbumarine@yahoo.co.uk
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ChennaiMar

Eastern Chalukyas (Vengi Chalukyas) AD 624 - 1075 The Chalukyas formed a powerful southern dynasty which was founded in 543. At its height between the sixth and twelfth centuries the Chalukya kingdom ruled large areas of central and southern India, mostly towards the western coast. During this period, they ruled as three related, but individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty, known as the 'Badami Chalukyas', ruled from their capital at Vatapi from the middle of the sixth century. The Chalyukan king, Pulakeshi II, conquered territory corresponding to the coastal districts of modern Andhra Pradesh from the Vishnukundina kingdom in 615, and appointed his brother, Kubja Vishnuvardhana, as viceroy. Kubja very quickly declared his independence, ruling the Eastern Chalukyas as a separate kingdom. The Eastern Chalukyan capital was at Vengi and their dynasty lasted for around five hundred years from the seventh century until 1075, when the Vengi kingdom fell to the Chola empire. They originally had a capital at Vengi, near Nidadavole in the West Godavari district, but this was later moved to Rajamahendravaram (Rajamundry). (Information by Madhu Nimkar.)
615 - 641	Kubja Vishnuvardhana	Chalukyan viceroy who declared independence.
624	Kubja Vishnuvardhana declares his independence from his brother's Chalukyan kingdom, ruling the Eastern Chalukyas as a separate kingdom.
641 - 673	Jayasimha I	Son.
647	In the north, the last great power there, the Thaneshwar kingdom, begins to break up after a former minister seizes the throne. Little of note occurs in the Vengi (Eastern Chalukya) kingdom during Jayasimha's apparently peaceful reign. The hill temple at Simhachalam shows both Orissan and Chalukyan influences
673	Indra Bhattaraka	Brother. Ruled for one week.
673 - 682	Vishnuvardhana II	Son.
682	The accession of Mangi Yuvaraja heralds the beginning of the end of a series of weak or ineffectual rulers, as the kingdom now has to face up to the increasing aggression of the Rashtrakutas, who not only threaten the main Chalukyan kingdom, but also overrun the Vengi kingdom several times and have to be repulsed.
682 - 706	Mangi Yuvaraja	Son.
706 - 718	Jayasimha II Sarvasiddhi	Son.
718	Kokkuli Vikramaditya	Younger half-brother. Ruled for six months.
718	There is a succession war between Kokkuli Vikramaditya and Vishnuvardhana III. The former seizes the throne and holds it for six months until challenged by his half-brother, Vishnuvardhana III. The two reach a compromise with Kokkuli being allowed to rule Ellamanchi in eastern Kalinga.
719 - 755	Vishnuvardhana III	Elder half-brother.
755 - 772	Vijayaditya I	Son.
772 - 808	Vishnuvardhana IV	Son.
800	The Rashtrakuta king, Govinda III, campaigns to the south, defeating the antagonistic Eastern Chalukyas.
808 - 847	Vijayaditya II	Son.
847 - 849	Kali Vishnuvardhana V	Son.
849 - 892	Vijayaditya III Gunaga	Son. Died childless so Bhima succeeded him.
892	Yuddhamala I	Brother. Briefly seized the throne from his nephew.
892 - 921	Chalukya Bhima I	Nephew of Vijayaditya III.
921	Vijayaditta IV	Son.
921 - 927	Amma I / Vijayaditya V	Son. Overthrown by Tala I.
927	Tala I	Son of Yuddhamala I. Seized the throne.
927 - 928	Vikramaditya II	Killed Tala and ruled for eleven months. Assassinated by Bhima II.
928	Bhima II	Brother of Vijayaditya V. Killed by Yuddamalla II.
928 - 935	Yuddamalla II	Son of Tala I.
935 - 947	Chalukya Bhima II Rajmartanda	Son of Vijayaditya IV.
936	Having lost much territory to the Eastern Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta king, Govinda IV, is deposed by his own vassals.
947 - 970	Amma II	Son. Briefly overthrown by Badappa and Tala II and later deposed.
970	Tala II	Briefly ruled after overthrowing Amma II.
970 - 973	Danarnava	Brother of Amma II. Killed by Jata Choda Bhima.
973	The Western Chalukyas revive their power by overthrowing the Rashtrakutas. In the eastern kingdom, civil war looms as the sons of Danamava contest the throne.
973 - 1000	Jata Choda Bhima	Brother-in-law of Amma II. From the Telugu Choda family.
c.1000 - c.1011	The king's younger brother, Vimaladitya, flees the kingdom and takes refuge in the court of the Chola king, Rajaraja I. Rajaraja invades Vengi on behalf of the sons of Danarnava, and Jata Choda Bhima is killed in the ensuing war. The Vengi kingdom passes into Rajaraja's hands, a fact that is not appreciated by King Satyasraya of the restored Western Chalukyas of Kalyani. As a result, Vengi becomes a bone of contention between the Cholas and the Chalukyas of Kalyani. Vimaladitya strengthens his alliance with Rajaraja by marrying Rani Kundavai, his daugher.
1000 - 1011	Saktivarman I	Son of Danarnava. Made king by the Cholas.
1011 - 1018	Vimaladitya	Brother. m Rani Kundavai, dau of Rajaraja I of Chola.
1018 - 1061	Rajaraja Narendra	A Chola.
1061 - 1063	Saktivarman II	Son of Vimaladitya. Died fighting off the Cholas.
1063 - 1068	Vijayaditya VII	Deposed.
1068 - 1072	The ruler of the Vengi kingdom is unknown during this period. It seems that Vijayaditya is deposed or otherwise forced from the throne, either through internal instability or external pressure. After four years, he manages to make some sort of recovery, and regains the throne.
1072 - 1075	Vijayaditya VII	Restored.
1073 - 1075	Almost as soon as Vijayaditya restores his kingdom, it is invaded by the Chedi king of Dahala, Yasahkarnadeva. Vijayaditya's death in 1075 sees the end of Chalukya resistance and the kingdom is extinguished. It seems that much of the Vengi territory is absorbed by the Cholas for a time.
1088 - 1099	The Western Chalukyan king, Vikramaditya, conquers major portions of the former Vengi kingdom, attaching it to his own great empire until it is retaken by the Cholas in 1099.
1118 - c.1130	Vikramaditya manages to recapture the Vengi lands and hold onto them until his death. Shortly after the accession of his son, the territory is again absorbed by the Chola empire, although it seems that native Eastern Chalukyas may still govern the region under Chola protection and domination.
1189	The Vengi territory is defeated by the Hoysalas and the Yadavas.

source:http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsFarEast/IndiaChalukyas.htm

Vikrama Chola, the son of Kulottunga Chola, ruled the Chola kingdom after the successful rule of his father. Vikrama Chola inherited the territories which included Tamil Nadu and some parts of Andhra Pradesh. He managed to recover some territories lost by his father Kulottunga I. During his tenure he effectively checked the Western Chalukya ruler Vikramaditya VI who wanted to capture Vengi. However, it was occupied by them in 1118 AD. After the death of Vikramaditya VI in 1126 AD the Cholas restored their power in the Vengi kingdom. They had also recovered Kolar and some other parts of Gangavadi. Before becoming a king, Vikrama Chola was a Viceroy. On his father`s behalf marched towards the kingdom of Kalinga in 1110 AD. He defeated Telunga Bhima of Kulam. The Western Chalukya ruler Vikramaditya VI had annexed the Eastern Chalukya territories in 1118 AD. When Vikramaditya died in 1026 AD, Vikrama Chola reclaimed the lost territories. As per some historians Vengi was recaptured with the help of many local chiefs of surrounding regions. The local Telugu chiefs preferred the Chola lordship over the Western Chalukyan dominance. Vikrama had sent his son Kulothunga Chola II on an expedition against Vengi. The Velanadu Chodas, Giripaschima and Konakandravada also helped the Chola army. The Chola supremacy was firmly re-established with the defeat of the Western Chalukyas. Vikrama Chola also accomplished in recovering Gangavadi, which was lost to the Hoysalas in 1118 AD. However he was unable to recapture it fully, he annexed parts of Gangavadi. During Vikrama Chola`s reign the country suffered from severe floods and droughts too. Most of the northeastern regions were affected by this calamity. In 1125 AD North and South Arcot districts experienced floods and famine. Vikrama Chola was a great devotee of Lord Shiva and patronised the temple at Chidambaram. In 1128 C.E. he made donations for the up gradation and extension of the temple. In his inscriptions he has been assigned titles like Tyagasamudra and Akalanka that indicates his kindness and moral purity. His son Kulothunga Chola II succeeded the throne after his father`s victorious rule.

source: http://www.indianetzone.com/50/vikrama_chola.htm

Introduction to Later Cholas

A brief introduction to the Later Cholas or the Thanjavur Cholas. Rajaraja Cholan the Great, occupies the foremost place in the history of the later Cholas. Vijayalaya Cholan(AD 846-871) was the founder of the later Chola dynasty. He conquered the country from a vassal chief of the pallavas, and established Thanjavur as the capital of the dynasty. His son and successor Aditya I conquered the pallavas and the Kongu country; and his son Parantakan I (AD 907-953), under his leadership, the cholas acquired a dominion which foreshadowed the greater empire Rajarajan and Kulotungan. Parantakan I won victories over the Banas, the Gangas, the Pandyas and the King of Ceylon. The fact and the extent of his conquest are known from his inscriptions. Towards the end of his reign, or before his death , the Rashtrakutas under Krishnaraja III invaded the Tamil Country, killed the Chola Prince Rajadityan at Takkolam (near Arakonam) in AD 947-948, and seized Tondainadu which they seemed to have ruled for about a quarter of a century, confining the sway of the Cholas to their ancestral dominion comprising the Thanjavur and Trichy districts. The names of the next five kings after Rajaditya are known, but little is on record regarding their life history. They were Gandaraditya, Arinjaya, Parantakan II, Aditya Karikala or Aditya II and Madurantaka. Aditya Karikala II appears to have re-conquered Tondainadu a few years later.On Aditya's death, or on the death of Parantakan II, whichever was the later, the succession was probably disputed. The subject besought, Arunmolivarman (Rajarajan) to become the King, but he did not want the throne as long as his paternal uncle Madurantak Uttama Cholan was fond of the crown. Eventually, Arunmolivarman was appointed heir-apparent. Rajarajan became the king in 985 AD. His reign was the starting point of a period of unexampled prosperity.

Rajarajan Family

The original title of Arunmozhivarman (Rajaraja Cholan) was Rajakesari Varman or Mummudi-Sola-Deva. He was the second son of the Parantaka Cholan II alias Sundara Cholan and Vanavan Mahadevi. Rajarajan had an elder sister, Kundavaiyar and an elder brother, Aditya Karikalan. Rajarajan had a high regard for his sister, who spent her later life in Tanjore with her younger brother, his first daughter was named after her. Only one son and three daughters of the King are known namely; Rajendra Cholan I, Kundavai, who married the Eastern Chalukya King Vimaladitya, Mahadevadigal and another whose name is not traceable. Rajarajan had a number of queens. Lokamahadevi was probably the chief queen, who built the shrine of Sri Lokamahadesvarar, called Uttara Kailas in the Sri Panchanadisvara temple at Thiruvaiyaru.

Conquest

Rajarajan inherited Chola and Kongu kingdoms and the Kanchi region, when he came to throne; the first comprising Thanjavur and Trichy regions, the second the Coimbatore region, the third country comprising of South & North Arcots and Chengalput regions. Rajarajan began his career by the conquest of the Chera country. He defeated Chera King Bhaskara Ravivarman, whose fleet he destroyed i n the port of Kandalur. He also seized Pandya Amara Bhujanga and captured the port of Vilinam. By his campaign against the Singhalees he annexed northern Ceylon, building a number of stone temple in the Ceylonese capital Polonnaruva, of which one now stands to Shiva. It was at about the 14th year of his reign (AD 998-999) that most of his triumphs were achieved. He conquered the Gangas of Mysore(capital at Talakad), the country of Nolambas (Bellary and Eastern Mysore), Tadigaipadi (the district of Mysore), vengi (southern part of Northern Circars), Coorg (kudamalainadu) and the Pandyas. The last were the natural enemies of Cholas. Having already overcome the Chera, Rajarajan assumed the title "Mummudi Cholan". The Western and the Eastern Chalukyas of the Deccan were conquered next . A few year later the Eastern Chalukya prince Vimaladitya married the eldest daughter of Rajarajan and became the King of Vengi, which was still under Cholas. his son and grandson also married daughters of Chola kings, and it was the second of these rulers, the great Kulotunga I, who, in later years, claimed the Chola Kingdom as his mother heritage and established a new dynasty at Thanjavur. The Western Chalukyas remained for the long the stubborn enemies of the Cholas. During the next three years, Rajarajan subdued Quilon and the northern kingdom of Kalinga, through his son Rajendra Cholan. Chola also simultaneously directed his arms against Ceylon. Rajarajan moved the capital from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruva and built here in memory of his mother Vanavan Mahadevi the Siva Devalaya for Vanavan Mahadevi Isvaramudaiyar. With Rajarajan, the Chola culture and Saiva religion permeated the whole of Ceylon. Rajarajan having thus realised his cherished military glories, in or about 1003 AD has sheathed his sword, and turned his thoughts towards a life of peace. It was about this time, that the Chidambaram temple authorities bestowed on him the title of "Sri Rajarajan" and "Sivapadasekara.

Religious Works

Rajarajan constructed the Great Bragtheeswarar Temple at Thanjavur, his capital, remembering the pious religious works of his ancestor Parantaka I. The temple is a stupendous monument of the religious instinct of the sovereign. The king was ardent devotee of Lord Siva and was highly tolerant in matters of religion. Everybody received equal favour at his hands. he also granted large endowments to the Cudamani Vihara in Nagapattinam built by Sailendra king, Sri Mara Vijayatunga Varman. As a worshiper of Sri Thyagaraja at Thiruvarur, the king heard the recital of the holy presence, that remained the current collection of the Thevaram hymns of Saint Sundarar, Thirunavukkarasar and Jnanasambandar. King concerned about the loss of priceless Saiva devotional treasure, and set out for their search.He sought Adi-Saiva Nambiandar-Nambi of Thirunaraiyar's help and discovered the collection of the Thevaram - Divine garland of hymns- in a room at the back of the Sri Nataraja's sanctum at the Chidambaram temple. At the instance of the king, Nambiandar-Nambi compiled them and Rajaraja arranged to have them sung in the Saiva shrines.

source:http://www.tanjore.net/cholaking.htm