Srivijaya Puram—the new name of Port Blair has an interesting history. Discontinuing the British colonial legacy and reconnecting the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to India’s ancient maritime roots, the Modi government announced last week the renaming of this city. Years before this, the Modi government had renamed three islands of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago as a tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
While the nation welcomed the decision, the usual suspects including the brown sepoys denounced the renaming of Port Blair as some sort of “cartographic majoritarianism” and suggested that the new name does not resonate with the local people, some even argued that the naming of the archipelago after Lieutenant Archibald Blair, a British naval officer from the 18th century was correct. However, they have forgotten that long before the British even became an empire, back when the British Isles were struggling in the dark ages, the Chola empire in India was not only ruling over majestic cities in the Indian mainland, it operated a naval base in the very same archipelago, and ran a formidable maritime trade network through the Indian Ocean Region.
The Chola empire influenced, and even controlled the trade routes and to some extent, the geopolitics of the entire Southeast Asia.
The Cholas used the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a vital naval base to launch attacks against the Srivijaya Empire [now in Indonesia] in the 11th century. In the words of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, “The island territory that once served as the naval base of the Chola Empire is today poised to be the critical base for our strategic and development aspirations.”
Before immersing into the history of the erstwhile Sri Vijaya Empire, it would be interesting to discuss how Port Blair got its name. Port Blair was named after Archibald Blair, a British naval surveyor who arrived in the late 18th century. In 1789, he created a penal colony in the area under the authority of the British East India Company. The settlement was formerly known as Port Cornwallis before being renamed Port Blair in honour of Archibald Blair, who played a key role in its founding. The city gained historical significance as the site of the notorious Cellular Jail, which was used by the British to hold Indian freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar among others.
The Srivijaya Empire of Sumatra
The name Srivijaya is derived from the Sanskrit words “sri” and “vijaya”. “Sri” is a superlative that generally signifies “fortunate” or “glorious” and is another name for the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. It is also often used as a name for people or places, such as Sri Lanka. The word “vijaya” means “victory”.
The Srivijaya Empire’s history begins in the 7th century in Sumatra, Indonesia. This empire founded by Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa, Srivijaya evolved into a formidable thalassocratic (based on maritime power) empire that dominated maritime trade routes between China and India. At its peak, Srivijaya governed Sumatra, Java, and the Malay Peninsula. It served as a focal point for the spread of Buddhism throughout Southeast Asia.
Its prosperity sprang from its monopoly over the Malacca and Sunda Straits, which made it a hub for trade and culture. The empire had close relations with China and promoted the spread of Buddhism, attracting academics from all around Asia. The Srivijaya Empire evolved into a major centre of Mahayana Buddhist learning. Nalanda University, an esteemed Hindu and Buddhist educational centre in India’s Bihar has close ties to Srivijaya forming a lesser-known “knowledge route” as compared to the Silk Route and other historical trails. With its capital being Palembang, the Srivijaya Empire thrived as a major centre of art, culture and literature. Although Sanskrit is an ancient Indian language, researchers say that it was taught in Srivijaya while a Sanskrit-influence Old Malay was the official language. The Borobudur temple dedicated to Buddha in Java is one of the legacies symbolising its religious and cultural grandeur.
The famous Kedukan Bukit inscription, which is considered to be the oldest inscription related to Srivijaya, describes the “glorious Srivijaya” and states that it was founded by Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa. This inscription in the Pallav script records Sri Jayanasa’s “Siddhayatra”, a military expedition which resulted in the establishment of the Srivjiaya Empire.
Similarly, an Old Malay inscription from Talang Tuwo, west of Palembang, records the foundation by order of King Sri Jayanasa in A.D. 684 of a park named Srikgetra, dedicated to Buddhist principles.
In his 1983 book The Politics of Expansion: The Chola Conquest of Sri Lanka and Sri Vijaya, George W Spencer mentioned about certain “Indianised” states of the Malay peninsula.
The Chola invasion of Srivijaya Empire
The Shailendra [also called Syalendra] dynasty ruled Srivijaya during Rajaraja and Rajendra Chola’s reign. Historical accounts suggest that the ties between the Cholas and the Shailendra monarchs were not always strained; in 1006, during Rajaraja Chola’s reign, King Maravijayattungavarman of Srivijaya built the Chudamani Vihara in Nagapattinam. The famous Tanjore Inscription of 1030 or 1031 mentions the Srivijaya empire, alongside other locations raided by a fleet sent by King Rajendra Chola I, the successor of Rajaraja Chola. The inscription mentions Sriwijaya (Palembang). In addition, the inscription also names Srivijaya ruler Sangrama Vijayatunggavarman who was captured by the Chola Navy during the invasion. The other places mentioned in the inscription are: Pannai, Malaiyur, Mayirudingan, Ilangasokam, Mapappalam, Mevilimbangam, Valaippanduru, Talaittakkolam, Madamalingam, Ilamuridesam, and Manakkavaram.
By the 11th century, Srivijaya’s authority was under threat as in 1025, the mighty Chola Empire led by Raja Raja Chola I and later his son Rajendra Chola I, embarked on an extensive naval campaign.
Rajendra Chola’s naval invasion of Srivijaya empire
With an unforeseen strategy to catch the Srivijayan forces off guard, the Chola Navy started the war in 1025 CE by sailing eastward. Ships coming from India to Srivijaya usually docked in the Malay Peninsula ports of Lamuri or Keday before crossing the Strait of Malacca. However, the Srivijayan defences were designed with this type of attack in view.
To serve a shock to the Srivijayan defence, the Chola navy rapidly arrived on Sumatra’s west coast and docked at Barus, a port owned by Tamil traders at the time. The Chola Navy refreshed its supplies in friendly territory before sailing south along Sumatra’s west coast into the Sunda Strait. Rajendra Chola’s decision to attack from the south threw the Srivijayan troops, who had been positioned near the Strait of Malacca and expected an invasion from the northwest, completely off guard.
The Chola forces first laid siege to the Srivijaya Empire’s capital Palembang. The Cholas took over the city and looted the Kadatuan royal palace. Alongside capturing King Sangrama Vijayatungavarman during the attack, Rajendra Chola gained possession of a vast bounty of treasure, including the bejeweled war-gate Vidhyadara Torana. Without giving any chance to the Srivijayan forces to hit back, the Chola forces raided port after port.
After Palembang’s fall, the Cholas conquered Pannai, Malaiyur, Mayirudingan, Ilangasokam, Mapappalam, Mevilimbangam, Valaippanduru, Talaittakkolam, Madamalingam, Ilamuridesam, and Manakkavaram.
Securing a decisive triumph, over modern-day Malaysia, the Andaman and Nicobar Isles and southern Thailand, Rajendra Chola became one of the greatest conquerors in history.
Rajendra Chola’s armies attacked Srivijaya’s domains, acquiring its wealth, capturing its king, and greatly undermining its power. The Cholas, however, had no desire to rule the region directly, they just wanted control and influence over the trade routes. Despite surviving the invasion, Srivijaya’s prestige and its power dwindled.
In the course of time, the Srivijaya Empire’s influence over trade routes deteriorated, and by the 14th century, it had been eclipsed by the emergence of the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit Empire and Islamic sultanates like Demak in the region. Srivijaya Empire subsequently vanished from history, leaving a cultural legacy that included the expansion of Mahayana Buddhism and the establishment of Southeast Asian trade networks.
The causes of the Chola invasion of the Srivijaya Empire
Interestingly, in 1017 CE, King Rajendra had sent a fleet to Malacca Strait during his Sri Lanka campaign, however, the fleet was repulsed by the Srivijayan navy. Srivijaya’s authority stemmed chiefly from its control over sea passages and port cities, which allowed it to charge taxes on passing traders. In 1019 CE, Srivijaya placed hefty tariffs on traders when the rival Hindu-Buddhist kingdom of Medang [also known as Mataram] collapsed in Sumatra, crippling Tamil and foreign traders.
Examining the causes behind Chola king Rajendra’s invasion of Srivijaya, noted historian Nilakanta Sastri in his book Colas writes that there is ample material to believe that initially not only Rajaraja Chola but his son Rajendra also had friendly ties with Srivijaya. However, either an attempt by Srivijaya to obstruct the Chola trade with the East or King Rajendra’s ambition to conquer countries across the sea may have inspired his naval campaign even if the Cholas did not attempt to rule these places as provinces of their empire.
“We have to assume either some attempt on the part of Sn Vijaya to throw obstacles in the way of the Cola trade with the East, or more probably, a simple desire on the part of Rajendra to extend his digvijaya to the countries across the sea so well-known to his subjects at home, and thereby add lustre to his crown,” Sastri writes.
Similarly, RC Majumdar also opined that establishing commercial supremacy might have inspired the Chola invasion of Srivijaya.
“The geographical position of the Satiendra empire enabled it to control almost the whole volume of maritime trade between western and eastern Asia, and the dazzling prospect which its conquest offered to the future commercial supremacy of the Colas seems to be the principal reason of the oversea expedition undertaken by Rfijeudra Cola. But it is the conquest of the eastern coastal regions of India that alone brought such a scheme within the range of practical politics,” Majumdar writes in his book Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East vol.2.
In his book Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa, Tansen Sen suggests the gaining prominence of Chinese markets in the international trading system as traders from every region of Asia gathered there to procure Chinese porcelain, silk and sell foreign goods including horses and spices etc.
It is also said that the Khmer [modern-day Cambodia] king Suryavarman I sought Rajendra Chola’s assistance in his dispute with the Tambralinga kingdom [modern-day Thailand]. Consequently, the Tambralingas sought the backing of Srivijayan ruler Sangrama Vijayatungavarman, sparking a confrontation between the Cholas and Srivijaya.
In a nutshell, the Cholas invaded Srivijaya largely for economic and geopolitical purposes. Srivijaya controlled key maritime trade routes in Southeast Asia, particularly the Malacca Strait, which was critical for Indian traders doing business with China and Southeast Asia. The Chola Empire led by Rajendra Chola, keen to expand its power along these trade routes, saw Srivijaya as both a barrier and an advantageous target. Rajendra Chola I attacked Srivijaya in 1025, hoping to undercut its control over regional commerce and establish Chola’s dominance in Southeast Asian trade networks. This campaign also demonstrated the Chola Empire’s naval capabilities.
Conclusion
Renaming Port Blair Srivijaya Puram honours India’s rich maritime heritage, particularly the absolute maritime supremacy of the ancient Chola empire, which played an important role in trading networks across the Indian Ocean, as well as the Chola legacy of its conquest. This statute recognises India’s maritime past, which has traditionally connected the subcontinent to Southeast Asia, East Africa, and beyond. The Modi government’s decision to rename Port Blair as Srivijaya Puram also recognises the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)’s enduring relevance as a binding force for economic, cultural, and strategic linkages, similar to the traditional trade routes that promoted cultural exchanges and commerce. In addition to emphasising India’s historical ties with Southeast Asia, it also reaffirms the country’s ambition of becoming an influential player in the IOR today. The renaming honours the tradition of Indian kingdoms that inspired Southeast Asian civilisations while also serving as a reminder of India’s indispensable impact on regional connectivity and diplomacy. In a way, it is also a silent and humble obeisance to the great emperor Rajendra Chola, whose vision and bravery spanned not just the South of mainland India but the larger Indian Ocean Region of SE Asia, explaining how ancient Indians used the Monsoon winds and maritime routes to become a global power.
