RAS question
The Chola ruler Rajendra I's naval expedition reached which Southeast Asian empire?
Correct answer: (B) Srivijaya Empire.
Rajendra Chola I's 1025 CE naval expedition reached the Srivijaya Empire in Southeast Asia.
Explanation
Rajendra Chola I ruled from 1014 to 1044 CE. He inherited a strong state, army and trading system from his father, Rajaraja I, and extended Chola power into maritime regions. Around 1025 CE, he launched a major naval campaign against the Srivijaya Empire in Southeast Asia. The campaign targeted a region associated with present-day Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. One of its major aims was to assert dominance over trade through the Strait of Malacca. It reached important centres such as Kadaram, or Kedah. This showed that Chola power was not confined to land; the Cholas were also a major naval power in the Indian Ocean. Srivijaya is therefore the correct answer because it was the principal Southeast Asian empire targeted by the expedition.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Champa was only a secondary target; the main target of the 1025 CE naval campaign was the Srivijaya Empire.
- (C) The Majapahit Empire arose much later in Southeast Asian history, so it could not have been the target of Rajendra Chola I's 1025 CE expedition.
- (D) Although the Khmer Empire had contacts in the broader Southeast Asian region, it was not the main target of this naval expedition; Srivijaya was.
Concept
This concept concerns Chola maritime expansion under Rajendra Chola I and the relationship among naval power, Indian Ocean trade and Southeast Asian campaigns. It is important for RAS because it connects medieval South Indian polity, administration and art with wider Asian trade networks and Indian influence in the Indian Ocean.