Srivijaya, also spelled Sri Vijaya, was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra that influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th to 11th century AD. Srivijaya was the first polity to dominate much of western Maritime Southeast Asia. Due to its location, Srivijaya developed complex technology utilizing maritime resources. In addition, its economy became progressively reliant on the booming trade in the region, thus transforming it into a prestige goods-based economy.
South Sumatra is a province of Indonesia, located in the southeast of the island of Sumatra. The capital and largest city of the province is the city of Palembang. The province borders the provinces of Jambi to the north, Bengkulu to the west and Lampung to the south, as well a maritime border with the Bangka Belitung Islands to the east. It is the largest province in the island of Sumatra, and it is slightly smaller than Portugal, the department of Boquerón in Paraguay or the U.S. state of Maine. The Bangka Strait in the east separates South Sumatra and the island of Bangka, which is part of the Bangka Belitung Islands province. The province has an area of 91,592.43 km2 (35,364 sq mi) and had a population of 8,467,432 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid-2023 was 8,743,522. The province is rich in natural resources, such as petroleum, natural gas and coal. The province is inhabited by many different malay sub ethnic groups, with Palembangese being largest ethnic group. Most speak the Palembang language, which is mutually intelligible to both Indonesian and local Palembang Malay. Other ethnic groups include the Javanese, Sundanese, Minangkabau and Chinese. Most are concentrated in urban areas and are largely immigrants from other parts of Indonesia.
Jambi is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the east coast of central Sumatra and stretches to the Barisan Mountains in the west. Its capital and largest city is also called Jambi. It is bordered by the provinces of Riau to the north, West Sumatra to the west, Bengkulu to the southwest, South Sumatra to the south, and shares a maritime border with the Riau Islands to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The province has a land area of 49,026.58 km2, and a sea area of 3,274.95 km2. Its area is comparable to the European country of Slovakia. It had a population of 3,092,265 according to the 2010 census and 3,548,228 according to the 2020 census; the official estimate of population as of mid-2023 was 3,679,169.
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represent the pure land or pure environment of a Buddha. Traditional Buddhist temples are designed to inspire inner and outer peace.
The Shailendra dynasty was the name of a notable Indianised dynasty that emerged in 8th-century Java, whose reign signified a cultural renaissance in the region. The Shailendras were active promoters of Mahayana Buddhism and covered the Kedu Plain of Central Java with Buddhist monuments, one of which is the colossal stupa of Borobudur, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Adityawarman was a king of Malayapura Suvarnabhumi, and is the successor of the Mauli dynasty based in central Sumatra. He was the cousin of Jayanegara, king of Majapahit from 1309 to 1328, and the grandson of Tribhuwanaraja, king of Melayu Kingdom. Adityawarman was awarded the Senior Minister of Majapahit (wreddamantri) and used this authority to launch Majapahit military expansion plans and conquer east coast region in Sumatra. Adityawarman then founded the royal dynasty of Minangkabau in Pagaruyung and presided over the central Sumatra region to take control of the gold trade between 1347 and 1375.
Jambi is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Jambi. Located on the island of Sumatra, the city is a busy port on the Batang Hari River and an oil- and rubber-producing centre. The city is located 26 km (16 mi) from the ruins of Muaro Jambi Temple Compounds, an important city in the ancient Srivijaya kingdom.
The Melayu Kingdom was a classical Buddhist kingdom located in what is now the Indonesian province of West Sumatra and Jambi.
Muaro Jambi Regency is a regency of Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. It was created on 4 October 1999 by the separation of what were formerly the eastern districts of Batang Hari Regency. It surrounds on all sides the major city of Jambi, the provincial capital, and includes many of the expanding suburbs of Jambi outside the city boundaries; consequently it has experienced population growth greater than elsewhere in the province. From the 4th until the 13th century, it was the seat of the Hindu-Buddhist Melayu Kingdom. It has an area of 5,264.00 km2 and had a population of 342,952 at the 2010 census and 390,347 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 is 418,799.
A candi is a Hindu or Buddhist temple in Indonesia, mostly built during the Zaman Hindu-Buddha or "Hindu-Buddhist period" between circa the 4th and 15th centuries.
Muara Takus is a Buddhist temple complex, thought to belong to the Srivijaya empire. It is situated in Kampar Regency in Riau province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Its surviving temples and other archaeological remains are thought to date to the 11th and 12th century AD. It is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient temple complexes in Sumatra.
Pugung Raharjo is a 30 hectares archaeological site in the regency of East Lampung regency of Lampung Province in South Sumatra in Indonesia. The site was discovered in 1957. There is an ancient terraced megalithic structure, also known as Pugung Raharjo Pyramid. There other megalithic structures from the 12th to 16th century CE, including Menhirs and Dolmen, as well as prehistoric remains dating back to 2500 BC. It is locally known as the "Taman Purbakala Pugung Raharjo". It is situated approximately 50 km from the provincial capital, Bandar Lampung.
Indonesian Esoteric Buddhism or Esoteric Buddhism in Maritime Southeast Asia refers to the traditions of Esoteric Buddhism found in Maritime Southeast Asia which emerged in the 7th century along the maritime trade routes and port cities of the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra as well as in Malaysia. These esoteric forms were spread by pilgrims and Tantric masters who received royal patronage from royal dynasties like the Sailendras and the Srivijaya. This tradition was also linked by the maritime trade routes with Indian Vajrayana, Tantric Buddhism in Sinhala, Cham and Khmer lands and in China and Japan, to the extent that it is hard to separate them completely and it is better to speak of a complex of "Esoteric Buddhism of Mediaeval Maritime Asia." Many key Indian port cities saw the growth of Esoteric Buddhism, a tradition which coexisted alongside Shaivism.
Gedong Songo is a group of Hindu temples located near Bandungan, Semarang Regency, in north Central Java, Indonesia. It is variously dated between the 8th and 9th-century. Built around a 1,270 metres (4,170 ft) hill near Mount Ungaran, it consist of five Gedong – two on the east side of the hill, two towards the north and one to the west. These total nine temples, all dedicated to Shiva and Parvati. The Gedong Songo complex is one of 110 sites in central Java with Hindu temple structures or remains, and one of 21 in Semarang area, states Veronique Degroot.
The Indonesian island of Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world. The rich ethnic diversity and historical heritage in Sumatra is reflected in the range of architectural styles in the island. The vernacular style is the native Sumatran ethnic groups architecture of dwellings, while the Hindu-Buddhist architecture reflected through the cultural historical heritage of candis built in Sumatra. The third wave is Islamic architecture adopted in mosques and palace in Sumatra, especially in Aceh, North Sumatra, and Malay cultural sphere in the island.
Candi Bahal, also known as Biaro Bahal or Candi Portibi is Vajrayana Buddhist candi complex in Bahal village, Padang Bolak, Portibi, Padang Lawas Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located about three hours journey with car from Padangsidempuan or 400 km from Medan. The complex includes three candis: Candi Bahal I, Candi Bahal II, and Candi Bahal III. The temple site is linked to Pannai Kingdom circa 11th to 13th century CE.
Pannai, Panai or Pane was a Buddhist kingdom located on the east coast of Northern Sumatra that existed between the 11th and 14th centuries. The kingdom was located on the Barumun River and Panai River valleys, in today's Labuhan Batu and South Tapanuli regencies. Because surviving inscriptions and historical records of this period are scarce, the kingdom is among the least known political entities in Indonesian history. Historians suggest that Pannai was probably a principality or a vassal allied under the Srivijayan mandala and later to Dharmasraya kingdom.
Mauli was a dynasty of kings that ruled the Bhumi Malayu or Dharmasraya kingdom, centered in the Batanghari river system, from the 11th century to the 14th century. Most Mauli kings were Mahayana—Vajrayana Buddhists.
The archaeology of Indonesia is the study of the archaeology of the archipelagic realm that today forms the nation of Indonesia, stretching from prehistory through almost two millennia of documented history. The ancient Indonesian archipelago was a geographical maritime bridge between the political and cultural centers of Ancient India and Imperial China, and is notable as a part of ancient Maritime Silk Road.
Bumiayu temple compound, or locally known as Candi Bumiayu, is a Sumatran Shivaist Hindu temple complex located near the banks of Lematang river, precisely in Bumiayu village, Tanah Abang district, Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir Regency, South Sumatra, Indonesia. The temple located about 120 kilometres west of Palembang city. The red brick structures are estimated dated from 8th to 13th-century, and linked to the Srivijaya kingdom. Compared to Java, only a few Hindu-Buddhist temple ruins has been rediscovered in Sumatra. The temple is known as one of the few surviving Hindu temple remnant in South Sumatra. Other temple ruins in Sumatra are Muaro Jambi in Jambi, Muara Takus in Riau, and Bahal temple in North Sumatra.
