In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into a forgotten corner of Chola military history: the use of artillery-like weapons, including early gunpowder devices, during Rajendra Chola I's campaign against Srivijaya in 1025. They explore the debate over whether the Cholas had access to Chinese gunpowder technology, the tactical use of fire arrows and incendiary devices in naval combat, and the legacy of the Chola navy's technological edge in the Indian Ocean. Along the way, they touch on the Srivijayan capital of Palembang, the Malacca Strait, and the Tamil merchant guilds that traded in spices and saltpetre. The episode also considers how the Chola navy's adoption of new weapons influenced later Southeast Asian kingdoms and the decline of Srivijaya.
#CholaNavy #RajendraCholaI #KadaramCampaign #Srivijaya #Gunpowder #NavalWarfare #IndianOcean #Palembang #MalaccaStrait #TamilMerchants #Saltpetre #FireArrows #1025 #CholaEmpire #SouthIndia #TechHistory #History #FexingoHistory
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