History Question in UPSC PRELIMS 2025 on Rajendra Chola I Srivijaya campaign
Q. 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?
✅ Correct Answer: C. Rajendra I (Chola)
Explanation:
Rajendra I (c.1014−1044 CE)son of Rajaraja I, was one of the most prominent rulers of the Chola dynasty. He carried forward his father’s expansionist policies and continued the Chola territorial expansion. In 1025 CE, a successful naval expedition was dispatched against the Sri Vijaya empire (which extended over the Malay peninsula, Sumatra, Java and the neighbouring islands and controlled the overseas trade route to China). The expedition led to the conquest of the Kadaram or Kedah and many other places in the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. The Chola navy was the strongest in the area, and for some time the Bay of Bengal was converted into a ‘Chola lake’.
Srivijaya kingdom:
The rulers of the Sailendra dynasty of the Srivijaya kingdom were Buddhists and had cordial relations with the Cholas.
The Sailendra ruler had built a Buddhist monastery at Nagapatnam and, at his instance, Rajendra I had endowed a village for its upkeep. The cause of the breach between the two apparently was the Chola eagerness to remove obstacles to Indian traders, and to expand trade with China.
