INSCRIPTIONS
- Inscriptions are the important source of information for the history of the Chola period.
- Rajaraja I conceived the idea of prefixing to his inscriptions the main achievements of his reign.
- It is a formal record of the transactions made by each Chola ruler.
- They are in the form of Copper-plate grants, stone inscriptions and inscriptions made on the walls and pillars of temples.
- The Copper-plate grants known as Anbil and Karandi as well as the Kanyakumari stone inscription give a long list of rulers indicating the origin of the Chola dynasty
Q1. What are the information provided by the Inscriptions.
Ans :- The following information provided by the Inscription about the Cholas.
- They tell us about the Chola administration.
- They are the records of grants of villages, plots of land or other privileges to individuals or institutions by the Cholas.
- They also inform us about the construction of temples or the setting up new images of the deity.
- Some inscriptions have royal orders ontaxation and land revenue, resolutions of village assemblies, judgements delivered against persons guilty of thefts, murders and other crimes.
- Inscriptions also served the purpose of pubic registrations such as the record of sales, mortgages and other forms of transfers of property rights of village lands.
Q2. Name two languages promoted by the Cholas.
Ans :- Tamil and Sanskrit are promoted by the Cholas
Q3. What are the roles of temples in the Cholas Kingdom
Ans :- The following roles of temple in the cholas
- The temples in the Chola kingdom were the centre of social activity.
- Some temples owned huge lands and participated in inland and overseas trade.
- The land donated to the temples were known as the devadaya or devadana.
- In some cases, land-revenue of certain villages was assigned to the temple and the concerned villagers were instructed to pay land-revenue in produce and in gold to the temple treasury.
- Temples were also the biggest employers after the State, providing work and means of livelihood to a large number of people.
Q4. From where the revenue of the Chola Kingdom came ?
Ans:-
- The revenue of the Chola kingdom came from – taxes on land and the produce of the land and tax on trade.
- Part of the revenue was kept for the king.
- Money collected by revenue was used on public welfare, on salaries of officials, on paying for upkeep of the army and on building of temples.
- Taxes on land were collected by the officials from the village councils.