South Indian Contact and Trade with South-East Asia
Medieval History › Early Medieval Period · Topic 1.15
From the sixth century a brisk sea trade linked south India, Bengal and Gujarat with Southeast Asia and China. Guilds, ports such as Tamralipti, the Pallava and Chola navies and embassies to China carried goods, priests and ideas, and left Indian religion and art in Borobudur and Angkor.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Early Medieval Period
At a Glance
- Trade began Brisk from the sixth century
- Key ports Tamralipti in Bengal, Nagapattinam, ports on the Coromandel and Malabar coasts
- Partners Sri Vijaya (Sailendra), Kambuja and China
- Navies Pallava and Chola
- Monuments Borobudur in Java, Angkor Wat in Cambodia
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Early Medieval Period
Where Does It Fit?
This is the fifteenth topic of the category on the early medieval period. The previous topic covered the Yadavas of the Deccan, and this topic reviews the sea trade that powered the south Indian dynasties, in particular the Pallavas and Cholas. The next topic returns to north India and its social structure. Previous topic: Yadava Dynasty of Devagiri (12th–13th Century). The earlier contacts are in Cultural Interaction of India with Asian Countries.
Why Did India Trade with South-East Asia?
In short: China was a main focus of Indian Ocean trade, and India and Southeast Asia were the staging centres for goods moving between China on one side and West Asia and Africa on the other.
The Chinese consumed large quantities of spices from Southeast Asia and India. They imported ivory, mostly from Africa, glassware from West Asia, medicinal herbs, lac and incense. African and West Asian goods usually did not go beyond Malabar, and few Chinese ships went beyond the Moluccas. Ships could not sail straight from the Middle East to China, since monsoon winds forced them to wait in ports on the way, and Indian and Southeast Asian ports were preferred. Much of the trade to China was carried in Indian ships, and teakwood from Malabar, Bengal and Burma supported a strong shipbuilding tradition. Indian traders from the Tamil country and Kalinga took an active part, along with Persians and later Arabs.
Who Carried the Trade?
Indian merchants were organised in guilds, the most famous being the Manigramam and the Nanadesi, which traded retail and wholesale in many countries and gave handsome grants to temples. Many traders settled abroad and some married local women, and priests followed the traders, carrying Buddhist and Hindu ideas. Tamralipti, modern Tamluk in Bengal, was the main Indian port for Java and Sumatra, and merchants in the stories of the time start from there for Suvarnadvipa (Indonesia) or Kataha (Kedah). A fourteenth-century writer in Java mentions people from India, south India and Bengal arriving in big numbers in large ships, and Gujarat traders also took part.
Harisena’s Brihatkatha-kosh and other books show growing geographical knowledge of the region, and stories of Indian merchants in its waters became the basis of the tale of Sindbad the Sailor.
How Did Southeast Asia Receive Indian Culture?
| Kingdom | Features |
|---|---|
| Sri Vijaya (Sailendra) | Arose in the seventh century; included Sumatra, Java, the Malay peninsula and parts of Siam; strong navy; dominated the sea trade to China; Palembang a centre of Sanskrit and Buddhist study; Borobudur in Java |
| Kambuja | Cambodia and south Vietnam; replaced the Hinduised kingdom of Funan; temples near Angkor Thom from the tenth century; Angkor Wat the largest, with Ramayana and Mahabharata panels |
Borobudur is a whole mountain carved into nine stone terraces, topped by a stupa, and its panels show Indian epics. Buddhism declined in India but flourished in Southeast Asia, where it absorbed Hindu gods. Arab traders, who grew active under the Abbasids, did not displace Indian traders. The conversion of Indonesia and Malaya to Islam came gradually, after Islam consolidated in India.
How Did Indian Rulers Support the Trade?
The Palas, Senas, Pallavas and Cholas encouraged the trade by sending embassies to the Chinese emperors. The Pala ruler Devapala endowed five villages for a Sailendra monastery at Nalanda, and the Sailendra ruler built a Buddhist monastery at Nagapattinam, for which Rajendra I endowed a village. Rajendra I sent the Chola navy on an expedition against Malaya and neighbouring lands to end interference with the China trade, and the Chola embassy of 1077 reached China in an Indian ship. Shipyards were located on the west coast, including Gujarat. The Pallava and Pandya navies also invaded parts of Sri Lanka and kept links with Southeast Asia and China.
How Did the Trade Change Later?
Indian ships gradually gave way to the bigger and faster Arab and Chinese ships. Chinese ships carried hundreds of passengers and soldiers, and the mariner’s compass helped them. The records note that Indian science and technology were already being left behind. Even so, the lead in this trade stayed with south India, Bengal and Gujarat, which explains the wealth of those regions. The Chinese government in the thirteenth century tried to restrict the export of gold and silver because the trade was so favourable to the countries engaged in it.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Greater India Explains the spread of Indian religion and art abroad
- Cholas Links Chola naval expeditions to trade interests
- Economy Source of gold and silver for south Indian states
What Came Next?
The next topic describes Indian feudalism, the rise of landed chiefs and the new social order across north and south India. Next topic: Indian Feudalism – Origin and Features in Early Medieval India.
Key People and Terms
- Tamralipti Port in Bengal for Java and Sumatra
- Suvarnadvipa Name for Indonesia
- Kataha Kedah in Malaya
- Sailendra Dynasty of Sri Vijaya
- Kambuja Empire of Cambodia
- Borobudur Buddhist monument in Java
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Tamralipti was the chief port for Java and Sumatra.
- Sailendra rulers built a monastery at Nagapattinam.
- Borobudur: Java; Angkor Wat: Cambodia.
- Chola embassy to China: 1077.
- Indian ships gave way to Arab and Chinese ships.
Do Not Confuse With
- Borobudur and Angkor Wat Buddhist monument in Java versus a Hindu temple complex in Cambodia
- Sri Vijaya and Kambuja Maritime empire of Sumatra and Java versus the Cambodian empire
- Tamralipti and Nagapattinam Bengal port versus Chola port on the Coromandel coast
Memory Hook
Tamralipti sails, Sailendra builds at Nagapattinam, Rajendra clears the sea, Angkor rises.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about cultural and commercial links. These points add depth.
- Commerce Spices, ivory, glass, guild enterprise
- Culture Temples, epics, Buddhism
- Change Arab and Chinese ships overtook Indian ones
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the commercial and cultural links between south India and South-East Asia in the early medieval period.”
How to Answer
- Trade Goods, ports and guilds.
- Rulers Embassies and Chola expeditions.
- Culture Borobudur and Angkor.
- Change Rise of Arab and Chinese ships.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Indian port served the trade with Java and Sumatra?
Tamralipti, modern Tamluk in Bengal, was the chief Indian port for sailing to Java and Sumatra. Stories of the period show merchants setting out from Tamralipti for Suvarnadvipa, meaning Indonesia, or for Kataha, meaning Kedah in Malaya.
What was the Sri Vijaya empire?
The Sri Vijaya empire was the maritime empire of the Sailendra dynasty, which arose in the seventh century and included Sumatra, Java, the Malay peninsula and parts of Siam. It had a powerful navy, dominated the sea trade to China and built Borobudur in Java.
Why did Rajendra I attack Sri Vijaya?
Rajendra I sent naval expeditions against the revived Sri Vijaya empire to remove obstacles to Indian traders and expand trade with China. The Cholas conquered Kadaram and other places in the Malay peninsula and Sumatra, and the Bay of Bengal became a Chola lake.
Where are Borobudur and Angkor Wat?
Borobudur is a Buddhist monument in east Java, carved as nine stone terraces with a stupa and Indian epic panels. Angkor Wat is the largest temple in the Angkor complex in Cambodia, a Hindu temple with panels from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
How did Indian ships decline in the Indian Ocean?
Indian ships gave way to Arab and Chinese ships, which were bigger and faster, and Chinese ships used the mariner's compass. Indian science and technology were being left behind, though south India, Bengal and Gujarat still led the trade for a long time.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Tamralipti was the chief Indian port for trade with Java and Sumatra.
It is modern Tamluk in Bengal.
2 Angkor Wat is a Buddhist monument in Java.
It is a Hindu temple in Cambodia; Borobudur is the Javanese Buddhist monument.
3 The Chola embassy of 1077 reached China.
It had 70 merchants.
4 Rajendra I ordered naval expeditions against Sri Vijaya.
The Cholas conquered Kadaram.
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