The Srivijaya Empire was a maritime and commercial kingdom that flourished between the 7th and the 13th centuries, largely in what is now Indonesia. It was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The kingdom originated in Palembang on the island of Sumatra and soon extended its influence and controlled the Strait of Malacca. Srivijaya’s power was based on its control of international sea trade. It established trade relations not only with the states in the Malay Archipelago but also with China and India. Srivijaya was also a religious center in the region. It adhered to Mahayana Buddhism and soon became the stopping point for Chinese Buddhist pilgrims on their way to India. The kings of Srivijaya even founded monasteries at Negapattam (now Nagappattinam) in southeastern India.

The Srivijaya Empire was formed as a collection of several Kadatuans (local principalities), which swore allegiance to the central ruling powerful Kadatuan ruled by the Srivijayan Maharaja. The political relations and system relating to its realms is described as a mandala model, typical of that of classical Southeast Asian Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms. The Srivijayan empire was a coastal trading center and was a thalassocracy (sea-based empire). It did not extend its influence far beyond the coastal areas of the islands of Southeast Asia, with the exception of contributing to the population of Madagascar 3,300 miles to the west.

Srivijaya traded extensively with India and China, incorporating Buddhist and Chinese political practices into their traditions. When the Chola Empire from South India raided and took indirect control of the Strait of Malacca in the thirteenth century, the Srivijaya Empire lost influence. By the end of the 12th century, Srivijaya had been reduced to a small kingdom, and its dominant role in Sumatra had been taken by Malayu (based in Jambi), a vassal of Java. A Javanese kingdom, Majapahit, soon came to dominate the Indonesian political scene.