Previous Year Question
Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): We have much more information about Cholas than their predecessors.
Reason (R): The Chola rulers adopted the practice of having inscriptions written on the walls of temples giving a historical narrative of their victories.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below.
Codes:
Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(A) is true but (R) is false
(A) is false but (R) is true
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
A large number of epigraphic sources are available for reconstructing the history of the Chola period. In particular, temple inscriptions from the reigns of Rajaraja I and Rajendra I provide detailed information about political, administrative, economic and religious activities.
The Chola rulers had inscriptions engraved on the walls of temples constructed or patronised by them. These recorded details relating to the victories, titles, donations, land grants, taxes and administrative arrangements of the rulers.
Rajaraja I and Rajendra I constructed and patronised a number of temples to commemorate their victories. The Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur is a major example of Chola architecture, and inscriptions associated with it are extremely important for studying Chola government and society.
Because of these inscriptions, historians obtain comparatively more direct information not only about the political achievements of Chola rulers but also about local administration, temple management, land grants and economic activities.
Therefore, it is correct to say that more information is available about the Cholas than about many of their predecessors, and an important reason for this is their practice of having a large number of historical inscriptions engraved on temple walls.