Shailendra dynasty facts for kids

The bas relief of 8th century Borobudur shows a King sitting in a royal pose with his Queen and their people. This scene is from the Shailendran royal court.

The Shailendra dynasty (which means "King of the Mountain" in Sanskrit) was a very important family that appeared in Java around the 8th century. Their rule brought a time of great cultural growth. The Shailendras were strong supporters of Mahayana Buddhism. They built many Buddhist temples, called candi, in the Kedu Plain of Central Java. One of their most famous creations is the huge stupa of Borobudur, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Shailendras were known as a thalassocracy, meaning they were a powerful sea-faring empire. They controlled large areas of maritime Southeast Asia. However, they also grew a lot of rice in the Kedu Plain of Central Java. This dynasty seemed to be the ruling family of the Mataram Kingdom in Central Java. For some time, they also ruled the Srivijaya Kingdom in Sumatra.

The Shailendras wrote their records using three languages: Old Javanese, Old Malay, and Sanskrit. They used either the Kawi alphabet or an early form of the Nāgarī script. Using Old Malay made some people think they might have come from Sumatra or had ties to Srivijaya. But using Old Javanese showed they were firmly established in Java. Sanskrit was usually used for official or religious writings.

Finding Out About the Shailendras

Historians learn about the Shailendra dynasty from old stone carvings called inscriptions.

Early Inscriptions

The Kalasan inscription from 778 CE in Central Java is the first to clearly mention the name Śailēndra. It talks about a ruler named Panangkaran. This inscription celebrates the building of a Buddhist shrine, Candi Kalasan, for the goddess Tara.

Other inscriptions like the Kelurak inscription (782 CE) and the Karangtengah inscription (824 CE) also mention the Shailendra name. Outside Indonesia, the name Shailendra appears in the Ligor inscription (775 CE) in Malaysia and the Nalanda inscription (860 CE) in India. It is thought that Panangkaran might have created the Ligor inscription and taken control of the Srivijayan area in Southern Thailand.

The Sojomerto Inscription

The Sojomerto inscription (9th century CE) was found in Central Java. It mentions names like Dapunta Selendra. Some people thought 'Selendra' was another way to spell Shailendra. This would mean Dapunta Selendra was an early ancestor of the Shailendra family in Central Java. However, newer studies suggest this is not true. The inscription uses a specific sound (diphthong 'ai') that is not in 'Selendra'. This means the idea that the Shailendra dynasty came from Sumatra is likely incorrect.

Where Did They Come From?

The Shailendras became powerful in the Kedu Plain of Java. But where they originally came from has been a big question. Some thought they might have come from Sumatra, India, Funan, or Cambodia. However, the latest studies suggest they were most likely from Java itself. Even though they had connections with Srivijaya in Sumatra and the Thai-Malay Peninsula, the Shailendras were probably Javanese.

From Java

Borobudur relief showing a royal elephant with soldiers during the Mataram (Medang) era in Java.

One idea is that the Shailendras were a native Javanese family. Some even believe the Sanjaya dynasty was a branch of the Shailendras. This theory suggests that Sri Sanjaya and his family were originally followers of Shaivism (a Hindu religion) who ruled the Mataram Kingdom. The Shailendras became Buddhist after a ruler named Panaraban or Panangkaran changed his religion.

An old story called the Carita Parahyangan supports this. It says King Sanjaya told his son, Rakai Panaraban (or Panangkaran), to become Buddhist. This was because people were afraid of their strong faith in Shiva. The Raja Sankhara inscription also mentions a king named Sankhara (thought to be Panangkaran) who became Buddhist because his Shaiva faith scared people. Sadly, the Raja Sankhara inscription is now lost.

From Sumatra

Other scholars believed that the growth of the Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya helped the dynasty rise in Java. Those who support this idea point to their shared Buddhist beliefs, marriages between royal families, and the Ligor inscription. Also, some Shailendra inscriptions were written in Old Malay, which suggested ties to Srivijaya or Sumatra.

However, recent studies have shown that there is no evidence of the Shailendra dynasty existing in Sumatra before the 9th century. Also, Srivijaya was not able to conquer Java. Instead, the Shailendra dynasty actually took control of Srivijaya and its areas on the Malay Peninsula.

From India

An old theory by Indian scholar Ramesh Chandra Majumdar (1933) suggested that the Shailendra dynasty came from Kalinga (modern Odisha) in Eastern India. This idea was also supported by other historians. One historian, J. L. Moens (1937), even suggested that the Shailendras came from India and settled in Palembang before Srivijaya's King Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa arrived. He thought that in 683 CE, the Shailendras moved to Java because of pressure from Dapunta Hyang.

Other Ideas (Now Less Accepted)

In 1934, a French scholar named George Coedès suggested a link with the Funan kingdom in Cambodia. Coedes thought that Funanese rulers used similar titles like 'mountain lord'. But many experts on Cambodia have disagreed with this. They say there is no historical proof for such titles during the Funan period.

The Shailendras in Java

Borobudur, the largest Buddhist structure in the world.

The Shailendra rulers had good relationships with Srivijaya in Sumatra. They even had royal marriages between their families. For example, Samaragrawira married Dewi Tara, who was the daughter of Srivijayan Maharaja Dharmasetu. This alliance helped both kingdoms. Srivijaya didn't have to worry about a rival from Java, and the Shailendras could access international trade markets.

The Karangtengah inscription from 824 CE mentions King Samaratungga. It says his daughter, Pramodhawardhani, opened a sacred Buddhist sanctuary called Jinalaya. The inscription also mentions a Buddhist building called Venuvana where the ashes of King Indra were placed. The Tri Tepusan inscription from 842 CE talks about tax-free lands given by Pramodhawardhani to help fund a Kamūlān called Bhūmisambhāra. Kamūlān means 'the place of origin' and was a sacred building to honor ancestors. These findings suggest that the Shailendras' ancestors might have come from Central Java, or that the Shailendras had a strong hold on Java. Some historians believe Bhūmi Sambhāra Bhudhāra was the original name of Borobudur.

An older theory says that the Shailendra dynasty existed alongside the Sanjaya dynasty in Java. For a long time, they lived peacefully and worked together. But around the mid-9th century, their relationship got worse. Around 852 CE, the Sanjaya ruler Pikatan defeated Balaputra, who was the son of the Shailendra king Samaratungga and Princess Tara. This battle ended the Shailendra presence in Java. Balaputra then went to the Srivijaya kingdom in Sumatra, where he became the main ruler.

Some early historians thought that Samaragrawira and Samaratungga were the same person. However, later historians believe Samaratungga was the successor of Samaragrawira. This means Balaputradewa, who was also Samaragrawira's son, was Samaratungga's younger brother. Balaputra ruled in Sumatra and challenged Pikatan and Pramodhawardhani's right to rule Java. He argued that his niece and her husband had less right to rule Java than he did.

In 851 CE, an Arab merchant named Sulaiman wrote about Javanese Shailendras attacking the Khmers. They surprised the Khmer capital by coming from the river after a sea journey from Java. The young Khmer king was later punished by the Maharaja, and his kingdom became a vassal (a state controlled by another) of the Shailendra dynasty. In 916 CE, another writer, Abu Zaid Hasan, mentioned that a kingdom called Zabag invaded the Khmer kingdom with 1000 ships. Zabag won, and the head of the Khmer king was brought to Zabag. This story might be connected to Cambodia becoming independent from Javanese rule in 802 CE. Zabag might refer to Java or South Sumatra.

The Shailendras in Sumatra

After 824 CE, there are no more mentions of the Shailendra family in Javanese records. But around 860 CE, the name appears again in the Nalanda inscription in India. This text says that King Devapaladeva of Bengala (from the Pala Empire) gave money from 5 villages to a Buddhist monastery near Bodh Gaya. This gift was for 'Balaputra, the king of Suvarna-dvipa' (Sumatra). Balaputra was described as a descendant of the Shailendra dynasty and the grandson of the king of Java.

From Sumatra, the Shailendras also had connections with the Chola kingdom in Southern India. This is shown in several South Indian inscriptions. An 11th-century inscription mentions money given to a local Buddhist sanctuary, built in 1005 CE by the king of Srivijaya.

Even though relations were good at first, fighting broke out in 1025 CE. Rajendra Chola I, the Emperor of the Chola dynasty, conquered some areas of the Shailendra dynasty in the 11th century. The damage from the Chola invasion of Srivijaya in 1025 CE marked the end of the Shailendra family as the ruling dynasty in Sumatra. The last Shailendra king, Maharaja Sangrama Vijayatunggavarman, was captured.

However, peace was restored between the two states before the end of the 11th century. In 1090 CE, a new document was given to the old Buddhist sanctuary. This is the last known inscription that mentions the Shailendras. Without a clear successor, the Shailendra dynasty seems to have stopped ruling. Another family within the Srivijaya area took over the throne. A new Maharaja named Sri Deva started a new dynasty to rule Srivijaya. He sent a group of representatives to China in 1028 CE.

The Shailendras in Bali

Sri Kesari Warmadewa was said to be a Buddhist king from the Shailendra dynasty. He led a military trip to establish a Mahayana Buddhist government in Bali. In 914 CE, he left a record of his efforts on the Belanjong pillar in Sanur, Bali. This inscription suggests that the Warmadewa dynasty was probably a branch of the Shailendras that ruled Bali.

Important Shailendra Rulers

Historically, the Shailendra period was thought to be from the 8th to the 9th century, only in Central Java. This included rulers from Panangkaran to Samaratungga. However, newer ideas suggest the Shailendra family might have existed for a longer time. This could be from the early 9th century (Sojomerto inscription) to the early 11th century (when the Shailendra dynasty in Srivijaya fell to the Chola invasion).

For a certain period, the Shailendras ruled both Central Java and Sumatra. Their alliances and marriages with the Srivijayan royal family led to the two royal houses combining. The Shailendras eventually became the ruling family of both Srivijaya and Mataram (Central Java).

Historians have tried to figure out the order of Shailendra rulers. But there is some disagreement. This is because the Shailendras seemed to rule many kingdoms: Kalingga, Mataram, and later Srivijaya. As a result, the names of the same kings often appear in different places and seem to rule these kingdoms at the same time. A question mark (?) means there is doubt or it is a guess because there are not many clear sources.

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See also

• List of monarchs of Java
• Slendro
• Candi of Indonesia
• Indonesian Esoteric Buddhism