I had posted an article that the Tamil Chola Kings were the descendents of Lord Rama’s Ikshvahu Dynasty and posted the list of Kings.

I have come across information on the origin of the term ‘Chola’ and the founder of Chola Dynasty.

There seems to have been three distinct Cholas.

Brahadeswara Temple,Thanjavur.Image credit. vedic odyssey.com

1.The Pre Sangam Cholas belonging to Ikshvahu Dynasty.

2.The later Cholas, of whom the Great Rajaraja Chola was one.He built the Thanjavur Brahadeswara temple  and established an Empire extending from the Godavari Basin in the north to Sri Lanka,then called Elam.( Fifth century BC to Third Century AD),

3.Rettapadi Cholas, who ruled in and from what is now called Andhra Pradesh.

The word Chola, according to Col.Gerini, is from the Sanskrit word Kaala, or Kola meaning black, indicating that the ancestors of the Cholas were pre historic Dravidians who were black.The word Kola became Chola…