The Srivijayan conquest of Kedah, also referred to as the 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.

Conquest

In 682 CE, Srivijayan fleets launched raids at Malacca strait. Many Kedahan ships were destroyed or suffered heavy damage. After raiding Kedah fleets, they started to invade Kedah. 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.

Aftermath

Malay polities in Sumatra and Malay Peninsula. By the turn of the 8th century the states in Sumatra and Malay Peninsula were under Srivijayan Malay domination.

Following the conclusion of the conquest, a wave of immigration took place, resulting in the establishment of Malay settlements throughout the peninsula from Sumatra. The enslavement of Negrito tribes commenced as early as 724 CE, during the early contact of the Malay Srivijaya empire. During this period, the Srivijaya king appointed Malay leaders to govern Kedah, replacing the previous rulers. 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.

Further reading

  • Irfan, N.K.S (2015). Kerajaan Sriwijaya:Pusat Pemerintahan dan Perkembangannya (in Indonesian). Bandung: Kiblat Buku Utama.
  • Lawrence, Palmer (1950). . Duke University Press. JSTOR .