Latest / The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History / Srivijaya's Sandalwood Flower Coin: The Currency That Shaped Southeast Asian Trade
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we've talked a lot about Srivijaya's trade — tin, sandalwood, spices. But I realized we haven't really dug into the actual currency they used. And it's fascinating because they minted these tiny gold coins called the mas krisna, often referred to as the sandalwood flower coin. Luna: Sandalwood flower coin — that sounds beautiful. What did it look like? Lucas: Imagine a small gold pellet, maybe the size of a peppercorn, stamped on one side with a stylized sandalwood flower — a rosette-like pattern with four or eight petals. On the other side, sometimes a simple swastika or a dot. They were made from high-purity gold, often around 22 to 24 carats, and they weighed about 2.4 grams, which was based on the Indian karshapana weight standard. Luna: So they were following Indian monetary traditions? Lucas: Exactly. Srivijaya was deeply connected to Indian trade networks, and the karshapana was a well-known weight unit from the Gupta period. But the design was distinctly local — the sandalwood flower was a symbol of the region, since sandalwood was one of their key exports. The Chinese writer Zhao Rugua, in his 13th century work Zhufan Zhi, described these coins. He called them 'gold pellets' and noted they were used in Srivijaya and even in parts of Java. Luna: Wait, so how did they actually use these tiny coins in daily trade? They seem too small for big transactions. Lucas: That's the clever part. They were mostly used for small-scale purchases — buying food, paying tolls, or settling debts at the market. For larger trades, they'd use silver ingots or barter bulk goods like tin, pepper, or textiles. But the mas krisna was the everyday currency that greased the wheels of commerce. Merchants would carry pouches of these coins, and they were widely accepted from Sumatra to the Malay Peninsula. Luna: Did they mint them in Palembang? Lucas: Most likely, yes. Palembang was the capital, and we've found coin molds and crucibles near the Musi River. But there were also minting centers in Jambi and even on Bangka Island. The coins were so standardized that you could find them all over the region. Archaeologists have unearthed hoards of mas krisna in Java, Sumatra, and even Thailand, showing how far Srivijaya's economic influence reached. Luna: It's amazing that such a small coin could tie together such a vast maritime empire. Lucas: Absolutely. And they weren't just economic tools — they were also symbols of authority. The sandalwood flower design was probably a royal emblem, maybe linked to the Sailendra dynasty. By controlling the minting and purity of the gold, the maharaja could project power and ensure trust in the currency. Zhao Rugua mentioned that the coins were 'pure gold without alloy,' which shows they maintained high standards. Luna: But what happened when Srivijaya declined? Did the coins just disappear? Lucas: Not immediately. After the Chola invasion in 1025, the empire weakened, but the coins continued to circulate for a while. However, as trade shifted and new powers like Majapahit rose, the mas krisna gradually faded out. By the 14th century, Chinese cash coins and Islamic gold dinars became more common. But the sandalwood flower coin left a legacy — it's one of the earliest indigenous gold currencies in Southeast Asia. Luna: It really shows how sophisticated their economy was. Lucas: It does. And speaking of keeping this kind of history alive — quick honest thing. This podcast is completely ad-free, and it's only possible because a small group of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's literally what funds making these deep dives on Srivijaya and other forgotten empires. Luna: Yeah, it's a small community but it makes a huge difference. And we really appreciate everyone who helps keep this going. Lucas: Anyway, back to the coins. Another interesting thing is that the mas krisna wasn't the only coin in Srivijaya. They also used silver coins called 'mas' but with different designs, and sometimes even imported Chinese coins. But the sandalwood flower coin was uniquely theirs. Luna: So how do we know so much about these coins? Are there written records? Lucas: We have a few Chinese sources like Zhao Rugua's Zhufan Zhi, which describes the currency. But mostly it's from archaeological finds — hoards discovered in the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the largest hoards was found in Bangka Island in the 1850s, containing thousands of these coins. There's also inscriptions on temple walls in Java that mention payments in gold, possibly referring to the mas krisna. Luna: I wonder how much a typical worker would earn in these coins. Lucas: That's a good question. From what we know, a day's labor might earn you a few mas krisna, enough to buy rice and fish. For instance, an inscription from the 10th century mentions that a worker building a temple received one mas krisna per day. That would be about 2.4 grams of gold — quite a valuable wage. So the coins had real purchasing power. Luna: So the economy was monetized to a surprising degree. Lucas: Exactly. It wasn't just barter. And this monetization helped Srivijaya become a hub for international trade. Merchants from China, India, and the Middle East could exchange their currencies for local gold coins, which were trusted and widely accepted. The mas krisna essentially acted as a global currency for the region. Luna: It's like the dollar of medieval Southeast Asia. Lucas: In a way, yes. Though it never had that global reach, it was certainly the dominant coin in the Strait of Malacca for centuries. And its story reminds us that economic history is just as important as political history when understanding an empire's power. Luna: I never thought a tiny gold coin could tell such a big story. Lucas: Well, that's the beauty of history — sometimes the smallest artifacts reveal the biggest connections. And the sandalwood flower coin is a perfect example.