Sriwijaya burns its rivals

1006

The Malay maritime empire in Sumatra attacked the Javanese kingdom of Medang, burning its capital and killing King Dharmawangsa at a wedding feast. Sriwijaya's thalassocracy, controlling the Strait of Malacca, would dominate Southeast Asian trade for another two centuries before its decline. The destruction of the Javanese court was so complete that the island's center of power shifted permanently eastward, eventually giving rise to the Majapahit dynasty.