RAS question
Rajendra Chola I's naval expeditions reached:
Correct answer: (A) Southeast Asia (Sri Vijaya Empire in Sumatra/Malaya).
Rajendra Chola I's naval expeditions reached Southeast Asia, including the Sri Vijaya sphere in Sumatra and Malaya.
Explanation
Rajendra Chola I's naval reach was not confined to nearby islands. His expeditions to Sri Vijaya in Sumatra, Malaya and Java were undertaken to control maritime trade routes, alongside his conquest of Sri Lanka and his expedition to the Ganges. Press Information Bureau, Government of India gives the broader frame: it marks 1,000 years of Rajendra Chola I's maritime expedition to South East Asia and notes that the Chola rulers extended diplomatic and trade relations to Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Southeast Asia. That makes option A the best answer because it captures the farthest and most characteristic direction of the naval campaigns: Southeast Asia, not a single Indian Ocean island or an inland northern campaign.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Maldives is too narrow because Chola links extended beyond the Maldives to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, while the expeditions specifically reached Sri Vijaya in Sumatra, Malaya and Java.
- (C) Sri Lanka was conquered, but the naval expeditions also reached the Sri Vijaya sphere in Southeast Asia, so the answer cannot be limited to Sri Lanka alone.
- (D) Bengal relates only to the Ganges expedition, not to the Chola naval expedition whose reach is identified with Southeast Asia.
Concept
This tests the Chola phase of South Indian history, especially naval power, overseas campaigns and control of maritime trade routes. It recurs in RAS because the Cholas link political expansion, temple-centred imperial culture and Indian Ocean connectivity in one compact theme.