MikeLigalig.com

By Kallie Szczepanski, About.com Guide





Among the great maritime trading empires of history, the Kingdom of Srivijaya, based on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, ranks among the wealthiest and most splendid. Early records from the area are scarce – archaeological evidence suggests that the kingdom may have begun to coalesce as early as 200 CE, and likely was an organized political entity by the year 500. Its capital was near what is now Palembang, Indonesia.

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The Height of the Empire:

With its base on Sumatra firmly established, in the eighth century, Srivijaya expanded into Java and the Malay Peninsula, giving it control over the Melaka Straights and the ability to charge tolls on the Indian Ocean maritime Silk Routes. As a choke-point between the wealthy empires of China and India, Srivijaya was able to accumulate considerable riches and further land. By the 12th century, its reach extended as far east as the Philippines.


The wealth of Srivijaya supported an extensive community of Buddhist monks, who had contacts with their co-religionists in Sri Lanka and the Indian mainland. The Srivijayan capital became an important center of Buddhist learning and thought. This influence extended to smaller kingdoms within Srivijaya’s orbit, as well, such as the Saliendra kings of Central Java, who ordered the construction of Borobudur, one the largest and most magnificent examples of Buddhist monumental building in the world.

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Reference:

http://asianhistory.about.com/od/indonesia/ss/Srivijaya-Empire.htm

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Perhaps this is true, it is already interesting how there is a strong indic presence in southern Bohol. I remember ways back we had a forumner here who posted about the ancient indic traders who set up shop in Bohol. I'll dig up that thread.

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Ancient Chinese records of Sri Vijaya:


When the Chinese traveller Chau Ju Kua came to Palembang in the twelfth century, he described Sriwijaya in most unexpected terms. He wrote, “The people either lived scattered about, outside the city, or on the water on rafts of boards covered over with reeds, and these (floating houses) are exempt from taxation.” This description of a floating city comes from classical Sriwijaya’s period of decline. Within living memory it was still much more a ‘city afloat’ than it is today. Friedrich Schnitger, the first man to write a book about Sumatran archaeology, investigated Palembang during the 1930s. The German was interested mostly in ancient inscriptions and statues, but in one of his most lyrical and romantic passages, he describes a city that was still partly ‘floating:

On moonlit nights, young Malays of Palembang hire a boat and go rowing with their sweethearts. They glide past the Chinese houses, built on rafts. Inside, one catches a glimpse of red-enamelled altars, coloured dragons, and images of smiling gods. If anyone in the house has died, lilac candles are burning, their quiet flame reflected in the water.”

These raft houses are known today in Palembang as rumah rakit. You can still find them in Palembang, but you have to know where to look. Since the 1960s, local governments have encouraged people to live ashore, and fewer and fewer of these kinds of houses are to be found in the city. In central Palembang, they are especially scarce. There are a few floating coffee shops and one large floating restaurant, but there are no raft houses in the immediate vicinity of the Ampera Bridge. When we had gone out onto the Musi, on our previous boat trips, we had kept an eye out for them. We saw a preponderance of small, wooden boats and even some flimsy bamboo rafts: some small traders still drift to market on bamboo rafts laden with produce. What we didn’t see were raft houses. By the time we decided on a boat trip to a historic mosque, known as Mesjid Kiai Muara Ogan, we had given up on them.



http://southeastasiankingdoms.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/sriwijaya-4-4-a-floating-city/

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Who was the ruler of the Sri Vijayan Empire? What was this ruler referred to as?


The Absolute Ruler of the Sri Vijayan Empire was known as the Sri Maha Raja. Sri Maha Raja means "Great King of Kings." Equivalent to the title of Emperor.

His was the power of life and death throughout all the lands his eyes surveyed.

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Hmmm...the ancient Malays were always so fond of GOLD.   

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The decline of Srivijaya was contributed by foreign piracy and raids that disrupted the trade and security in the region. Attracted to the wealth of Srivijaya, in 1025 Rajendra Chola, the Chola king from Coromandel in South India, launched naval raids on ports of Srivijaya and conquered Kadaram (modern Kedah) from Srivijaya and occupied it for some time. The Cholas are known to have benefitted from both piracy and foreign trade. Sometimes Chola seafaring led to outright plunder and conquest as far as Southeast Asia.

Although Srivijaya mandala still survive and the Chola invasion was ultimately unsuccessful, it gravely weakened the Srivijayan hegemony and enabled the formation of regional kingdoms based, like Kediri, on intensive agriculture rather than coastal and long-distance trade. Srivijaya was humbled by this attack but not destroyed, the resilience of Srivijaya mandala still proven by the ascends of other royal members within Srivijaya mandala to step into power.

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