Novel aromatic polyamides, having inherent viscosities of 0.76-2.31 dL/g, were synthesized by the low temperature solution polycondensation of a new highly phenylated diamine monomer having an imidazolinone group, 1,3-bis(4-aminophenyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazoline-2-one (TPIDA), with various aromatic diacid chlorides. All the polymers were amorphous, and most of the polyamides were readily soluble in organic solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and m-cresol. Flexible and tough films could be prepared from the DMAc solutions of these soluble aromatic polyamides. The glass transition temperatures and 10% weight loss temperatures under nitrogen of the polyamides were in the range of 275-315 degrees C and 430-505 degrees C, respectively.