The Cholas returned to power in 850 and remained a dominant political force until 1173. Within a hundred years, during the reign of Rajaraja, they defeated the Pandyas and the Cheras.
Their great empire expanded to cover the whole Tamil area, Sri Lanka, the region of the Andhras, southern Karnataka, and the Laccadive and Maldive islands. At his capital, Thanjavur, Rajaraja I built the Brihadishwara Temple, one of the finest examples of Dravidian architecture.

There was further expansion in the 1000's during the reign of Rajendra Chola (1014-1044). He conquered Kerala and the Pandyan lands in the south, and led raids to the north and northeast. On his return he founded the city of Gangakondacholapuram (the city of the Chola who brought the Ganges) in the Kaveri delta.
His naval expeditions to the Malayan Peninsula resulted in Chola domination over the trade routes in that area of the Indian Ocean and control of the sea routes to Java, Sumatra, and China. One other major result was the Hindu influence on the art of Java and Bali.

Chola control over this vast area continued for nearly a hundred years until the Pandyas became powerful again and ruled from about 1175 to 1300. In Karnataka, the Hoysalas came to power in 1022 and emerged as a strong force.
Tamil Nadu also came under the influence of the Vijayanagar Empire, the last Hindu empire in India, which superseded the Pandyas. After the disintegration of the Vijayanagar Empire, the Tamil region came under the control of several petty chiefs.

The arrival of the British in the area in the 1600's brought far-reaching changes. Under British rule, the region became united under a single administration.
During the 1600's and 1700's, the British East India Company established its power in southern India. In 1639, the Company set up its factory at Fort St. George, the trading post that developed into the present-day city of Chennai. From this centre, the company directed its political and trading activities.

Through wars, annexations, and treaties with Indian rulers such as the nawab of Carnatic, the nizam of Hyderabad, and the sultan of Mysore, the East India Company acquired the territory covering present-day Tamil Nadu. British rule caused considerable opposition and resistance, particularly from local Indian rulers who had lost their lands to the Company.