Chapter 12
Island Trading Nations
Sailendra
Sailendra was a heavily agriculturaly-based kingdom on the island of Java. Like the Khmer with the Angkor Wat, the Sailendrans created a massive temple in around 800 AD in Borobudur (below). It had nine terraced levels, similar to a pyramid. (McDougal Littell: Ancient World History)
Srivijaya
The Srivijaya Dynasty was at its peak from 7th century to 13th century AD. They controled the Strait of Malacca (below) and many other key trading routes in Borneo, Java, and Sumatra. They earned money by taxing ships that went through these points. Their capital was named Palembang, located on Sumatra. Palembang was a thriving city of Buddhist culture, which made it easier for Chinese monks to study Buddhism without going all the way to India. (McDougal Littell: Ancient World History)
