Why in the News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tamil Nadu during the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival at Gangaikonda Cholapuram drew attention due to its subtle political messaging and focus on the legacy of the Chola dynasty, especially Rajendra Chola I.

How can the Chola administration guide modern local governance?

• Village self-governance and democratic decentralisation:
  The Chola Empire empowered local sabhas (village assemblies) with decision-making authority on taxation, public works, and justice. Eg: The Uttaramerur inscription describes detailed procedures for electing representatives, offering a historical model for transparent local elections under the Panchayati Raj system.
• Efficient land and revenue administration: Cholas maintained meticulous land surveys and categorised land based on productivity, enabling fair taxation and resource allocation. Eg: Modern municipalities can replicate this by digitising land records and using GIS-based mapping for efficient property tax collection and urban planning.
• Sustainable infrastructure development: The Cholas built long-lasting public structures like water tanks, roads, and temples with advanced engineering and seismic resilience. Eg: The Brihadisvara Temple, which has survived for over 1,000 years and multiple earthquakes, showcases engineering that can inspire today’s disaster-resilient urban planning.

Why is Chola water management relevant today?

• Sustainable use of water resources: The Cholas constructed tanks, canals, and reservoirs to harvest rainwater and ensure year-round irrigation. Eg: Modern water-stressed areas like Tamil Nadu can adopt tank rehabilitation models to revive traditional water bodies for climate-resilient agriculture.
• Integrated river basin management: The Chola administration managed the entire Cauvery delta through coordinated planning and maintenance of water channels. Eg: Contemporary river management programs, like Namami Gange, can draw from Chola practices to implement holistic watershed development.
• Community involvement in water governance: Local communities were entrusted with the maintenance and operation of water systems, ensuring accountabilityand efficiency. Eg: Today’s Panchayati Raj Institutions can involve village-level water user associations for better decentralised water management.

What can temple architecture teach about seismic safety?

• Broad base and tapering design: Chola temples like the Brihadisvara Temple have a wide foundation and a gradually tapering superstructure, which helps evenly distribute weight and resist lateral seismic forces. Eg: The Brihadisvara Temple has withstood centuries of earthquakes due to its pyramid-like design.
• Interlocking stone construction: The use of interlocked granite blocks without mortar allows movement between blocks during tremors, reducing the risk of collapse. Eg: The stones of the Airavatesvara Temple fit precisely without binding material, enhancing flexibility and durability.
• Adaptation to local seismic conditions: Temples were built with careful understanding of the local geology and fault lines, ensuring structures were placed and designed to endure tremors. Eg: Temples in the southern peninsula, a region that experienced earthquakes over the past 200 years, have remained structurally stable.

How does invoking the Chola legacy shape modern politics?

• Cultural Nationalism and Historical Pride: Highlighting the Chola dynasty fosters a sense of national pride and cultural unity, projecting ancient India as a strong, enterprising civilisation. Eg: Leaders reference the Cholas to underline India’s historical global influence, like maritime trade and temple architecture.
• Regional Outreach and Political Messaging: Referencing Chola heritage appeals to Tamil cultural identity, helping national leaders build rapport with southern states and bridge regional divides. Eg: Recently PM’s visit to Gangaikonda Cholapuram during the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival subtly aimed at gaining regional political goodwill.

Why is full implementation of the 73rd/74th Amendments important?

• Grassroots Democratic Traditions: The Cholas had well-documented systems of village self-governance, such as the Sabhas and Ur assemblies, where local representatives were elected and entrusted with decision-making on water, land, justice, and public works. This mirrors the spirit of decentralisation envisioned in the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.
• Efficient Local Administration: Under the Cholas, local institutions managed tax collection, maintained infrastructure like tanks and canals, and resolved disputes — demonstrating a strong accountable and participatory governance model. Modern implementation of these amendments can replicate the administrative efficiency and civic involvement once seen under Chola rule.

Way forward: 

• Strengthen Local Bodies with Financial and Administrative Autonomy: Empower Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies with adequate funds, functions, and functionaries to enable effective grassroots governance, similar to how Chola village assemblies independently managed resources and infrastructure.
• Promote Heritage-Based Policy Learning: Encourage research and integration of ancient administrative practices (like water management, record-keeping, and civic participation) into modern policymaking, ensuring context-relevant and sustainable governance models inspired by successful historical systems like the Cholas.

Mains PYQ:

[UPSC 2022] Discuss the main contributions of Gupta period and Chola period to Indian heritage and culture.

Linkage: This question is directly related to your query as it broadly asks about the “main contributions” of the Chola period to “Indian heritage and culture.” This scope allows for a comprehensive discussion that goes beyond just art and architecture (grand temples).  It provides an opportunity to elaborate on the administrative acumen of the Cholas, their water management systems, tax and land revenue collection, and democratic processes, which are highlighted in the sources as significant “mundane facets…of modern relevance” and key aspects of their legacy.

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