Srivijaya Empire Overview
Srivijay was a maritime empire of Malayasia origin that followed Buddhism and was situated on the Island of Sumitha. This empire hugely influenced Southeast Asia as the growth in the trade along the silk route along with the interaction of people of different origins led to syncretism or blending of religion as all as political ideas. From the 7th to the 12th century AD, Srivijaya became an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism. Srivijay was the first empire to dominate a large land of Malaya Archipelago which is referred to as an archipelago that falls between mainland China and Australia, as a unified land. This one powerful empire, because of its location, was able to build a developed complex technology utilizing maritime resources. It slowly converted into a prestige goods-based economy as the state became more and more dependent on the progressive booming of trade in the region.
It is one of the ancient empires whose references date back to the 7th century when a Chinese monk, Yijing who was associated with the Tang dynasty wrote about his visit to the Srivijya empire for six months in the year 671. In June 682, the name Srivijaya appeared in an old inscription that also dates back to the 7th century is referred to as the Bukit inscription found near Palembang, Sumatra. Starting from the 7th Century till the 11th Century, it became the political and military dominant state of Southern Asia. It was often involved in countering the aspect of its rivalry with its neighbouring empires such as Java, Khmer and Champa. The major objective of this empire is to continue with the lucrative trade agreements with China that started with the Tang dynasty and lasted till the Song dynasty. The Buddhist Pala of Bengal as well as the Islamic Caliphate in the Middle East, the Srivijaya dynasty had a good trading relationship.
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Srivijaya Empire Religion
The Chinese Buddhist pilgrims on their way to India that was the original birthplace of Buddha made Palembang, a major city of the Srivijaya Empire a well known-stop. There were more than one thousand Buddhist monks who resided in the city and many other Buddhist disciples were welcome to study various texts on Buddhism.
Vajrayana Buddhism was one of the main forms of Buddhism that was followed in the empire. This is a mystical form of religious practice that involves supernatural powers and black magics through various signs and symbols as well as yantras. The Srivijaya empire used to cultivate this kind of magical practice in its states. Thus steadily Buddhism became the main religion that was practised by everyone that belonged to the state and that is how it became a centre that nurtured Buddhism. It also became the prime example of syncretism as the version of the Srivijaya Buddhism became so successful as the leaders of Buddhism came many indigenous practices as well beliefs into their version of Buddhism. This form of Buddhism is said to have developed in India and then became famous in the entire Srivijaya empire around the same time indicates that there was a trade relationship between the two states in the 7th century. This is considered to be one of the prime factors that had influenced the religion of these two regions.
Their political orientation was also influenced by Buddhism that was followed through the entire nations. The public image of the ruler and the entire Srivijaya empire was consciously built up on Buddhist philosophy. For instance, an image of the Srivijaya ruler named Sri Jayanasa as seen in the form of a Bodhisattva or someone who has already achieved Bodhisattva with an entire speech inscripted in the year 648 BCE that was placed in a park. By incorporating in his speeches loudly that the park where his statue was mounted will benefit all the living beings, he wanted to establish himself as the prime religious authority as well as a political one. This sort of dedication came first time on record where he clearly wanted to claim his role as a religious figure. Because the king felt the need to associate himself with Buddhism will help him create an image, his image indicated the importance of Buddhism, the religion in the Srivijaya Empire during the seventh century acquired popularity at a greater speed.
Language Spoken in Srivijaya Empire
The language of business and trade in the Srivijaya empire was said to be the old Malaya language. Thus people who are well versed in old Malaya language could only navigate through the ports and marketplaces throughout the Malay Archipelago. Thus as a specific and standard means of communication was set up in this particular empire, it made the trading and trade related communications more easy to understand as the language was the same throughout the entire region.
The language that was used in the Srivijaya Empire that is said to be the old Malaya Language was actually derived from the Austronesian family. Few loneords from Sanskrits were used in the language as well as written manuscripts of the Old Malaya language. Also along with some of the Sanskrit lone words, an Indo-Aryan language used throughout South Asia. As there was also a certain influence of Arabic and Persian influence that was studied in the Old Malaya language actually indicates that the incorporation is due to the trading relationship with the Middle-Eastern countries.
The Decline of the Srivijaya Empire
The Srivijaya empire experienced its downfall when the Chola dynasty which was a South-Indian dynasty first attacked the empire in 1025 CE. As the Srivijaya dynasty lost the battle, the Cholas took control over the water lands of southeast Asia. As the Srivijaya empire was weakened as most of its power was taken by the Chola dynasty, it finally lost its final battle when the Singosari Empire from East Java defeated the Srivijaya empire and incorporated them into their own empire.
Despite their defeat, the Srivijayan route that was established during the time of the Srivijaya Empire when it was at its peak was kept in use by many of the traders. For example, a Chinese Muslim diplomat under the Ming Dynasty named Zheng He, in the year 1405 till the year 1433, took several voyage to travel to on to East Africa and Arabia through the route of Malay Archipelago. Thus he also discovered that in order to travel such distances from south to the north the Srivijaya trade routes through the Malay Archipelago remained crucial for travelling.
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Conclusion
Therefore in a nutshell, when many people exchange goods they do exchange their cultural heritages and beliefs. The Srivijaya empire was one such empire that became the centre of Buddhism along with the amalgamation of many indigenous religious beliefs and practices. This indicated that they were in a trading relationship with India for a prolonged time. Some of the Arabic, as well as Persian influence, also elaborates the trading relationship of the empire with these states as well. Thus it became a prime example of syncretism. Their political orientation was also influenced by Buddhism that was followed through the entire nation.
The public image of the ruler and the entire Srivijaya empire was consciously built upon Buddhist philosophy. The language of business and trade in the Srivijaya empire was said to be the old Malaya language. Thus people who are well versed in the old Malaya language could only navigate through the ports and marketplaces throughout the Malay Archipelago. Thus as a specific and standard means of communication was set up in this particular empire, it made the trading and trade-related communications easier to understand as the language was the same throughout the entire region. The Srivijaya empire experienced its downfall when the Chola dynasty which was a South-Indian dynasty first attacked the empire in 1025 CE. As the Srivijaya dynasty lost the battle, the Cholas took control over the water lands of southeast Asia and the final defeat was from the Singosari Empire from East Java. but despite the loss of the Srivijaya Kingdom, their established trade route remained operational for a long period of time and remained one of the crucial routes to trade with Southern Asia.
FAQs on Srivijaya Empire
1. Where was the Srivijaya Empire located?
The Srivijaya Empire was a dominant maritime power centred on the island of Sumatra in modern-day Indonesia. Its influence extended across the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Java, crucially controlling two major naval chokepoints: the Strait of Malacca and the Sunda Strait. This strategic location allowed it to dominate trade between India, China, and the Middle East for centuries.
2. What was the primary importance of the Srivijaya Empire in world history?
The primary importance of the Srivijaya Empire lies in its role as a thalassocracy (a state with primarily maritime realms). Its key contributions include:
Control of Trade Routes: For over three centuries, it controlled the vital maritime trade routes of the Indian Ocean, linking East Asia with the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.
Centre for Buddhism: Srivijaya was a major international centre for the study and propagation of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, attracting scholars and pilgrims from across Asia.
Economic Powerhouse: It functioned as a major entrepôt, facilitating the exchange of goods like spices, textiles, and precious metals, which significantly shaped the global economy of the era.
3. What was the main religion practised in the Srivijaya Empire?
The main religion of the Srivijaya Empire was Vajrayana Buddhism. While early influences of Hinduism existed, the empire became a pivotal hub for Buddhist learning and culture. Prominent Buddhist scholars, like the Chinese monk Yijing, visited and studied in Srivijaya in the 7th century, documenting its religious significance and its well-established monastic institutions.
4. How did the Srivijaya Empire become such a dominant maritime power?
The Srivijaya Empire's dominance was not accidental but a result of several strategic factors. It built a powerful navy to enforce its control over the seas, effectively suppressing piracy and making the sea lanes safe for merchants. In return for this security, it established a sophisticated system of levying tolls and taxes on ships passing through its controlled straits. This revenue funded its state and military, creating a self-sustaining cycle of power and wealth.
5. Why did the Chola dynasty from India invade the Srivijaya Empire?
The Chola dynasty, under the rule of Rajendra Chola I, invaded Srivijaya in 1025 CE primarily due to escalating trade competition. Both empires were major maritime powers vying for control over the lucrative Indian Ocean trade routes. The Cholas aimed to break Srivijaya's monopoly over the Southeast Asian trade passages, assert their own naval supremacy, and directly access the profitable markets of China and the Spice Islands.
6. Who were some of the key rulers of the Srivijaya Empire?
While records are fragmented, some of the most prominent rulers known from inscriptions and foreign accounts include:
Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa: Credited with the empire's establishment around the 7th century CE, he led expeditions to expand its territory.
Balaputradewa: A 9th-century ruler from the Sailendra dynasty who reigned over Srivijaya and maintained strong diplomatic and religious ties with the Pala Empire in Bengal, India.
Sangrama Vijayatunggavarman: The ruler who was in power during the Chola invasion of 1025 CE and was captured by Rajendra Chola's forces.
7. What were the key factors that led to the decline of the Srivijaya Empire?
The decline of the Srivijaya Empire was a gradual process caused by several interconnected factors, not just a single event. The primary reasons include:
Chola Invasions: The series of raids by the Chola Empire in the 11th century severely weakened Srivijaya's naval power and prestige, even though it wasn't permanently conquered.
Rise of Competing Powers: Other regional kingdoms, such as the Javanese kingdoms of Singhasari and later Majapahit, began to challenge Srivijaya's dominance.
Shifting Trade Patterns: Changes in international trade routes and the decline of key trading partners reduced the traffic and revenue flowing through Srivijaya's ports.
Loss of Control: As its power waned, it could no longer effectively suppress piracy, making its sea lanes less secure and encouraging merchants to seek alternative routes. For more context on such shifts, you can explore the broader trends in world history.
