A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c14.70

c14.70

The royal household comprised numerous servants of varied descriptions including bodyguards of sorts. The coronation hall and kitchen establishments comprised mostly women. The palace servants of the Cholas were organized into vēḷams and settled in separate quarters in the capitals. Chau Ju-kua, a Chinese author of the early thirteenth century, observed of the Chola kingdom: ‘At state banquets both the prince and four court ministers salaam at the foot of the throne. Then the whole company present break into music, song and dancing. He (the prince) does not drink wine but he eats meat, and, as is the native custom, dresses in cotton clothing and eats flour cakes. For his table and escorts he employs fully a myriad dancing girls, 3,000 of whom are in attendance daily in rotation.’ The Chālukya palace had a manevergaḍe (chamberlain)