INS Vikrant

A millennium ago, the dynasty achieved what INS Vikrant is expected to accomplish — to make India a superior maritime power.

In the same book, in the essay ‘A note on the navy of the Chola State,’ Y. His first major naval conquest was that of Sri Lanka when the whole of the island became a Chola province. Subbarayalu, former Professor of Epigraphy and Archaeology, Tamil University, Thanjavur, writes, “We have practically little explicit information from any contemporary source to understand the organisation of the Chola navy, the nature of their sea vessels, the numerical strength of the warriors involved in the expeditions, or the port towns used as their naval bases.” “The expedition against Kandalur in the early years of Rajaraja’s rule was primarily intended to sterilise the naval power of the Cheras,” says Sastri in his book. The third important conquest, which happened towards the end of Rajaraja’s reign, was that of the present-day Maldives. Three campaigns during Rajaraja’s rule were important in establishing the naval dominance of the Cholas.