Shows / The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Long before Malacca or Singapore ruled the straits, the Srivijaya Empire dominated maritime Southeast Asia from the 7th to the 13th centuries. Based in present-day Palembang on Sumatra, this Buddhist thalassocracy controlled the choke points of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea trade routes. Lucas and Luna guide listeners through the rise of Srivijaya under the Sailendra dynasty, its patronage of Mahayana Buddhism that made it a pilgrimage destination for monks like the Chinese traveler…
Episodes
The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo HistorySrivijaya's Chinese Inscriptions: The Batu Tugu Revelation
This episode of Fexingo History uncovers a lesser-known piece of Srivijaya's past: the Batu Tugu inscription from the 11th century, a Chinese-language…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Lost Capital: The Search for Palembang's Ancient Port
Where was Srivijaya's capital, really? For decades, historians assumed Palembang was the heart of the maritime empire, but recent archaeological digs on…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Sandalwood Flower Coin: A Currency Empire
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna dive into the fascinating story of the Srivijaya Empire's sandalwood flower coin, known as the mas…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Sandalwood Flower Coin: The Currency That Shaped Southeast Asian Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the fascinating story of Srivijaya's sandalwood flower coin, known as the mas krisna. These tiny gold coins…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Golden Sand: The Bangka Tin Mines That Fueled an Empire
Between the 7th and 13th centuries, the Srivijaya Empire dominated the Strait of Malacca not just by naval might but by controlling one of the ancient…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Sri Maravijayottungga: The Maharaja Who Fought Chola
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Srivijaya's Maharaja Sri Maravijayottungga, who faced the Chola invasions of the early 11th century…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Buddhist Luminaries and the Nalanda Connection
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the intellectual and spiritual legacy of the Srivijaya Empire through its Buddhist scholars and the renowned Nalanda…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Water Management: Canals and Flood Control in Palembang
Long before modern engineering, the Srivijayan capital of Palembang was a city shaped by water. This episode explores how the empire's rulers managed the…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Malayu Kingdom: The Rival Sister State
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the Malayu Kingdom, a rival and later constituent of the Srivijaya empire. Based in what is now…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Lost Fleet: The Navy That Ruled the Straits
In Episode 88, Lucas and Luna explore the naval power that underpinned the Srivijaya Empire for centuries. While earlier episodes have focused on trade goods…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Shipwrecks: The Cargoes That Reveal an Empire
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna dive into the underwater archaeology of Srivijaya, exploring the shipwrecks that have yielded incredible…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Harbor Masters: The Shahbandars of Southeast Asia
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the vital role of the shahbandar — the harbor master — in the Srivijaya Empire. These officials managed trade…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Iron Industry: The Forgotten Technology
We often picture Srivijaya as a maritime empire built on trade and tribute, but what about the iron that held it together? This episode dives into the…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Buddhist Monks: The Scholars Who Shaped Southeast Asia
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the intellectual and spiritual heart of the Srivijaya Empire: its Buddhist monastic universities…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Maharaja Dharmasetu and the Kedukan Bukit Inscription
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Maharaja Dharmasetu, the 7th-century ruler who transformed Srivijaya from a coastal settlement into a…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Orang Laut: The Sea People Who Built an Empire
Long before the Chola invasion or the rise of Majapahit, the Srivijaya Empire dominated Southeast Asian waters—not with a massive army, but with the loyalty of…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Sailendra Dynasty: Buddhist Kings of Java and Sumatra
This episode explores the Sailendra dynasty, the Buddhist kings who ruled both Java and Srivijaya's Sumatra, building monuments like Borobudur. We trace…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Tin Trade: The Metal That Powered an Empire
Tin was the unsung backbone of the Srivijayan economy, funding its Buddhist monasteries, naval power, and diplomatic gifts to Tang and Song China. This episode…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Sea Trade: The Srivijaya Song and Ocean Law
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the maritime legal framework that powered the Srivijaya Empire for centuries: the Sea Code of Srivijaya, known…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Fall: The Chola Invasion of 1025
In 1025 CE, the Chola Empire under Rajendra Chola I launched a devastating naval raid against Srivijaya, sacking its capital Palembang and seizing the Kadaram…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Sandalwood Flower Coin: The Empire's Currency Empire
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the economic backbone of the Srivijaya Empire: its unique sandalwood flower coinage. These gold and…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Golden Age Under Maharaja Dharmasetu
This episode explores the reign of Maharaja Dharmasetu, who ruled Srivijaya at its peak in the late 7th to early 8th centuries. We discuss his expansion of the…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Buddhist King Balaputradewa and the Nalanda Charter
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of Balaputradewa, the Sailendra king of Srivijaya who commissioned a monastery…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Chinese Pilgrim Yijing and the Buddhist Golden Age
This episode of Fexingo History explores the life and travels of the Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing, who spent over a decade in Srivijaya in the 7th century. We…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Chinese Records: The Zhufan Zhi and Zhao Rugua
In episode 73 of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna dive into the Chinese records that illuminate Srivijaya's golden age. They explore the Zhufan Zhi…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Camphor Monopoly: The Tree That Built an Empire
Before rubber and palm oil, there was camphor — a crystalline substance worth more than gold. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Srivijaya's…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Gunung Wingko Gold and the Mysterious Hill of Coins
This episode dives into one of Srivijaya's most intriguing archaeological puzzles: Gunung Wingko, a hill on the south coast of Java that yielded thousands…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Lost Capital: The Search for Palembang's Ancient Port
After decades of excavation, archaeologists still haven't found the heart of Srivijaya's capital. Where was the maharaja's palace? Why has so…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Spice Routes and the Nutmeg Wars
When we think of the Spice Islands, we usually think of the Dutch and the Banda Massacre of 1621. But long before Europeans arrived, Srivijaya's merchant…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Tamil Merchant Guilds and the Barus Charter
This episode of Fexingo History dives into the remarkable Tamil merchant guild inscriptions found at Lobu Tua in Barus, Sumatra. Lucas and Luna explore the…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Patron Goddess: Kumari and the Maritimers
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the role of the goddess Kumari in the Srivijaya Empire. Srivijaya was a maritime mandala that…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Malayu Vassal King: The Dharmasraya Inscription Mystery
After decades of covering Srivijaya's trade networks and Chola invasions, Episode 66 turns to a quiet but pivotal figure: King Tribhuwanaraja of…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Forgotten Maritime Empire Trade Networks
Before Melaka, before Majapahit, there was Srivijaya — a Buddhist thalassocracy that ruled the Strait of Malacca for nearly 700 years. This episode dives into…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Tamil Inscriptions: The Lobu Tua Mystery
Episode 64 of the Srivijaya series dives into the Lobu Tua stone, a Tamil inscription discovered near Barus on Sumatra's west coast. Dating to 1088 CE, it…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Buddhist Monasteries: The Nalanda of Southeast Asia
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the monastic universities of Srivijaya, the Buddhist empire that dominated the Strait of Malacca…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Women of Power: Queens and Trade in Southeast Asia
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the often-overlooked role of women in the Srivijaya Empire. While previous episodes focused on kings, monks, and…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Vajrayana Guru: The Life of Atisha
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and journey of Atisha Dipamkara, the great Vajrayana master who studied in Srivijaya under the teacher…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Malayu Alliance and the Pamalayu Pact
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal Pamalayu Pact of 1275, when the Javanese king Kertanegara of Singhasari dispatched an…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Navy: The Orang Laut War Fleet
How did a loose maritime empire control the Strait of Malacca for centuries without a standing army? The answer was the Orang Laut — sea nomads who formed the…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Last Stand: The Chola Invasion of Kadaram
In 1025, the mighty Chola fleet from southern India launched a devastating raid on Srivijaya's capital at Kadaram (modern Kedah, Malaysia). This episode…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Buddhist Law Code: The Kutai Inscriptions
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Kutai inscriptions of 7th-century East Borneo, the earliest known legal documents from Indonesia. They discuss how…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Malayu Conquest and the Dharmasraya Kingdom
In the late 13th century, Srivijaya faced a new threat from the Javanese kingdom of Singhasari. But instead of collapsing, the Malayu kingdom of Jambi rose to…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Last King: The Fall of an Empire
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the final years of the Srivijaya Empire, focusing on the last known king, King Tribhuwana, and the empire's…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Gold: Buddhist Art and the Candi Muara Takus
In this episode of the Srivijaya series, Lucas and Luna travel inland from Palembang to the remote Candi Muara Takus temple complex in Riau, Sumatra. Unlike…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Golden Age Under King Dharmasetu
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of King Dharmasetu, the seventh-century Srivijayan ruler who transformed a Sumatran riverine kingdom into a…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Buddhist Empire and the Borobudur Connection
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the deep Buddhist roots of the Srivijaya Empire and its connection to the magnificent Borobudur temple in Java. Lucas…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Chinese Buddhist Pilgrim Yijing: A Monk's Journey
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the life and travels of Yijing, the 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk who studied in Srivijaya and…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Orang Laut: Masters of the Strait
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the crucial role of the Orang Laut, the 'sea people' of the Strait of Malacca, in building…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Camphor and the Barus Trade
In this episode of the Fexingo History podcast, Lucas and Luna delve into a specific but vital slice of Srivijaya's maritime empire: the camphor trade…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Lost City: The Muaro Jambi Temple Complex
This episode of the Fexingo History podcast takes listeners deep into the jungles of Sumatra to explore the Muaro Jambi temple complex, once the second capital…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Tamil Merchant Guilds: The Ayyavole in Southeast Asia
In the 11th century, the Strait of Malacca wasn't just a waterway — it was a marketplace governed by Tamil merchant guilds. This episode explores the…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
The Malay Fire Lance: Srivijaya's Secret Weapon
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the origins and impact of the Malay fire lance, an early gunpowder weapon used by Srivijaya. They discuss how the fire…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Female Buddhist Master: Jnanavati at the Thousand Temples
This episode of the Srivijaya series tells the story of Jnanavati, a rare named female scholar from Srivijaya's Buddhist golden age. Lucas and Luna…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Buddhist Monarch and the Sailendra Legacy
In Episode 44, Lucas and Luna explore the life and reign of King Balaputradewa, the last great Sailendra monarch of Srivijaya. They delve into his exile to…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Forgotten Rival: The Rise of Sanjaya's Mataram
Episode 43 dives into the shadowy conflict between Srivijaya and the Sanjaya dynasty of Mataram in central Java. While Srivijaya dominates the Strait of…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Song Dynasty Ambassador: The Chuanzhou Stone
In 1178, a Chinese maritime official named Zhou Qufei wrote a book that preserved one of the most detailed descriptions of Srivijaya ever recorded. But one…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Malay Mandala and the Chinese Tributary System
In Episode 41 of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore how Srivijaya navigated its relationship with Tang and Song China through the tributary system. They…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Tamil Inscription: The Forgotten Connection
In 1088, a Tamil merchant guild called the Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavole erected an inscription near the Musi River in Palembang, deep in the heart of…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Buddhist King Yijing and the Pilgrim Records
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and writings of the Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing, who spent over a decade in Srivijaya during the 7th century…
- The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
The Seafaring Merchants of Srivijaya: Life on the Monsoon Seas
Lucas and Luna dive into the daily lives of the merchants, sailors, and captains who powered Srivijaya's maritime empire. They explore the multi-ethnic…