(a) The caste system very much prevailed in Southern Ind.a. Besides the prosperous Brahmins, merchants had emerged as a powerful class by virtue of their wealth. The social status of the lower castes was pitiable. They could not draw water from the common wells, nor were they allowed to enter temples. 

(b) The Chola emperors were worshipers of Lord Shiva, but they were by no means intolerant of other sects and religions. 

(c) The Chola era, was the ‘Golden Age’ of Tamil literature. Kamban translated the Sanskrit epic ‘Ramayana’ into Tamil in the ninth century AD, it came to be known as Kamban Ramayana. Kamban had translated its earliest Kandas (parts). The later parts (Uttarakhanda) were translated by Qttakuttan. Another renowned poet Pugalendi flourished in the 12th century. He wrote Nalavenda, which is based on the love story of Nala and Damayanti. The Buddhist and the Jain scholars also made a rich contribution to Tamil literature. The Jain Scholar Amrit Sagar wrote a book on poetics, the art of writing poetry. The Buddhist Scholar Buddhamitra wrote ‘Rasolium’, a grammar book.