Srivijaya's Lost Inscription: The Ligor Stele and the Kra Isthmus

Episode 179 of Fexingo History's Srivijaya series explores the Ligor inscription, a stone stele discovered in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, that provides crucial evidence of Srivijayan control over the Kra Isthmus trade route. Lucas and Luna discuss the stele's discovery in the 19th century, its two faces inscribed in Sanskrit and Khmer, and the debate over whether it commemorates a Sailendra king or a local ruler. The episode examines how Srivijaya used the isthmus as a shortcut between the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Siam, bypassing the Straits of Malacca, and why this inland route was vital for their empire. They also touch on the stele's reference to a Buddhist sanctuary and what it reveals about state-sponsored religion. Finally, they consider the stele's legacy and what it tells us about Srivijaya's reach beyond Sumatra. #Srivijaya #LigorInscription #KraIsthmus #NakhonSiThammarat #Sailendra #BuddhistEpigraphy #SanskritInscription #KhmerInscription #SoutheastAsianHistory #MaritimeTrade #StraitOfMalacca #BayOfBengal #GulfOfSiam #History #Archaeology #FexingoHistory #Palembang #Epigraphy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo