Sri Jayanasa of Srivijaya facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sri Jayanasa |
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A picture of Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa, the first emperor of Srivijaya, shown at an exhibition in November 2017. National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
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| Maharaja of Srivijaya | |||||
| Reign | 671–702 | ||||
| Predecessor | Position established | ||||
| Successor | Sri Indravarman | ||||
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Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa (IAST: Ḍapunta Hiyaṃ Śrī Jayanāśa) was the very first Maharaja (which means "Great King") of Srivijaya. Many historians believe he was the founder of the Srivijayan kingdom. His name is found in special old writings from the late 600s CE. These writings are called the "Siddhayatra inscriptions." They tell us about his important journey to get blessings and to take over nearby lands. He ruled from about 671 to 702 CE.
The Rise of Srivijaya
In 671 CE, a Chinese Buddhist monk named Yijing visited Srivijaya. He stayed there for six months. Yijing was very impressed by the king of Srivijaya. He wrote about how kind and welcoming the king was. Some people thought this king was Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa. However, later historians don't think Yijing's story is directly connected to the inscriptions.
The King's Sacred Journey
The Kedukan Bukit inscription is a very old stone writing from 683 CE. It talks about a king named Dapunta Hyang. This king went on a Siddhayatra, which means a sacred or holy journey, by boat. He started his journey from a place called Minanga Tamwan. He had a huge army of 20,000 soldiers with him. They traveled to Matajap and conquered several areas.
Other old writings also tell us about this important journey. They describe how Srivijaya took over lands around it. These inscriptions include the Kota Kapur inscription from Bangka Island (686 CE). There's also the Karang Brahi inscription from Jambi (686 CE). And the Palas Pasemah inscription from southern Lampung. All these writings mention the same big event.
Building an Empire
From these old inscriptions, we learn that Dapunta Hyang created the Srivijayan empire. He did this by defeating his enemies in several places. These places included Jambi, Palembang, Southern Lampung, and Bangka Island. He even led a military campaign against Bhumi Java. This campaign might have helped cause the decline of the Tarumanagara kingdom in West Java.
