Empire · 670–1377 · Southeast Asia

Srivijaya

Also known as Srivijaya Empire

Srivijaya was a maritime empire centred on Palembang in southern Sumatra, first recorded in the 670s, when the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Yijing studied Sanskrit there. Its rulers grew rich by controlling the Straits of Malacca and Sunda, the sea lanes between China and India, taxing passing ships and suppressing piracy, while drawing on Sumatran gold and forest products.

Srivijaya was a federation of port-cities bound to the ruler by oaths, gifts and trade privileges rather than a tightly governed territory. It was a great centre of Mahayana Buddhism, linked with the Sailendra dynasty of Java, which built Borobudur. In 1025 the Chola navy of southern India sacked its ports, beginning a long decline. Rivalry from Javanese states and shifts in Chinese trade weakened it further, and Majapahit absorbed its remnants in the late 14th century.

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Years

670–1377

Capital

Palembang (Sumatra); later Jambi

Greatest extent

1200, about 1.20 million km²

Region

Southeast Asia

Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and the Straits of Malacca and Sunda; a loose maritime sphere, so estimates vary widely (Turchin, Adams & Hall 2006 give c. 1.2M km² for c. 1200); c. 1.2M km² in 1200 (Turchin, Adams & Hall 2006), a generous figure for a loose network of ports