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Srivijaya's Palembang

Type Object Region Southeast Asia Time c. 671–1025

Srivijaya, with its capital at Palembang on Sumatra, was one of the most important maritime trade and Buddhist centers in Southeast Asia from the 7th…

Timeline

  1. c. 671–750Palembang on the Musi River · SumatraSrivijaya made Palembang at the lower Musi River its political center, developing transshipment trade on the strength of its fine estuary port, and gradually integrating vassal ports along the Sunda Strait and South China Sea routes.
  2. 701Capital of Palembang and surrounding port network · IndonesiaIn the 8th century Palembang, as the core of Srivijaya, controlled the export of spices, camphor, gold, and other products, receiving merchant ships from China, India, and Arabia; Buddhist monasteries and royal buildings stood side by side in the city, embodying the combined functions of a trading state and a religious center.
  3. c. 1025Palembang · IndonesiaChola expeditions severely damaged Srivijaya's maritime hegemony; Palembang's function as a regional trade hub gradually gave way to other Malay ports, and the capital's political influence steadily declined.

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