Sailendra (Sanskrit:
Lord of the Mountain) is the name of an influential Indonesian dynasty that emerged in 8th century
Java.
The Sailendras were active promoters of
Mahayana Buddhism and covered the
Kedu Plain of
Central Java with Buddhist monuments, including the world famous
Borobudur.
Primary sources
left|thumb|250px|Borobudur, the largest Buddhist structure in the world.
The earliest dated inscription in Indonesia in which the dynastic name Sailendra appears is the Kalasan inscription of central Java, dated 778 AD, which commemorates the establishment of a Buddhist shrine for the Buddhist goddess Tara.
[Hall(1985:110)]The name also appears in several other inscriptions like the Kelurak inscription (782) and the Karentengah (792). Outside Indonesia, the name Sailendra is to be found in the Ligor inscription (775) on the Malay peninsula and the mid-9th century Nalanda inscription.
Sailendras in Java
The Sailendra rulers maintained close relations, including marriage alliances with the
Srivijaya kingdom in Sumatra. For instance,
Samaratungga married Dewi Tara, a daughter of Srivijayan maharaja
Dharmasetu. The mutual alliance between the two kingdoms ensured that Srivijaya had no need to fear the emergence of a Javanese rival and that the Sailendra had access to the international market.
The received version holds that the Sailendra dynasty existed next to the
Sanjaya dynasty in Java. Much of the period was characterized by peaceful co-existence and cooperation but towards the middle of the 9th century relations had deteriorated. Around 852 the Sanjaya ruler Pikatan had defeated Balaputra, the offspring of the Sailendra monarch Samaratunga and princess Tara. This ended the Sailendra presence in Java and Balaputra retreated to the Srivijaya kingdom in Sumatra, where he became the paramount ruler.
Sailendras in Bali
Sri Kesari Warmadewa was said to be a Buddhist king of the Sailendra Dynasty, leading a military expedition, to establishing a
Mahayana Buddhist governement in Bali. In 914, he left a record of his endeavour in the
Belanjong pillar in
Sanur in Bali.
Sailendras in Sumatra
After 824, there are no more references to the Sailendra house in the Javanese ephigraphic record. Around 860 the name re-appears in the Nalanda inscription in India. According to the text, the local king had granted 'Balaputra, the king of Suvarna-dvipa' (Sumatra) the revenues of 5 villages to a Buddhist monastery near Bodh Gaya. Balaputra was styled a descendant from the Sailendra dynasty and grandson of the king of Java.
From Sumatra, the Sailendras also maintained overseas relations with the Chola kingdom in India, as shown by several south Indian inscriptions. An 11th century inscription mentioned the grant of revenues to a local Buddhist sanctuary, built in 1005 by the king of the Srivijaya. In spite the relations were initially fairly cordial, hostilities had broken out in 1025. Nevertheless, amity was re-established between the two states, before the end of the 11th century. In 1090 a new charter was granted to the old Buddhist sanctuary (it is the last known inscription with a reference to the Sailendras).
Origins
The bas relief of 8th century
Borobudur depicted the scene based on Sailendran royal court where King and Queen accompanied by their subjects.
Although the rise of the Sailendra's occurred in Kedu Plain in the Javanese heartland, their origin has been the subject of discussion. Apart from Java itself ; an earlier homeland in Sumatra, India or Cambodia has been suggested. In 1934, the French scholar Coedes proposed a relation with the Funan kingdom in Cambodia. Other scholars hold that the Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya was involved in the rise of the dynasty in Java.
