Srivijaya was a Malay thalassocracy centered on Palembang
(Sumatra), existing from the 7th to the 13th C. The historical evidence is
scanty, consisting of a number of inscriptions, a few stories of mostly Chinese
visitors, archaeological evidence. It is believed that Madagascar was settled
by Sumatrans before the arrival of Indian religions on Sumatra. Srivijaya
expanded, annexing Melayu (Jambi) c. 680, taking control of the Malacca
Straits. A Chinese visitor around that time describes Palembang as a center of
Buddhist scholarship.
Srivijaya at its climax controlled
Sumatra, West Java, the westerly and northern coast of Borneo and the Malay
Peninsula. In the Malay Archipelago it had a rival in Sailendra, another
thalassocracy centered on Central Java, and after the latter's fall in 852, in
the Kingdom of Mataram, also concentrated on Central Java. When the Sailendra
Dynasty was ousted from Java in 852, they moved to Palembang and took over the
rule of Srivijaya.
By 1200 Srivijaya was still a major
regional power, but the center had moved from Palembang to Jambi. In the course
of the 13th century Srivijaya disintegrated. The Kingdom of Palembang continued
to be identified with the name of Srivijaya; its territory was limited to
southeastern Sumatra without Lampung (to Pajajaran). In the north it bordered
on Jambi. In 1290 it was conquered by Singhasari.
Jambi, Palembang, Pajajaran and Malacca
may be regarded successor states of Srivijaya, indirectly also Brunei and the
Sultanates of North Sumatra such as Aceh.
