The Tamil prasaśti of Virarajendra Chola records a naval invasion of Kadaram (modern Kedah in Malaysia) by the Cholas in 1068. Sources assert that the expedition was undertaken to help a Kadaram prince who had approached Virarajendra Chola for assistance in procuring the throne. The kingdom of Kadaram is believed to be the same as the Srivijaya empire although some scholars disagree.
| Conflict: | Chola invasion of Malaysia |
| Partof: | South-East Asia campaign of Rajendra Chola I |
| Date: | 1068 CE |
| Place: | Kadaram (modern day Kedah) |
| Result: | Chola victory [1] [2] [3] |
| Territory: |
|
| Combatant1: | Chola Empire |
| Combatant2: | Kingdom of Kadaram (vassal of Srivijaya) |
| Strength1: | Unknown |
| Strength2: | Unknown |
| Casualties1: | unknown |
| Casualties2: | unknown |
The most detailed source of information on the campaign is the Tamil stele of Rajendra Chola I. The stele states:
The Thiruvalangadu plates, from the fourteenth year of Rajendra Chola I, mentions his conquest of Kadaram but does not go into the details. The first attempt by someone from outside India to identify the places associated with the campaign was made by epigraphist E. Hultzsch, who had published the stele in 1891. Hultzsch identified the principalities mentioned in the inscription with places ruled by the Pandyan Dynasty. In 1903, he rescinded his theory and stated that the stele described Rajendra Chola I's conquest of Bago in Burma. George Coedès' Le Royaume de Sri Vijaya published in 1918 after several years of research, rejected both the theories and provided the first convincing description of Rajendra Chola I's conquest of Southeast Asia.
Another theory suggests that the reasons for the invasion was probably motivated by geopolitics and diplomatic relations. King Suryavarman I of the Khmer Empire requested aid from Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty against Tambralinga kingdom.[4] After learning of Suryavarman's alliance with Rajendra Chola, the Tambralinga kingdom requested aid from the Srivijaya king Sangrama Vijayatunggavarman.[4] [5]
Malaiyur in malaysia, with "its strong mountain", has been identified with Malayu in today Jambi province in Batanghari river valley, where a strong principality flourished at that time. Other suggestion is the southern part of the Malay peninsula gets conquered by the cholas. Mayirudingam is believed to be the same as Ji-lo-ting listed by the Chinese writer Chau Ju-Kua among the dependencies of Sri Vijaya and is identified with the city of Chaiya in the centre of the Malay peninsula. The land of Ilangasoka (Langkasuka) mentioned in the inscriptions has been located on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and is believed to be the same as the province of Ling-ya-sseu-kia mentioned in Chau Ju-Kua's list.Talaittakkolam is believed to be the same as Takkola mentioned by Ptolemy as a trading emporion on the Golden Chersonese, and identified with Trang or the modern-day city of Takuapa in the Isthmus of Kra.[6] [7] and at last Kadaram, All these cities weree conquered and subjugated by the Chola empire.
This dominance started to decline when Srivijaya were invaded by Chola Empire, a dominant maritime power of Indian subcontinent, in 1025.[8] The invasion reshaped power and trade in the region, resulted in the rise of new regional powers such as the Khmer Empire and Kahuripan.[9] Continued commercial contacts with the Chinese Empire enabled the Cholas to influence the local cultures. As Srivijaya influence in the region declined, The Indianized Hindu Khmer Empire experienced a golden age during the 11th to 13th century CE. The empire's capital Angkor hosts majestic monuments—such as Angkor Wat and Bayon. Many of the surviving examples of the Hindu cultural influence found today throughout Southeast Asia are the result of the Chola expeditions.