Chola Empire Temple Economy: How Brihadeeswarar Ran a City

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the vast temple economy that underpinned the Chola Empire, focusing on the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur. They discuss how Rajaraja I's grand temple wasn't just a place of worship but an economic powerhouse, managing over 300 villages, employing hundreds of priests, dancers, musicians, and artisans, and operating as a bank and landowner. The conversation covers the temple's administrative structure, including the sabha (village assembly) and the temple's role in redistributing wealth, supporting irrigation projects, and maintaining a standing army. Lucas explains the detailed inscriptions on the temple walls that record land grants, tax exemptions, and salaries, offering a unique window into medieval Tamil economy. They also touch on the 'devadasi' system of temple dancers and the temple's function as a granary during famines. The episode stays ground-level, focusing on how ordinary people interacted with the temple economy, and contrasts it with the more familiar narrative of Chola military power. #CholaEmpire #Brihadeeswarar #TempleEconomy #RajarajaCholaI #Thanjavur #MedievalIndia #SouthIndianHistory #TamilEconomy #Sabha #Devadasi #LandGrants #Inscriptions #TamilHistory #IndianFeudalism #TempleAdministration #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo