Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"After the collapse of the Gupta dynasty in the sixth century, India split into separate kingdoms that lasted for the next thousand years. Petty wars and conflicts divided the north, while nomadic Turks invaded and eventually blended into northern Indian society. The south was more peaceful, although still partitioned into many states. . . . Perhaps the most notable of that era was the Chola kingdom of the far south, which controlled the southeastern coast and profited from trade on the South China Sea." [National Geographic Almanac, p. 130] The Cholas left a lasting legacy. Their patronage of Tamil literature and their zeal in the building of temples has resulted in some great works of Tamil literature and architecture. The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples in their kingdoms not only as places of worship but also as centres of economic activity. They pioneered a centralised form of government and established a disciplined bureaucracy. The Chola school of art spread to Southeast Asia and influenced the architecture and art of Southeast Asia." [Wikipedia]