Srivijaya

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The maximum extent of Srivijaya around the 8th to the 11th century with a series of Srivijayan expeditions and conquest

Srivijaya, also spelled Sri Vijaya or Sriwijaya, was a Malay maritime empire (thalassocracy) based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia) that influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was the first polity to dominate much of western Maritime Southeast Asia.

Due to its location, Srivijaya developed complex technology using maritime resources. In addition, its economy became progressively reliant on the Maritime Silk Road, thus transforming it into a prestige goods-based economy.

Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th to 11th century. A Tang dynasty Chinese Buddhist monk, Yijing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya for six months in 671 AD. This is the earliest known references to the empire. The earliest known inscription in which the name Srivijaya appears is dated 16 June 682, in Sumatra.

Between the late 7th and early 11th century, Srivijaya rose to become a hegemon in Southeast Asia. It was involved in close interactions, often rivalries, with the neighbouring Mataram Kingdom, Khmer Empire and Champa. Srivijaya's main foreign interest was nurturing lucrative trade agreements with China which lasted from the Tang to the Song dynasty. Srivijaya had religious, cultural and trade links with the Buddhist Pala Empire of Bengal, as well as with the Islamic Caliphate in the Middle East.

The kingdom may have disintegrated after 1025 following several major raids launched by the Chola Empire upon their ports.

Further reading

• Srivijaya, Wikipedia