Cholas to Europe: The Divergent Paths of Maritime Power A Comparative Study of Shipbuilding, Trade, and Financial Innovation The Chola dynasty (9th–13th centuries CE) was a maritime powerhouse, dominating Indian Ocean trade and conquest with sophisticated ships and ports like Nagapattinam. Their navy enabled campaigns like the 1025 CE Srivijaya raid, but they failed to develop shipbuilding as an industry due to ad hoc organization, trade-focused priorities, and artisanal methods. The Indian Ocean’s two-way trade reduced competitive pressure, unlike Europe’s consumer-driven markets, where high spice profits fueled rivalry. Financial revolutions in Amsterdam and London funded Dutch and British fleets, outmatching Iberian powers. Indian Ocean powers, constrained by land-based priorities and European incursions, didn’t build on the Chola legacy. Europe’s gunpowder, scientific advances, and institutions drove maritime dominance, leaving the Cholas’ regional model behind. ...