One of the greatest empires in history, now comes to your screen in Son Of Thanjai, watch game trailer

Before democracy, the world was ruled by kings and empires, like the British, Romans, Guptas, and Mughals. Among them existed an empire, which many consider didn’t get its due for all that it achieved — the Cholas. With their capital in Thanjavur (Tanjore), the empire ruled the land and seas around southern India for almost four centuries, with their trade links extending upto South-East Asia. Now, PlayStation, along with game developers Ayelet Studios, has decided to tell this dynasty’s story through a new videogame.

Ayelet Studios has been responsible for another game about the Cholas, titled Unsung Empire: The Cholas. Now the studio has developed Son Of Thanjai from the perspective of King Rajendra Chola, or Rajendra I, who ruled the empire for 30 years and expanded their reach and power considerably. PlayStation released an announcement trailer, which is just their way of keeping most of the information to themselves, but the viewers do get an insight into the expanse and grandeur of the mighty king. The description reads, “Step into the shoes of a King Rajendra Chola, torn between duty and destiny.” While it hasn’t been specified if the game is about Rajendra I or II, it is most likely about the former, who remained undefeated in traditional battle all throughout his reign, and not his son, who ascended to the throne after his elder brother died in combat.

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The trailer opens with the king sitting on top of an elephant and being led into the castle surrounded by an entire parade. He waves to the crowd and takes in all the love and admiration they have to offer. Celebratory music in Tamil is playing in the background as the king walks into a giant courtyard filled with dancers and musicians, and he greets them with folded hands and closed eyes. He goes into a flashback, where he can be seen killing his enemies indiscriminately, and this section of the trailer gives a first real glimpse into the actual gameplay. The studio and PlayStation itself are bound to release a more detailed gameplay trailer very soon.

Just a month back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lauded the Chola Dynasty for all that they achieved during their reign. During the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival, which celebrates the birth anniversary of King Rajendra, the PM announced his plans of erecting statues of Raja Raja Chola and Rajendra Chola and said, “These statues will serve as modern pillars of India’s historical consciousness.” The release date for the game hasn’t been announced yet, but it is already available for players to put in their wish list.