Rajendra Chola projects power across the Bay of Bengal
Rajendra Chola I extended campaigns into Sri Lanka and launched a celebrated expedition against Srivijaya’s maritime network. Naval reach served political prestige and commercial interests, not permanent occupation of Southeast Asia.
Chola inscriptions magnify royal victory, while overseas evidence shows a more complex commercial world. Tamil merchant associations, local Southeast Asian rulers and Buddhist institutions all shaped these connections.
Source: Britannica: Chola dynasty