Chola Maritime Trade System

Timeline

1. 701Coastal ports of the Pallava kingdom · IndiaThe Pallava dynasty controlled the Coromandel coast, developing ports such as Mamallapuram; Tamil merchant communities and temple economies participated in trade with Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, forming customary ocean commerce under royal patronage.
2. c. 850–1050Chola Empire's Bay of Bengal routes · Southeast AsiaFrom the ninth century onward, the Chola central government brought merchant fleets, port tariffs (sungam), and diplomatic envoys into the state system, concentrating spices, textiles, and horses at ports such as Kaveripattanam, and establishing treaty relations with Southeast Asian polities such as Srivijaya.
3. c. 1000–1030Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean coast · Southeast AsiaRajaraja I and Rajendra I combined naval expeditions with commercial treaties; the 1025 expedition against Srivijaya seized control of its ports, bringing the Chola maritime trade system to its zenith, with copper-plate inscriptions detailing caravan organization and the distribution of spoils.