What understanding of the relation between state and religion is gained from Rajaraja Chola I's Brihadeeswarar Temple?

State power could display its grandeur through religious architecture

The governing concept is royal patronage: rulers used major religious buildings to express authority, wealth and political legitimacy. Rajaraja Chola I commissioned the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur, and its enormous scale, engineering and inscriptions connected the king and the Chola state with divine protection and organized resources. Therefore, option A is correct. Option B is wrong because the state financed and supervised such architecture; option C ignores the temple’s public, ritual and institutional functions; and option D places the monument in the wrong dynasty and period. The temple shows that religion and kingship could reinforce one another without being identical.

This is a Class 10 General Knowledge question. Chapter: Indian History. Topic: Famous Indian Rulers.