Who among the following led a successful military campaign against the kingdom of Srivijaya, the powerful maritime State, which ruled the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and the neighbouring islands?

(a) Amoghavarsha (Rashtrakuta)
(b) Prataparudra (Kakatiya)
(c) Rajendra I (Chola)
(d) Vishnuvardhana (Hoysala)

The correct answer is (c) Rajendra I (Chola).

Explanation

Rajendra I (reigned 1014–1044 CE), the son of Rajaraja I, was one of the greatest emperors of the Chola dynasty. He expanded the Chola Empire beyond the Indian subcontinent.

Around 1025 CE, he launched a major and unprecedented naval expedition across the Bay of Bengal against the Srivijaya kingdom. This campaign was a resounding success. His fleet attacked and plundered several key cities and ports of the Srivijaya empire, including its capital, Kadaram (present-day Kedah in Malaysia). This military feat established Chola naval supremacy in the Indian Ocean and secured their trade routes to Southeast Asia and China.