What Made Maritime Kingdoms Rise in Southeast Asia?
What Made Maritime Kingdoms Rise in Southeast Asia?
Once trade moved to the sea, Southeast Asia was well placed to profit. These notes explain why rose there: the had valuable goods of its own, sat on the sea route between China and India, and its ports collected and re-exported goods. That trade wealth built three maritime kingdoms one after another: , and , whose rivalry would later open the way for Temasek.
Why it matters
This was significant because good irrigation let Funan's farmers grow large amounts of rice, which it sold to traders from India and China through Oc-eo. This showed that a maritime kingdom's wealth could come from farming as well as trade.
Why it matters
Srivijaya's strong navy cleared out pirates, so traders felt safe and more ships came to trade spices and scented wood. As a result, it grew into a powerful , a group of territories controlled by a single ruler.
Why it matters
This marked the rise of the next great maritime kingdom, which expanded its control over Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and even New Guinea. Its rise overlapped with Srivijaya's last decades, and its later takeover of Srivijaya contributed to trade shifting towards Temasek.
- PPointMaritime kingdoms rose in Southeast Asia because the region was rich in trade goods and lay on the sea route between China and India.
- EEvidenceThe Malay Archipelago grew spices and scented wood that traders wanted. It sat on the sea route between China and India, and its ports collected goods from around the region and shipped them out again.
- EElaborationHaving goods to sell and standing on the route that ships had to take meant traders came to the region anyway, so its ports profited from both selling local products and handling other people's goods.
- LLinkHence, trade wealth allowed some Southeast Asian ports to grow into maritime kingdoms such as Funan, Srivijaya and Majapahit.
Srivijaya
- Location: Srivijaya was founded in Sumatra, close to the southern entrance of the Straits of Melaka, with a good port at Palembang, so ships using the Straits passed its door.
- Safety: its strong navy stopped piracy, which made traders feel safe and drew more ships to its ports.
- Trade centre: as a result, it became a centre for trade in local products such as spices and scented wood.
- Power: this wealth enabled Srivijaya to extend its control over many parts of the region and grow into an empire.
Funan and Majapahit
- Funan: from the 1st to the 7th century, Funan grew on the fertile plains of the Mekong River in southern Cambodia, with its port at Oc-eo.
- Rice and trade: good irrigation let Funan's farmers grow large amounts of rice, which it sold to traders from India and China, so its wealth rested on farming as well as trade.
- Majapahit: from about the 1290s, Majapahit rose in Java and expanded its control over Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and even New Guinea.
- A rising rival: Majapahit's rise overlapped with Srivijaya's last decades, and it later took Srivijaya over, which contributed to trade shifting towards Temasek.
In One Sentence
- Southeast Asia's valuable goods and its place on the sea route made trade rich, and that wealth built the maritime kingdoms of Funan, Srivijaya and Majapahit.
Think About It
- Srivijaya grew rich partly by keeping pirates away. Why would safety matter so much to traders?
- Funan grew from rice and trade; Srivijaya grew from controlling a strait. Which do you think was the stronger base for a , and why?
- Majapahit rose while Srivijaya was still around. How might one kingdom's growth weaken another?