This Article First Appeared In The Print On March 9, 2023
The military expeditions of Rajendra Chola I in Southeast Asia were perhaps the most audacious raids carried out by a medieval ruler from the Indian subcontinent. These expeditions helped the Cholas subjugate Kedah, the gateway to the Indian Ocean, and may have helped Tamil merchants secure a foothold in Southeast Asian and Chinese markets. They are sometimes considered proof of South Asia’s overwhelming military and cultural superiority over Southeast Asia.
But new archaeological excavations, coupled with the evidence of Sri Lankan and Tamil sources, reveal that Rajendra I’s expeditions were not an exception: In the world of the medieval Indian Ocean, such raids were not only commonplace, but one Malayan king, Chandrabhanu, actually conquered part of Sri Lanka and battled with the armies of the Pandya kings of Tamil Nadu. His story reveals a great deal about the religious and political dynamics of this forgotten world.