Srivijayan conquest of Kedah
| Srivijayan invasion of Malay Peninsula | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Srivijayan expansion | |||||||||
 Territorial evolution of Srivijaya Empire | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Srivijaya Empire |
| ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa |
unnamed king of Kedah  | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
Large fleet of warships Thousands of soldiers (estimated) Maritime logistical support |
Local militias Small naval defenses | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Minimal losses | Heavy losses; significant subjugation of the population | ||||||||
The Srivijayan conquest of Kedah, also called as Srivijayan invasion of Kedah was a military campaign launched by Srivijaya to conquer Kedah and capture strategic trading centers in the Strait of Malacca.
Background
Srivijaya was founded in Kota Kapur and became Palembang (the oldest city in Indonesia). However, their position was influenced by Kedah and Melayu. Srivijaya was a centre of Buddhism on Nusantara. Leaders planned to invade Kedah and conquer the Malay Peninsula.[1]
Conquest
In 682 CE, Srivijayan fleets launched raids at Malacca strait. Many Kedahan and Malay ships were destroyed or suffered heavy damage.[2] After raiding Malayan–Kedah fleets, they started to invade Kedah. Kedah was supported by many local parties but they could not counter the invasion.[3] Srivijayan forces plundered the town of Kedah, capturing many weapons, and destroyed local parties' headquarters in Kedah. The King of Kedah decided to surrender as many of his forces suffered heavy casualties.[4]
Aftermath
The conquest gained many territories and maintained many strategic ports. Srivijaya positions were strengthened and marked the rise of the Shailendra dynasty, unifying Medang Kingdom and Srivijaya. It also led to the great war against the Javanese kingdom of Mataram.[5]
References
- ^ Widya, Lestari (2021-04-09). "Wilayah Kekuasaan Sriwijaya". kompas.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ "Kerajaan Sriwijaya (Abad Ke 7-14 Masehi)". abisheva.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Muallif (2023-08-10). "Kerajaan Sriwijaya: Sejarah, Letak, Raja-raja, Masa Kejayaannya, Hingga Peninggalannya". an-nur.ac.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Nabil, Adlani (2022-10-11). "6 Daerah Kekuasaaan Sriwijaya". adjar.grid.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ "Kerajaan Sriwijaya, Awal Berdiri, Para Raja dan Peninggalan". sampoernaacademy.sch.id (in Indonesian). 2022-04-17. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
Further reading
- Irfan, N.K.S (2015). Kerajaan Sriwijaya:Pusat Pemerintahan dan Perkembangannya (in Indonesian). Bandung: Kiblat Buku Utama.
- Lawrence, Palmer (1950). The Khmer Empire and Malayan Peninsula. Duke University Press. JSTOR 2049556.