Who among the following led a successful military campaign against the kingdom of Srivijaya, the powerful maritime State, which ruled the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and the neighbouring islands?
Explanation
The Srivijaya kingdom was a powerful maritime empire based in Southeast Asia, controlling key regions such as the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and surrounding islands. It dominated the sea trade routes between India and China and played a crucial role in the Indian Ocean trade network.
Option C is correct. Rajendra I (c. 1014–1044 CE) of the Chola dynasty launched a successful naval expedition against the Srivijaya kingdom around 1025 CE. This marked one of the earliest known overseas military campaigns by an Indian ruler.
The campaign targeted important centres like Kadaram (Kedah) and other strategic locations in Southeast Asia. The objective was to establish control over maritime trade routes and remove obstacles faced by Indian merchants in the region.
The Chola navy was extremely powerful, and this expedition demonstrated their dominance, even leading to the Bay of Bengal being referred to as a “Chola lake” for some time.
Interestingly, before this conflict, the Srivijaya rulers (Sailendra dynasty) had maintained friendly relations with the Cholas and were patrons of Buddhism. A monastery at Nagapattinam was even built with their support. The conflict likely arose due to commercial and strategic interests.
Thus, the campaign of Rajendra I highlights both the maritime strength of the Cholas and the importance of Southeast Asian trade networks in medieval times.