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 backbone of Srivijaya's naval power. This episode dives into their shipbuilding techniques, the evolution of the perahu and the lashed-lug tradition, how they enforced the pass system on passing merchant vessels, and the psychological warfare of fire arrows. We also explore the strategic chokepoints like Bangka Strait and the Selat Panjang, and how the fleet's composition changed under Chola and Majapahit pressure. Featuring the oldest known depiction of a Southeast Asian warship at Borobudur, the role of the shahbandar, and why naval decentralization was both Srivijaya's strength and its fatal weakness. #Srivijaya #OrangLaut #MaritimeHistory #NavalWarfare #StraitOfMalacca #Perahu #BorobudurShip #PassSystem #Shahbandar #BangkaStrait #SelatPanjang #FireArrows #SoutheastAsia #AncientNavy #LashedLug #Chola #Majapahit #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo