Srivijaya's Monsoon Maps: Navigating the Indian Ocean

The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History · Sep 27, 2026 · 7m · transcript

For anyone coming with us through these conversations about Southeast Asia, we have a fresh angle today. We’ve covered the wars and the monks, but rarely the invisible architecture of Srivijaya’s power: its navigation knowledge. This episode explores how Palembang became the hub for monsoon maps, using the detailed logs of Chinese monk Yijing to trace routes across the Indian Ocean. We look at the specific wind patterns that dictated trade, the role of the Orang Laut in guiding ships through treacherous straits, and how this maritime expertise allowed Srivijaya to control the flow of goods…