A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c14.25

c14.25

Very soon after, Rājendra sent a large naval expedition against the kingdom of Śrī Vijaya. Śrī Vijaya was the powerful maritime state which ruled the Malayan peninsula, Sumatra, Java and the neighbouring islands and controlled the sea routes from India to China. The relations between Śrī Vijaya and the Chola empire had been quite friendly in the time of Rājarāja and in the early years of Rājendra's reign. The Chola monarchs sent embassies, partly diplomatic and partly commercial, to China which reached that country in 1016, 1033, and 1077. Rājendra's war against Śrī Vijaya (1025) occurred between the dates of the first and second embassies to China. Whether it was rendered necessary by an attempt on Śrī Vijaya's part to obstruct the Chola intercourse with China or was simply the result of Rājendra's desire to win glory by extending his digvijaya to the countries across the sea, we cannot say. Whatever the reason, the expedition was a complete success. Kaḍāram (Kaṭāha) and the capital Śrī Vijaya itself were sacked and king Sangrāma Vijayottungavarman, Māra Vijayottungavarman's successor, was taken captive. The campaign apparently ended with the restoration of the kingdom to its ruler subject to his acknowledging Chola suzerainty. A fragmentary Tamil inscription from Sumatra bearing the date 1088 shows that active intercourse between the Chola kingdom and Śrī Vijaya was maintained continuously for several generations.