South-East Asia campaign of Rajendra Chola I

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. The Thiruvalangadu plates, the Leyden grant, and the Tamil praśasti of Rajendra Chola I are the principal sources of information about the campaign.

Causes
The causes of the hostility are obscure. 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

 * Sri Vijaya

The praśasti of Rajendra Chola I mentions Sri Vijaya as the first of the countries conquered. 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.

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.
 * Pannai

Malaiyur, with "its strong mountain", has been identified with the southern part of the Malay peninsula, where a strong principality flourished at that time.
 * Malaiyur

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.
 * Mayirudingam



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.
 * Ilangasoka

The epigraphist V. Venkayya identifies Mapappalam of the inscription with the city of Papphalama mentioned in the Mahavamsa. The place is believed to be located in the Talaing region of Lower Burma.
 * Mapappalam

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 Isthmus of Kra.
 * Talaittakkolam

Nakkavaram, mentioned in the records, has been identified by V. Venkayya with the Nicobar Islands.
 * Nakkavaram

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.
 * Kadaram

Results
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. 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. This was followed by a second embassy by his son, Rajendra Chola I, in 1033 and a third by Kulothunga Chola I in 1077. The Chola Empire did not establish its direct rule over South-East Asia thought they might have levied a periodic tribute.

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. Indian historian V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar suggests that Tamil traders of the Chola period might have had a knowledge of Australia and Polynesia.