Rajaraja Narendra

Rajaraja Narendra ((r. 1022 – 1061 CE)) was the Eastern Chalukya king of the Vengi kingdom in South India. Rajaraja Narendra is the grandson of Raja Raja Chola I and he established the city of Rajahmahendravaram. His period was famous for its social and cultural heritage. During Rajaraja Chola I's reign, Rajahmahendravaram was sacked by the Western Chalukya. The region witnessed wars between the Western Chalukya and other neighbouring dynasties, with political support from the Chola dynasty.

Amangai Devi, daughter of Rajendra Chola I, married Rajaraja Narendra, the son of Vimalathitha Chalukya. The feudal relationship between the Cholas and Chalukyas continued for three centuries from Arinjaya Chola onwards.

Rajaraja Narendra's son, Rajendra Chalukya, also known as Kulottunga Chola I, raided Kedah (Malaysia) for his maternal uncle. He became the king of the Chola empire in Gangaikondacholapuram when a political vacuum occurred and merged the Chola and Chalukya dynasties. He was a liberal ruler and granted several land grants to his generals and royal officials during his reign. Due to his relaxation of taxes, he was also called 'sungam thavirtha cholan'.

Kubja Vishnuvardhana, the progenitor of the Eastern Chalukyas, claimed to belong to the Manavya gotra in his Timmapuram plates. The Aravidu dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire claimed descent from Rajaraja Narendra, although they belonged to the Atreya gotra, unlike their claimed ancestor.

Literary works during his time
The Eastern Chalukya dynasty supported Jainism and Shaivism. Rajaraja Narendra himself was a Shaivite. He respected religious priests and promoted the Tamil, Telugu, and Sanskrit languages and religions. Rajaraja Narendra requested his teacher, advisor, and court poet Nannayya Bhattaraka to translate the Mahabharata into Telugu. However, Nannayya was only able to translate two and a half parvas of the epic.