By the standards of the medieval world, Chola queens were also remarkably prominent, serving as the dynasty's public face. Travelling to Tamil villages and rebuilding small, old mud-brick shrines ...

The Brihadishvara temple, built in the 11th Century by King Rajaraja Chola, is a Unesco World Heritage site [Getty Images] ...

But what set the Cholas apart was their endless capacity for innovation. By the standards of the medieval world, Chola queens were also remarkably prominent, serving as the dynasty's public face.