Was Vetrimaaran Right? Here’s Why Historians Say Raja Raja Cholan Was Not Hindu

Anyone can claim anything. Hence, let’s keep the heated exchange aside for a while and pay heed to what history has to say.

Going by history, was Raja Raja Cholan a Hindu?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Still, No.

In order to understand why, The Quint reached out to historians to seek their expert opinions.

Richard H Davis, research professor of religion, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York said, “I would not call Raja Raja Chola a ‘Hindu.’ The term was not used at that time. Nor was there an idea that there was a single religion uniting the various groups or communities that worshiped Shiva, Vishnu, the goddess, and other deities. That is a much later development, largely during the British period.”

Why then is Raja Raja Cholan known for building famous Hindu temples which are frequently visited by Hindu devotees now?

Speaking about the popular Brihadishvara temple in Tanjavur that Raja Raja Cholan had built, Davis said the emperor would have thought of it as a temple for Shiva, not as a ‘Hindu temple.’

Other historians too concurred with Davis’s views and said that these are historical facts that can be proven. Professor Mahalakshmi Ramakrishnan, whose subject is ancient Indian history in Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) said, “I completely agree with what actor Kamal Haasan and director Vetrimaaran have said. Historically, the way in which religion and traditions existed were as denominations. Hinduism is a misnomer to talk about the early medieval period.”

Speaking to The Quint, Professor TK Venkatasubramanian, who has a doctorate in history from Madras University said that asking whether Shaivism (of the time) was Hinduism is a “later day question.”

He reiterated that one should look at Raja Raja Cholan’s religious beliefs and the god he worshipped in the historic context, keeping in mind the time period he belonged to.

Further addressing the controversy surrounding the identity of Raja Raja Cholan, the Professor said, “Earlier the question was what history is. But now, it has become who the history is for. That is why we have these questions on identity.”