Page 20 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

CHAPTER 1. SRIWIJAYA

The Indonesian maritime kingdom of Sriwijaya (we
use the common Indonesian spelling, rather than
the alternatives Srivijaya or Sri Vijaya) was, until early
last century, considered to be more myth than reality.
However, a wealth of recent information, including
ceramics found in the Musi River Basin, both previously
and those illustrated in this book, leave no doubt that
Sriwijaya and the city of Palembang, South Sumatra, was
an extremely powerful maritime kingdom from the 7th to
10th century (Note: all dates before CE are suffixed with
BC, otherwise dates are CE) when it was at the peak of its
power. From the 11th century onwards it declined as a
power as a result of wars with the southern Indian Chola
Empire, the Javanese Majapahit Kingdom and with Kedah,
a previous dependency, on the Malay Peninsula. After
that time its political capital apparently moved to Jambi
while its commercial role as an important international
entrepôt continued at Palembang.

ORIGIN OF SRIWIJAYA
A Chinese monk, I-Tsing, provided the first documentary
evidence of the existence of Sriwijaya when he wrote
that he visited Sriwijaya at Palembang in 671 for six
months, while travelling from China to study Buddhism
at Nalanda Seminary in Bihar, India. From 685 to 689 he
again stayed in Palembang to join with over 1000 monks
who lived there and carried out their daily tasks in strict
accordance with their Buddhist practice, of which they Figure 2. Areas influenced or dominated by the Sriwijaya
had a high level of knowledge. I-Tsing also mentioned 15 Kingdom at the peak of its power. Modified from
different ‘kingdoms’ that were conquered by Sriwijaya, Munoz (2006).
and provided descriptions of their locations.
However, the Hsin Tang Shu (New Tang History) in the valley of the Way Sekampung River in southern
mentioned a country referred to as Kompe, which sent Lampung. One of these was at Palas Pasemah (on the
a mission to China in the year 66, some twenty years Way Pisang River) and the other at Jabung (on the Way
before the Sriwijayan expansion into Jambi. It may be no Sekampung River).
coincidence that there is a Kompeh on the lower Batang Later in the 7th century, Jayanasa launched a military
Hari, which may have been the port of Melayu. In order campaign against Bhumi Java, a period which coincides
to reach Karang Berahi by water, a Sriwijayan expedition with the decline of Tarumanagara in West Java and Holing
would have passed Kompeh and Jambi, probably subduing (Kalingga) in Central Java. By the end of the 8th century
its chief in the process (Edwards McKinnon 1982). both these Javanese centres and much of west Java were
The first inscription bearing the name of ‘Srivijaya’ controlled by Sriwijaya. Sriwijaya grew to control the
was that at Kedukan Bukit, dated 683. According to this trade on the Strait of Malacca, the Sunda Strait, the South
inscription, the founder of the Kingdom was a local Malay- China Sea, the Java Sea, and the Karimata Strait (Figure
speaking war chief who lived along the Musi River. He 2 on page 3).
became the first King (Jayanasa) of Sriwijaya. Sriwijaya became prominent in part because Jayanasa
made treaties with pirates who controlled the Strait of
EXPANSION OF SRIWIJAYA Malacca (Orang Laut). Under this arrangement these
In 684, King Jayanasa launched an attack with an army pirates shared in Sriwijaya revenues in return for them
of 20,000 men on the Malayu Kingdom at Jambi, which not attacking his powerful fleet (Cotterell 2014). It
became the first kingdom to be integrated into Sriwijaya. appeared at that time a Buddhist family (probably the
A Sriwijayan inscription, dated 686, found at Kota Sailendras), which was related to the Mahayana Buddhists
Kapur, Bangka Island, in 1967 indicated that Sriwijaya which controlled Sriwijaya, also dominated central Java.
controlled much of Lampung Province as far south as The Sriwijayan Kingdom was mainly influential around
Palas Pasemah. Two additional late-17th century Sriwijayan coastal parts of South East Asia (although it did contribute to
stone curse inscriptions have also been found since 1967 the population of Madagascar) where for the first centuries