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?

  • Amoghavarsha (Rashtrakuta)  
  • Prataparudra (Kakatiya)  
  • Rajendra I (Chola)  
  • Vishnuvardhana (Hoysala)  

Answer: (c) Rajendra I (Chola)  

Rajendra Chola I

Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014–1044 CE) was one of the most powerful rulers of the Chola dynasty and the son and successor of Rajaraja Chola I. He continued the imperial expansion of the Chola Empire and is often referred to as Rajendra the Great. He also bore titles such as Gangaikonda Chola (“the Chola who conquered the Ganges”) and Kadaram Kondan.

Northern Campaign

Rajendra Chola I first expanded his power in the Indian subcontinent.

  • His army marched through Kalinga and Odisha and reached the Ganges valley.
  • To commemorate this victory, he brought sacred water from the Ganges to his capital and founded a new capital city named Gangaikondacholapuram.

One of the most remarkable achievements of Rajendra Chola I was his naval expedition to Southeast Asia.

  • Around 1025 CE, he launched a large naval campaign against the Srivijaya Empire, a powerful maritime state that controlled major trade routes in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and surrounding islands.
  • The Chola navy attacked important Srivijayan ports such as Kadaram (Kedah) and other strategic centres.
  • This campaign demonstrated the naval strength of the Chola Empire and its influence over maritime trade networks of the Indian Ocean.
Significance
  • The campaign weakened the Srivijaya maritime dominance in Southeast Asia.
  • It strengthened Chola control over Indian Ocean trade routes.
  • Rajendra Chola also maintained commercial and diplomatic relations with China, continuing the policy initiated by his father.