Chola naval expedition to Shrivijaya
Topic: Southern Dynasties: Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 4 "Turning Tides: The 11th and 12th Centuries"
Meaning
This was a naval campaign that Rajendra Chola I sent against the Shrivijaya empire in c. 1025 CE. Shrivijaya lay in present-day Malaysia and Indonesia. Its king controlled the Strait of Malacca, the sea route to China. The Chola–China trade was growing, and Rajendra had even sent a diplomatic mission to China. It was a punitive expedition, meaning it was sent to punish, not to take over land. Many Indian merchant guilds backed it.
Example
In c. 1025 CE, Rajendra's navy defeated Shrivijaya and captured its capital. The Cholas did not occupy the empire. They withdrew once their aims were met, keeping the trade route open for Indian merchants.
Don't confuse with
- Rajaraja's conquest of the 'islands of the sea': an earlier Chola naval conquest of the Maldives and northern Sri Lanka. Unlike the Shrivijaya raid, these lands were taken and held.
Related concepts
- Rajaraja Chola I
- Brihadishvara temple
- Larger Leiden plates
- Chudamani Vihara
- Rajendra Chola I
- Gangaikondacholapuram
- Shrivijaya
- Kulottunga I