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Map of the Chola Empire in
1030 with details of Rajendra
Chola I's South-East Asia
campaign
Inscriptions and historical sources
assert that the Medieval Chola king
Rajendra Chola I sent a naval
expedition to Indo-China, the Malay
peninsula and the Indonesian
archipelago in 1025 in order to subdue
the Srivijaya Empire. [1] The
Thiruvalangadu plates, the Leyden grant,
and the Tamil praśasti of Rajendra
Chola I are the principal sources of
information about the campaign.
Sources
The most detailed source of information
on the campaign is the Tamil praśasti
of Rajendra Chola I . [2] The praśasti
states
The Thiruvalangadu plates, from the
fourteenth year of Rajendra Chola I,
mentions his conquest of Kadaram but
does not go into the details. [2] The first
attempt to identify the places
associated with the campaign was made
by epigraphist E. Hultzsch, who had
published the praśasti in 1891. [4]
Hultzsch identified the principalities
mentioned in the inscription with places
in Pandyan kingdom . [4] In 1903, he
rescinded his theory and stated that the
praśasti described Rajendra Chola I's
conquest of Pegu in Burma . [4] Georges
Coedès' Le Royaume de Sri Vijaya
published in 1918 after several years of
research, rejected both the theories and
provided the first convincing description
of Rajendra Chola I's conquest of
South-East Asia.
Causes
The causes of the hostility are obscure.
[1] While some scholars opine that the
campaign was undertaken to establish
Chola dominance over the seas of
South-East Asia, other suggest that it
might have been a war of plunder.
Conquests
A mural depicting the siege of
Kedah by the Cholas
Sri Vijaya
The praśasti of Rajendra Chola I
mentions Sri Vijaya as the first of the
countries conquered. [6] The Tamil
inscription lists Sri Vijaya with "its
jewelled wicket-gate" and "a gate of
large jewels" as the first of the treasures
captured by the fleet. The Sri Vijaya,
mentioned in the inscriptions, has been
identified by Coedès with the Sri Vijaya
kingdom which rule from its base at
Palembang in Sumatra . [6]
Pannai
Pannai, with its bathing ghats, is second
of the lands to be conquered by the
naval fleet. Pannai has been identified
as Pani or Panei, a city on the eastern
coast of Sumatra. [6]
Malaiyur
Malaiyur, with "its strong mountain",
has been identified with the southern
part of the Malay peninsula , where a
strong principality flourished at that
time. [6]
The hull of a reconstructed
Chola naval ship
Mayirudingam
Mayirudingam is believed to be the
same as Ji-lo-ting listed by the Chinese
writer Chau Ju-Kua among the
dependencies of Sri Vijaya and is
identified with the city of Jaiya in the
centre of the Malay peninsula.
Ilangasoka
The land of Ilangasoka ( Langkasuka)
mentioned in the inscriptions has been
located south of Kadaram in the Malay
peninsula and is believed to be the
same as the province of Ling-ya-sseu-
kia mentioned in Chau Ju-Kua's list.
Mapappalam
The epigraphist V. Venkayya identifies
Mapappalam of the inscription with the
city of Papphalama mentioned in the
Mahavamsa. [7] The place is believed to
be located in the Talaing region of
Lower Burma. [7]
Talaittakkolam
Talaittakkolam is believed to be the
same as Takkola mentioned by Ptolemy
and is identified with the modern-day
city of city of Takuapa in the Isthumus
of Kra. [7][8]
Nakkavaram
Nakkavaram, mentioned in the records,
has been identified by V. Venkayya with
the Nicobar Islands . [5]
Kadaram
The place Kadaram (modern Kedah )
mentioned in the praśasti is identified
with the Kataha of Sanskrit literature
and Kadaram of the Kalingattuparani
and the Kiet-cha of the Chinese
chronicles.
Results
Hindu temples in Indonesia
such as the Prambanan
Temple complex were strongly
influenced by Dravidian
architecture
The South-East Asia campaign
strengthened cultural ties between India
and South-East Asia. The Sailendra
king Maravijayattungavarman
constructed the Chudamani Vihara in
the port town of Nagapattinam . [11] The
campaign also led to the establishment
of diplomatic ties with China. The first
Indian embassy to the court of the Song
Emperor was sent by Raja Raja Chola I
in 1015. [11] This was followed by a
second embassy by his son, Rajendra
Chola I, in 1033 and a third by
Kulothunga Chola I in 1077. [11] The
Chola Empire did not establish its direct
rule over South-East Asia thought they
might have levied a periodic tribute. [11]
Traders from the Tamil country firmly
established themselves over various
parts of South-East Asia. A merchant
guild was set up in Burma and another
in Sumatra in 1088. [11] Indian historian
V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar suggests
that Tamil traders of the Chola period
might have had a knowledge of
Australia and Polynesia.
