Rajendra Chola, son and successor of Rajaraja I established his marks during his father`s rein. He occupies a special place in the history of Tamil Nadu and in that of the whole of South India. A great ruler just like his father and perhaps even mightier a conqueror, his outstanding military achievements starting from the time when he was a prince, deserve particular mention. Rajendra Chola assisted his father in the Chola military conquests of Kerala and the Western Chalukyas of ancient Karnataka and later, when he ascended the throne, waged extensive battles to expand the frontiers of his already large empire.

Rajendra was an ambitious conqueror. Within the first three years of his reign, he invaded Karnataka area and subdued many places there which had been recovered by the rulers of Karnataka. He then turned his attention to Sri Lanka, the northern part of which had already been conquered by his father, and succeeded in capturing the whole of Lanka in 1017 A.D., with the result of this Chola rule continued in this island country for twelve years thereafter. His inscriptions, especially his copperplate records, provide a very graphic picture of his conquests.

After Rajendra defeated the Pandyas of Madurai, he earned for him the title `Madurantaka` (destroyer of Madurai).One of the greatest achievements of Rajendra, was his successful expedition to North India up to the river Ganga, a venture not attempted by any of his illustrious ancestors. His army marched through the different provinces in India and reached Bengal, defeating numerous kings enroute. Rajendra`s inscriptions provide a very meticulous list of all the kingdoms which were conquered by him on his way to the Gangetic valley. His generals returned with the sacred water of the Ganga, which was then poured into a huge tank aptly named Cholagangam which was dug at Rajendra`s new capital city Gangaikonda Cholapuram, thus named to commemorate this brilliant expedition to the north and Rajendra took upon the title Gangaikonda Chola (the Chola who brought the waters of the Ganga).

One of Rajendra`s greatest and much-remembered achievements in the sphere of religion was the construction of the massive Siva temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, originally known as Gangaikonda Cholishvaram after this great emperor, and today, like the one in Tanjavur called Brihadishvara. Some of the stone sculptures and bronzes of the Cholas produced during this period are of unrivalled workmanship and testify to the artistic ability and dexterity of the artisans of this age as also the patronage of Rajendra. He constructed other Siva temples in various parts of his empire as well and contributed to the architectural expansion of many Siva and Vishnu shrines built prior to his time. His father had donated a village called Anaimangalam to the Buddhist vihara at Nagapattinam constructed by Maravijayottunga Varman of Sri Vijaya and Rajendra, following in his footsteps re-granted this village to this Buddhist centre.

This great monarch appointed his son Rajadhiraja I as his co-ruler in 1018 A.D., four years after he ascended the throne and the latter assisted his father in many of his military campaigns just as Rajendra himself had helped his father earlier. Rajendra`s reign marked the pinnacle of glory of the dynasty of the Imperial Cholas. His power was nonpareil.