Chola Empire's Kadaram Campaign 1068: Rajendra's Second Sri Vijaya War

In 1068, Rajendra Chola II launched a second major naval expedition against the Sri Vijaya empire, targeting Kadaram (modern Kedah) on the Malay Peninsula. Unlike the famous 1025 raid by his namesake predecessor, this campaign aimed to restore Chola influence after Sri Vijaya had reasserted control over the strategic Strait of Malacca trade routes. Drawing on Tamil temple inscriptions from Thanjavur and the recently discovered Leiden copper plates, historian Lucas and co-host Luna explore the economic and political motives behind this lesser-known Chola naval operation. They discuss the role of the powerful Ayyavole merchant guilds, the diplomatic marriage alliances with the Khmer Empire, and the archaeological evidence of Chola presence in Southeast Asia, including bronze Buddhas and Tamil inscriptions found in Thailand and Indonesia. The episode also examines the challenges of naval logistics in the 11th century, the decline of Sri Vijaya, and how this campaign set the stage for the later rise of the Majapahit Empire. #CholaEmpire #RajendraCholaII #Kadaram #SriVijaya #IndianOceanTrade #NavalHistory #MedievalIndia #SouthIndia #MalayPeninsula #Kedah #Ayyavole #TempleInscriptions #LeidenPlates #KhmerEmpire #StraitOfMalacca #MaritimeHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo