The Chola Empire's Tamil Military Guilds: The Velakkara and the Kaikkolar

In this episode of The Chola Empire, Lucas and Luna explore the forgotten military guilds that underpinned Chola power. While the Ayyavole and Manigramam merchant guilds dominated trade, the Velakkara and Kaikkolar warrior guilds formed the backbone of the Chola army and navy. Lucas explains how the Velakkara were hereditary soldiers who served as palace guards and were also deployed overseas, even being granted land endowments in Sri Lanka. He then turns to the Kaikkolar, a weaver caste that supplied soldiers to Chola armies and also served as temple servants. The episode covers the famous Velakkara inscription from Polonnaruwa, which details a massacre of Chola troops during Vijayabahu's revolt. Lucas also discusses how these guilds were organized, their code of honor, and their eventual decline as the Chola empire waned. The conversation touches on the social mobility these guilds offered and their role in the Chola military economy. Luna's questions help clarify the difference between these guilds and the more famous merchant groups, and how the Kaikkolar's weaving background connected to military service. The episode ends with a reflection on how these guilds illustrate the deep entanglement of war, trade, and religion in the Chola world. #CholaEmpire #Velakkara #Kaikkolar #Polonnaruwa #Vijayabahu #MilitaryGuilds #CholaArmy #CholaNavy #SouthIndia #MedievalIndia #IndianOcean #TamilHistory #WeaverCaste #TempleServants #SocialMobility #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo