The Chola people represent the Chola Empire, an Exploration Age civilization in Civilization VII.
The Chola's civilization ability is Samayam, which grants +3 
Gold and +1 
Influence on 
Trade Routes, and an additional Trade Route from the Improve Trade Relations 
Treaty. Their associated 
Wonder is the Brihadeeswarar Temple, and their unique assets are as follows:
| Asset | Description |
|---|---|
 Kalam
|
+1 additional attack per turn if  Movement allows.
|
 Ottru
|
Opposing  Military Units in the  Command Radius receive -3  Combat Strength.
|
 Five Hundred Lords
|
+5 land Trade Range. +15 naval Trade Range.
|
 Manigramam
|
+6  Happiness.+1 Gold per adjacent  Quarter or Wonder.+1 Happiness per adjacent Gold Building or Wonder.
|
 Anjuvannam
|
+6 Gold. +1 Gold per adjacent Coastal, Navigable River or Wonder tile.+50%  Production towards Naval Units.
|
 Nagaram
|
+50% Influence towards initiating the Improve Trade Relations Treaty.
|
 Nagaram II
|
+2  Resource Capacity in the  Capital.
|
| Kanakam
|
+1 Gold from active Diplomatic Actions you started or supported.
|
| Digvijaya
|
+1 Movement and +1  Sight for Kalam Units.
|
| Monsoon Winds
|
Ottru Units receive the Convoys  Promotion.+1  Settlement Limit.
|
 Devakoshta
|
+3  Culture on Gold Buildings.
|
| Marakkalam
|
-2 Gold maintenance for Naval Units.
|
| Angadi
|
+4 Gold in  Settlements other than your Capital if they have a water  Building.
|
Intro[]
The greatest of the Tamil dynasties, the Chola lords rule the seas. Their touch extends outward, across networks of merchant houses, to the poets and philosophers of the Sanskrit world, and to artists and scholars. Each seek to capture the dreams of the fleeting world, for a time. Extend your grasp - though the seas are ever-changing, make your mark.
Tips and hints[]
The Chola excel at making Trade Agreements and Trade Routes, especially when you have Coastal Settlements. But they also have a really impressive navy for defense... or for offense.
Strategy[]
The strength of the Cholas lies in their powerful navy and thriving trade, essentially becoming a powerhouse of commerce. Their most formidable asset is the Kalam, a unit with an exceptional double-range attack against land targets. This ability allows it to defend coastal settlements with ease and devastate enemy strongholds effortlessly.
In comparison, the Ottru may not seem as impressive, but it plays a crucial role in covering the Kalam’s biggest weakness—naval combat. While its double melee attack enhances its effectiveness against enemy ships, its overall utility is more situational.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Kalam is that its double attack also grants the Ottru effectively twice the experience per turn, enabling it to gain powerful promotions at an accelerated rate.
Civilopedia entry[]
Many often fail to understand the sheer diversity of India. A significant divide exists between the north and the south, with Indo-European languages (Urdu, Hindi, etc.) flourishing in the north and Dravidian languages (a separate family) in the south. Chola represents the south, specifically the Tamil and Telugu language groups, among others.
In an ancient stelae (circa 200 BCE), the emperor Ashoka mentions the southern Indian kingdom of Tamilakam. Its “Three Crowned Kings” (Chera, Chola, and Pandya) lived at the very southern tip of the subcontinent, and from them, the Tamil people trace their origins. During this period, myth interspersed with history; according to records, the kingdoms and empires of the south carved rivers and built mountains, and each of the Three Crowned Kings embodied a particular element: the Cheras represented fire, the Cholas the sun, and the Pandyas the moon. The archaeological record reports a basic feudal system. Life in the south involved constant conflict with larger kingdoms to the north as well as rival kingdoms within the southern region – until the beginnings of the Chola dynasty around 700 CE, a time contemporaneous with the rise of Islam to the west and the Khmer to the east.
The Chola dynasty emerged on the world stage with Vijayalaya Chola in the mid-ninth century CE. The Chola became increasingly prosperous over time but remained vassals of neighboring kingdoms. As the region descended into yet another war, Vijayalaya proclaimed his independence and slowly carved out a space for the Chola between rival groups (e.g. the Pandyas and Pallavas). One by one, Chola’s neighbors submitted to the dynasty’s expansion, which increased steadily under Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra Chola. Territorially, the Cholas extended in a diagonal slash from eastern India to southwestern India, including the entire southern tip and the northern bit of Sri Lanka. But Chola influence continued into Southeast Asia. The empire can be viewed in contrast to the Mongols; whereas the Mongols extended direct control over a large territory without too much cultural influence (we are currently writing in Roman script, not Mongol), the Chola extended their cultural influence far beyond their borders, including a sizeable impact on the Khmer and Majapahit. Chola had direct control over parts of Burma and island Southeast Asia and battled in areas as far-flung as Cambodia and the Philippines.
Still, Chola influence extended primarily via trade – the sea route out from India to Sumatra (Srivijaya), through the Straits of Malacca, and then north to Tang China became a powerful alternative to the overland Silk Road and presaged European attempts at global trade. The Chola linked the Abbasid and Tang via the sea. Using powerful merchant guilds, they traded a variety of goods (wisely supplying their clients with horses and elephants – if you sell horses to foreign powers, their cavalry is unlikely to be used against you).
Domestically, the Chola focused on irrigation, especially on water tanks and reservoirs (including the Solagangam, a massive tank supplying the city of Gangaikonda Cholapuram). But domestic politics were a problem. Any scholar of medieval dynasties knows how this story goes. Aristocratic families that held power within the Chola empire initially acquired their power and wealth by supporting the empire. However, over time, these families became self-sufficient and poured their energy into preserving their own heritage and territory rather than contributing to the larger state. As the empire stumbled, these smaller kingdoms broke off and declared independence, a process that chipped away at Chola's power.
The Cholas were ousted in the 13th century, but some of the dynasty survived. The last recorded Chola king was in Cebu, in the Philippines. Legends of the establishment of kingdoms via Indian rulers displaced from home are commonplace across island Southeast Asia and in the Rajanate of Cebu, so perhaps the stories hold some truth. Cebu lasted until the Spanish showed up in the 16th century.
Chola literature and art left a profound impact on South and Southeast Asian languages and cultures. When we speak of Indian influence in Southeast Asia, we mean Chola influence. The Chola sparked the efflorescence of Southeast Asian culture which supplies its Indic character today: divine monarchy, Buddhism, etc. The glory of the Cholas remains a point of pride for Tamil and other South Indian peoples today.
Cities[]
Age Transition Quotes[]
When age progress reaches 100% or player gets eliminated/retires, one of these quotes will be read depending on the last legacy path completed:
- Culture: "The Chola gathered the world's relics in their arms, celebrating the beauty of friend and foe."
- Economic: "What is the world, but a collective trade route? The Chola reached across land and sea, grasping the best commodities to fuel their own indulgence."
- Military: "One by one, lands fell beneath the shadow of the elephant's tusk - and the Chola became masters of the world."
- Science: "The Chola's imagination found a home in wood, stone, and steel. Their ingenuity turned vision into reality."
- Defeat: "Though the Chola reached out for greatness, they caught only the wind. Yet in that wind, and just as endless, was the tale of their people."
Trivia[]
- The Chola civilization's symbol is the face of a Bengal tiger, the royal emblem of the Chola dynasty and a popular emblem of the Tamil people.
- The Chola civilization ability is based on the name of elite merchant groups of the Chola Empire (சமயம்).
Soundtrack[]
| Original Track | № | Based on | Credits | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Chola Dynasty (Exploration Age)" | 22 | Pitha Pirai Soodi Thevaram | Composed by Sundarar, Anirudh Bharadwaj, Vani Ramamurthi, Ananya Ashok, Hrishikesh Chary, Rohan Krishnamurthy, & Geoff Knorr Performed by Anirudh Bharadwaj, Vani Ramamurthi, Ananya Ashok, Hrishikesh Chary, Rohan Krishnamurthy, & Geoff Knorr |
4:51 |
Gallery[]
.jpg "Chola city in-game (Civ7).jpg (6.25 MB)")
.png "Kalam in-game (Civ7).png (756 KB)")
.png "Ottru in-game (Civ7).png (699 KB)")
.png "Five Hundred Lords in-game (Civ7).png (911 KB)")
.png "Brihadeeswarar Temple in-game (Civ7).png (4.55 MB)")
.png "Chola Background (Civ7).png (1.44 MB)")
Videos[]
See also[]
- Chola in other games
External links[]
| Civilization VII Civilizations [edit] | |
|---|---|
| Antiquity | |
| Exploration | |
| Modern | |
| 1 Requires DLC | |