The real reason why the Cholas invaded Kedah’s waters

 

Bujang Valley is a particularly important historical site in Malaysia, having been a trade hub for many centuries. (Bernama pic)

From P Ramasamy

The Cholas sacked the Srivijaya Kingdom not because of expansionism but maritime rivalry.

The Chola dynasty that ruled South India for a long time, engaged in naval expeditions in the late 10th and early 11th centuries in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

While Hinduism and Buddhism spread in Southeast Asia much earlier, the Cholas came to focus on trade and maritime activities.

It was just a matter of time before the Cholas military and naval expeditions followed.

While the Cholas militarily expanded towards the Ganges River, it conquered Sri Lanka, considered part of South India by dispatching their navy.

Before the Cholas, there were no military or naval expeditions in Southeast Asia, only cultural and religious.

Unlike in India and Sri Lanka where there were attempts at expansionism, the Cholas under King Rajendra were not too keen to do likewise when it came to the Malay Archipelago.

As far as the Malay Archipelago was concerned, the Cholas were merely interested in trade and maritime activities. They wanted free and fair trade, not with restrictions.

As soon as the Cholas were engaged in trade and commerce in Southeast Asia, a maritime problem cropped up with the dominant Srivijaya Kingdom that controlled the seaways and land areas in Sumatra, West Coast of Peninsula Malaya and as far as the coast of Southern Thailand.

The Srivijaya Kingdom was a vassal of China under the Sung Dynasty. Then China was a power to be reckoned with especially in the seas of Southeast Asia.

The Srivijaya Kingdom recognised China’s status by giving it preeminent status as a maritime power.

In order to please China, the Srivijaya Kingdom downgraded the status of an emerging power of India under the Cholas.

It was a matter of time before unfair trade practices were imposed on the Chola ships including the imposition of unfair levy on their trade goods.

This was not acceptable to the Cholas as they preferred equal treatment on par with China. In the end, failing to convince the Srivijaya authority, they were compelled to declare war.

In and around 1023 AD, the Cholas invaded and sacked the Srivijaya Kingdom’s settlements along the coasts of the present-day Thailand, the West Coast of the Peninsula Malaya, including Kedah and Gangai Negara, the present day Beruas in Perak, the settlements as far down to the present-day Singapore and not to mention Palembang and other places on the island of Sumatra.

Historical records indicate that the Cholas were in the region for 66 years.

There was no expansion or control of territories, they came for a specific purpose, stayed for a while and left for India.

History also says that even the state of Kedah or Kedaram was restored to its former ruler.

It is wrong to say that Cholas was an expansionist or imperial power in regard to the Malay Archipelago. - FMT

P Ramasamy is the deputy chief minister II of Penang.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.