“Epigraphical Insights into the Political, Social, Economic, and Cultural Landscape of Chola Tamil Nadu: A Study of the Vasishtesvara Temple Inscriptions at Karanthai”

DINESH KUMAR DK

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.61851

“Epigraphical Insights into the Political, Social, Economic, and Cultural Landscape of Chola Tamil Nadu: A Study of the Vasishtesvara Temple Inscriptions at Karanthai”

Author(s)	Mr. DINESH KUMAR DK
Country	India
Abstract	This study examines the inscriptions of the Vasishtesvara Temple at Karanthai in the Thanjavur district, a significant Chola-period monument dated between the 10th and 12th centuries CE. The epigraphs, engraved primarily in Tamil and few words in Grantha scripts, provide multifaceted insights into the political, social, economic, and cultural life of medieval Tamil Nadu. Politically, the inscriptions record the regnal years, administrative divisions, territorial jurisdictions, and royal orders of major Chola rulers including Rajaraja I, Rajendra I, Rajadhiraja II, Rajaraja II, and others. Socially, they reveal the functioning of brahmadeya villages, temple-centred institutions, community assemblies, women’s participation, heroic traditions, and the role of scribes and officials. Economically, the records document tax-exempt lands, land sales, revenue systems, irrigation features, and ritual endowments such as perpetual lamps. Culturally, the inscriptions illuminate temple administration, festivals, ritual services, sacred horticulture, artistic practices, and religious pluralism. Through an interdisciplinary analysis combining epigraphy, historical geography, and socio-cultural archaeology, this article reconstructs the political organisation, civic cooperation, legal frameworks, and cultural sophistication of Chola Tamil Nadu as reflected in the Karanthai inscriptions. The study highlights the importance of regional temples as centres of administration, economic management, and cultural continuity.
Field	Sociology > Archaeology / History
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-11-27
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.61851
Short DOI	https://doi.org/hbdr6t

View / Download PDF File

E-ISSN 2582-2160

doi

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads

Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 5 Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 4 Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 3

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

“Epigraphical Insights into the Political, Social, Economic, and Cultural Landscape of Chola Tamil Nadu: A Study of the Vasishtesvara Temple Inscriptions at Karanthai”

Share this