South - East Asia campaign of Rajendra Chola I Inscriptions and historical sources assert that the Medieval Chola king Rajendra Chola I sent a naval expedition to Indo - China , the Malay peninsula and the Indonesian archipelago in 1025 in order to subdue the Srivijaya Empire . The Thiruvalangadu plates , the Leyden grant , and the Tamil " praśasti " of Rajendra Chola I are the principal sources of information about the campaign . Sources . The most detailed source of information on the campaign is the Tamil " praśasti " of Rajendra Chola I . The " praśasti " states The Thiruvalangadu plates , from the fourteenth year of Rajendra Chola I , mentions his conquest of Kadaram but does not go into the details . The first attempt to identify the places associated with the campaign was made by epigraphist E . Hultzsch , who had published the " praśasti " in 1891 . Hultzsch identified the principalities mentioned in the inscription with places in Pandyan kingdom . In 1903 , he rescinded his theory and stated that the " praśasti " described Rajendra Chola I ' s conquest of Pegu in Burma . Georges Coedès ' " Le Royaume de Sri Vijaya " published in 1918 after several years of research , rejected both the theories and provided the first convincing description of Rajendra Chola I ' s conquest of South - East Asia . Causes . The causes of the hostility are obscure . While some scholars opine that the campaign was undertaken to establish Chola dominance over the seas of South - East Asia , other suggest that it might have been a war of plunder . Conquests . The " praśasti " of Rajendra Chola I mentions Sri Vijaya as the first of the countries conquered . The Tamil inscription lists Sri Vijaya with " its jewelled wicket - gate " and " a gate of large jewels " as the first of the treasures captured by the fleet . The Sri Vijaya , mentioned in the inscriptions , has been identified by Coedès with the Sri Vijaya kingdom which rule from its base at Palembang in Sumatra . Pannai , with its bathing ghats , is second of the lands to be conquered by the naval fleet . Pannai has been identified as Pani or Panei , a city on the eastern coast of Sumatra . Malaiyur , with " its strong mountain " , has been identified with the southern part of the Malay peninsula , where a strong principality flourished at that time . Mayirudingam is believed to be the same as Ji - lo - ting listed by the Chinese writer Chau Ju - Kua among the dependencies of Sri Vijaya and is identified with the city of Jaiya in the centre of the Malay peninsula . The land of Ilangasoka ( Langkasuka ) mentioned in the inscriptions has been located south of Kadaram in the Malay peninsula and is believed to be the same as the province of Ling - ya - sseu - kia mentioned in Chau Ju - Kua ' s list . The epigraphist V . Venkayya identifies Mapappalam of the inscription with the city of Papphalama mentioned in the " Mahavamsa " . The place is believed to be located in the Talaing region of Lower Burma . Talaittakkolam is believed to be the same as Takkola mentioned by Ptolemy and is identified with the modern - day city of city of Takuapa in the Isthmus of Kra . Nakkavaram , mentioned in the records , has been identified by V . Venkayya with the Nicobar Islands . The place Kadaram ( modern Kedah ) mentioned in the " praśasti " is identified with the Kataha of Sanskrit literature and Kadaram of the " Kalingattuparani " and the Kiet - cha of the Chinese chronicles . Results . The South - East Asia campaign strengthened cultural ties between India and South - East Asia . The Sailendra king Maravijayattungavarman constructed the Chudamani Vihara in the port town of Nagapattinam . The campaign also led to the establishment of diplomatic ties with China . The first Indian embassy to the court of the Song Emperor was sent by Raja Raja Chola I in 1015 . This was followed by a second embassy by his son , Rajendra Chola I , in 1033 and a third by Kulothunga Chola I in 1077 . The Chola Empire did not establish its direct rule over South - East Asia thought they might have levied a periodic tribute . Traders from the Tamil country firmly established themselves over various parts of South - East Asia . A merchant guild was set up in Burma and another in Sumatra in 1088 . Indian historian V . R . Ramachandra Dikshitar suggests that Tamil traders of the Chola period might have had a knowledge of Australia and Polynesia .