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TNPSC Cholas practice questions with answers

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

The imperial Cholas are the best-covered dynasty in the Tamil Nadu history unit, because they combine kings, temples, administration and literature, all of which make good questions. A strong Chola chapter can bring in several marks from the unit worth about 20 of 75 General Studies questions in the Group 4 and Group 2 prelims papers. The five questions below touch each of those four threads. For the whole subject, see TNPSC Tamil Nadu History, Culture and Heritage.

What this topic covers

• The rulers: Vijayalaya's revival around the middle of the ninth century, the great kings Rajaraja I and Rajendra I, and later rulers such as Kulottunga I.
• Conquests: northern Sri Lanka, the Ganga region, and the naval expedition to Southeast Asia.
• Administration: mandalams, valanadus, nadus and the village assemblies.
• Temples and literature: the Thanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram temples, Periya Puranam and Kalingattuparani.

Sample questions

Question 1

The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur was built by:

• A. Rajendra I
• B. Parantaka I
• C. Rajaraja I
• D. Kulottunga I

Question 2

In Chola administration, a valanadu was a subdivision of a:

• A. nadu
• B. kurram
• C. ur
• D. mandalam

Question 3

Jayamkondar's Kalingattuparani celebrates the Kalinga victory of:

• A. Kulottunga I
• B. Rajaraja I
• C. Rajendra I
• D. Aditya I

Question 4

The Periya Puranam, the story of the 63 Nayanmars, was composed by:

• A. Kamban
• B. Sekkizhar
• C. Jayamkondar
• D. Ilango Adigal

Question 5

Around 1025 CE, Rajendra I sent a naval expedition against:

• A. the Chalukyas of Kalyani
• B. the Pandyas of Madurai
• C. Srivijaya in Southeast Asia
• D. the Rashtrakutas

Answers and explanations

1. C. Rajaraja I built the great Brihadeeswarar (Rajarajeswaram) temple at Thanjavur, completed around 1010. It is part of the UNESCO site called the Great Living Chola Temples.
2. D. The empire was divided into mandalams (provinces), which were split into valanadus, then nadus, then kurrams, with the ur (village) at the base.
3. A. Kalingattuparani is a war poem by Jayamkondar on Kulottunga I's Kalinga campaign. A parani is a Tamil verse form that celebrates a victory in war.
4. B. Sekkizhar wrote the Periya Puranam, the twelfth Thirumurai, in the twelfth century. Kamban wrote the Ramavataram, and Ilango Adigal the Silappathikaram.
5. C. Rajendra I's navy crossed the Bay of Bengal and attacked the Srivijaya kingdom, which controlled sea routes of Southeast Asia. This is one of the few overseas expeditions in Indian history.

How to prepare the Cholas

Divide the Cholas into three eras for revision: the revival (Vijayalaya, Aditya I, Parantaka I), the peak (Rajaraja I and Rajendra I) and the later period (Kulottunga I and after). Give each era its own page with the rulers, the conquests and the buildings. This avoids the usual confusion of Rajaraja and Rajendra, who appear in many questions together.

Next, make a chain for administration: mandalam, valanadu, nadu, kurram, ur. Add the local bodies: the ur for ordinary villages, the sabha for Brahmin villages and the nagaram for merchants. The Uttaramerur inscriptions of Parantaka I describe the election of committee members by drawing pots, called kudavolai, which is a favourite question.

Finally, tie literature to rulers. Kamban's Ramavataram, Sekkizhar's Periya Puranam and Jayamkondar's Kalingattuparani all belong to the Chola age. The temples also connect to the art unit, which you can practise in TNPSC Tamil Nadu art, architecture and culture practice. For the earlier dynasty, go to TNPSC Pallavas and Pandyas practice.

Take the full topic test on PrepMatic

For a longer check after this chapter, take a PrepMatic topic test: about 15 questions in 30 minutes. If you are preparing for the Group 4 exam on 10 January 2027, the free assessment builds your starting picture, and the day-by-day plan uses your exam date, daily hours and study days to schedule topics such as this one.

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