Uraiyur
Topic: Sangam Age and Early South India · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Uraiyur was the early capital of the Sangam-age Cholas (c. 300 BCE – 300 CE). It stood in the Kaveri valley, the heartland of Chola power. It was known as a centre of the cotton trade. Today it is part of the city of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu.
Example
The early Cholas ruled the lower Kaveri valley from Uraiyur. Puhar (Kaveripattinam) was their main port on the coast. Together, the two show how inland farming and cloth wealth were linked to trade by sea.
Don't confuse with
- Thanjavur: the capital of the later imperial Cholas (9th–11th centuries CE), many centuries after the Sangam age.
- Puhar (Kaveripattinam): the Chola port on the coast, not the inland capital.