Chola dynasty or Chozhan dynasty (Tamil:

) was a Tamil dynasty which was one of

the longest-ruling dynasties inSouthern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, of Maurya Empire; as one of the Three Crowned Kings, the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until the 13th century AD. The heartland of the Cholas or Chozhas was the fertile valley of the Kaveri River, but they ruled a significantly larger area at the height of theirpower from the later half of the 9th century till the beginning of the 13th century. The whole country south of the Tungabhadra was united and held as one state for a [1] period of two centuries and more. Under Rajaraja Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola I, the dynasty [2][3] became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia and South-east Asia. The power of the new empire was proclaimed to the eastern world by the expedition to the Ganges which Rajendra Chola I undertook and by the occupation of the maritime empire of Srivijaya, as well as by the repeated [4] embassies to China. During the period 10101200, the Chola territories stretched from the islands of the Maldives in the south [5] to as far north as the banks of theGodavari River in Andhra Pradesh. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, annexed parts of what is now Sri Lanka and occupied the islands of the Maldives. Rajendra Chola sent a victorious expedition to North India that touched the river Ganges and defeated the Palaruler of Pataliputra, Mahipala. He also successfully invaded kingdoms of the Malay [6] Archipelago. The Chola dynasty went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of [7][8] the Pandyas, who ultimately caused their downfall. The Cholas left a lasting legacy. Their patronage of Tamil literature and their zeal in building temples has [3] resulted in some great works of Tamil literature and architecture. The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples in their kingdoms not only as places of worship but also as centres of [9][10] economic activity. They pioneered a centralised form of government and established a disciplined bureaucracy.

Rani Rudrama Devi (12591289AD) was one of the most prominent rulers of the Kakatiya dynasty on the Deccan Plateau, being one of the few ruling queens in Indian history. She was born, as Rudramba, to King Ganapathideva (or Ganapatideva, or Ganapathi Devudu). though Ganapathideva had sons, Rudramma was formally designated as a son through the ancient Putrika ceremony and given the male name of Rudradeva. When she was only fourteen years old, Rani Rudramma Devi succeeded her father. [1] Rudramadevi was married to Veerabhadra, Eastern Chalukyan prince ofNidadavolu Despite initial misgivings by some of her generals who resented a female ruler, she suppressed both uprisings within Kakatiya territory and incursions by neighboring kingdoms with the help of others, most notably Gona Gonna Reddy. An able fighter and dynamic ruler, Rudramba defended the kingdom from the Cholas and the Yadavas, earning their respect. She was one of very few female rulers in south India during her time. Rani Rudramma Devi ruled from CE 1261 or 1262 until CE 1295 or 1296???. Among Rani Rudramma Devi's accomplishments during her reign was the completion of Warangal Fort, begun by her father, in the Kakatiya capital of Warangal (one stone hill). Parts of the fort are still standing, including examples of distinctive Kakatiya sculpture.She is the greatest queen of India,considering the number of years of the reign,area of the kingdom,administrative and military capabilities and the general prosperity of the populace during the reign.

Legend has it that due to her upbringing as a boy, Rani Rudrama was not much a connoisseur of music and art, but she was quite taken by a form of Shiva Tandavam - Perini which was extinct, but brought back by Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna. She found this dance more of an exercise to the soldiers and had it made part of the training of the royal force. The perception of the history of the past has often been primarily from male point of view. Thats why it is called History rather than herstory or theirstory. Isnt it? Generally all the historical writings relegated women to background. The activities of men are mostly projected while that of women were ignored and were almost neglected. The administrative abilities of women generally never surface in the history pages. So here I present the life of a Medieval Queen of Deccan - Rani Rudrama Devi. Rani Rudrama Devi 1259 to 1289 AD was one of the most prominent rulers of the Kakatiya dynasty on the Deccan Plateau, being one of the few ruling queens in Indian history. She shines gloriously in the medieval history of South India. She was the only child of King Ganapathi Dava who ruled at Warangal the capital of Kakateeya Dynasty that had sway over entire Telangana ( Present Andhra Pradesh State) and most of the Andhra provinces during 13 th century.

Ganapati Deva
Following the death of Mahadeva, disorder broke out in the kingdom. Recherla Rudra, the commander-inchief of the Kakatiya ruler, saved the kingdom from crumbling. Ganapatideva was set free by Jaitrapala due to political considerations like his desire to secure himself against an attack from Warangal in the event of a conflict with the aggressive Hoysalas in the south. Ganapatideva's reign lasted for 20 years. It is one of the most brilliant epochs in the history of South India. Ganapati, during his long reign, brought under his sway almost the whole land inhabited by the Telugu-speaking people, from Karimnagar and Anakapalle in the north to Ongole in the south. Though Ganapatideva was alive until 1269 CE he handed over the threads of administration to his daughter Rudramadevi in 1262 CE itself and retired from active politics. Ganapatideva was known as the greatest of the Kakatiyas and the first after the Satavahanas to bring the entire Telugu area under one rule. In the year 1216, he put an end to the rule of the Telugu Cholas, who accepted his suzerainty. He established order in his vast dominion and encouraged trade. It is around this period that the Golconda fort was constructed, as well as beautiful temples in the Kakatiya art form such as Ramappa Templeat the tiny village of Palampet outside of Warangal.

Rudra Deva
Prola II was succeeded by Rudradeva (11581195). Rudradeva, also known as Prataparudra I, was the eldest son of Prola II. By the year 1162 CE, Rudradeva vanquished a number of his enemies and transformed his petty principality into an extensive kingdom. Rudradeva devoted the later part of his reign to the conquest of the coastal region. He consolidated and pushed the kingdom to the east up to the Godavari delta. Thousand Pillar Templewas built by King Rudra Deva in 1163 CE at Hanumakonda. During the years 117682 CE the battle of Palanadu was fought. Rudradeva rendered military assistance to Nalagama's faction. In this battle, the military strength of Velanadu had got weakened. Exploiting the situation, Rudradeva led his forces into Coastal Andhra and conquered up to Srisailam and Tripurantakam in the south. In the last year of his reign (1195 CE), he came into conflict with

the Seunas (Yadavas) of Devagiri. Rudra suffered defeat and death in his encounter with Jaitrapala I. After Rudradeva's death and the imprisonment of his nephew Ganapati in the hands of the Yadavs, his younger brother Mahadeva ascended the throne and ruled the kingdom for a short span of about three years (11961198 CE). He led an expedition against the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri to avenge Rudra's death and also to release his son Ganapati. He lost his life in the battle. Ashoka Maurya (304 BCE - 232 BCE) commonly known as Ashoka and also as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynastywho ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 [1] BCE to 232 BCE. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests. His empire stretched from the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan to present-dayBangladesh and the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as far south as northern Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. In about 260 BCE Ashoka waged a bitterly destructive war against [2] the states of Kalinga (modern Orissa). He conquered Kalinga, which none of his ancestors starting fromChandragupta Maurya had conquered. His reign was headquartered in Magadha (presentday Bihar). He supposedly embraced Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. "Ashoka reflected on the war in Kalinga, which [3] reportedly had resulted in more than 100,000 deaths and 150,000 deportations." Ashoka converted [2] gradually to Buddhism beginning about 263 BCE at the latest. He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha. "Ashoka regarded Buddhism as a doctrine that could serve as a cultural [4] foundation for political unity." Ashoka is often remembered in history as a philanthropic administrator. In the Kalinga edicts, he addresses his people as his "children" and mentions that as a father he desires their good. Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur (14 February 1483 26 December 1530; sometimes also spelt Baber or Babar) was a conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent and became the first Mughal emperor. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother; hence, he identified his lineage as Timurid and Chaghatay-Turkic. He was greatly influenced by Persian culture and this affected both his own actions and those of his [1][2] successors, giving rise to a significant expansion of the Persianate ethos in the Indian subcontinent. ahr ad-Dn Muammad (Persian: , also known by his royal titles as al-ultnu 'l-azam wa 'lqn al-mukkarram bdshh-e z), is more commonly known by his nickname, Bbur ( .) He used [3] the royal title of Padshah. According to Stephen Frederic Dale, the name Babur is derived from the Persian word babr, meaning [4] "tiger", a word that repeatedly appears inFirdaws's Shhnma and had also been borrowed by the [5][6] Turkic languages of Central Asia. This thesis is supported by the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, explaining that the Turko-Mongol name Timur underwent a similar evolution, from the Sanskrit word cimara ("iron") via a modified version *imr to the final Turkicized version timr, with [citation needed] r replacing -r due to the Turkish vowel harmony (hence babr babr). Contradicting these views, W.M. Thackston argues that the name cannot be taken from babr and instead must be derived from a word that has evolved out of the Indo-European word for beaver, pointing to the [7] fact that the name is pronounced bh-bor in both Persian and Turkic, similar to the Russian word for beaver ( bobr). Babur's cousin, Mirz Muammad Haydar,