Kandalur Salai: The Battle That Shaped Indian Ocean Trade for Centuries

Описание: The Battle of Kandalur Salai (~988 CE) was the decisive naval victory that launched the Chola Empire’s dominance over the Indian Ocean—yet one of ancient India’s most forgotten clashes. This documentary reveals how Rajaraja Chola I destroyed the Chera navy at their fortified Kerala base, shattered rival alliances, and built South India’s first maritime superpower through bold amphibious warfare.

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Long before European fleets ruled the seas, the Cholas mastered shipbuilding, elite marines, boarding tactics, and fire arrows. Kandalur Salai—a strategic Chera naval stronghold (possibly near Vizhinjam)—fell to Rajaraja’s first major campaign after his 985 CE coronation, as celebrated in inscriptions like “Kandalur salai kalamarutta.”
This video covers:

Political chaos after the Rashtrakuta collapse and the Chera-Pandya-Sri Lanka coalition
Chola naval doctrine, amphibious strategy, and evidence from hero stones & temple records
The battle: fleet destruction, port storming, and total maritime supremacy
Aftermath: conquest of Kerala/Pandya, Sri Lanka invasion (993 CE), Lakshadweep/Maldives control, and the path to Rajendra Chola I’s Southeast Asian expeditions

This overlooked clash turned the Indian Ocean into a “Chola lake,” monopolizing spice and pearl trade routes from Arabia to Indonesia.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro
00:19 – History Written by the Victors | Forgotten Battles
00:38 – Great Naval Powers | British, Spanish, Portuguese
01:17 – Chola Naval Power | Battle of Kandalur Salai Intro
01:26 – Rajaraja Chola Early Reign | 10th-Century South India
01:57 – Kandalur Salai | Chera Sea Power
02:42 – South India Chaos | Rashtrakuta Collapse
03:24 – Chola Revival | Thanjavur Capital
03:47 – Rajaraja Coronation 985 CE
04:12 – Indian Ocean Trade | Spices, Silk, China
04:47 – Anti-Chola Coalition | Chera-Pandya-Sri Lanka
05:22 – What Was Kandalur Salai? | Naval Academy?
05:55 – Chola Inscriptions | Hero Stones, Plates
06:15 – Location Debate | Vizhinjam Theory
06:57 – Campaign Planning | First Major Gamble
07:11 – Chola Navy Doctrine | Amphibious Warfare
08:20 – Battle ~988 CE | Chera Fleet Assault
08:49 – “Kandalur Salai Kalamarutta” Meaning
09:12 – Ancient Naval Warfare | Boarding, Fire Arrows
10:04 – Chera Navy Destroyed
10:42 – Port Stormed & Base Razed
11:28 – Rajaraja Titles | Indian Superpower Born
11:46 – Coalition Collapse | Chola Rise
12:32 – Brihadeeswarar Inscriptions | “Keralantaka”
12:52 – Conquest of Kerala & Pandya
13:42 – Sri Lanka Invasion 993 CE
14:35 – Deccan Wars | Western Chalukya
14:53 – Lakshadweep & Maldives
15:24 – Trade Monopoly | Maritime Wealth
15:59 – Chola Legacy | Rajendra Chola I
16:17 – Southeast Asia Expedition 1025 CE
16:45 – Battle That Forged the Empire
17:46 – Where Was Kandalur Salai?
18:10 – India’s Forgotten Naval History
18:26 – Conclusion

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