kingdom · Maritime Southeast Asia
Dharmasraya
Origins
As Srivijaya weakened, power in Sumatra shifted to the Malayu kingdom on the upper Batang Hari River. The Grahi inscription of 1183, found in southern Thailand, names Srimat Trailokyaraja Maulibhusana Warmadewa as its overlord, showing its reach beyond Sumatra. Its centre, Dharmasraya, lay in today's West Sumatra.
Rule and society
Dharmasraya controlled the gold of the Minangkabau highlands and the river route to the Strait of Malacca. In 1275 Kertanegara of Singhasari sent the Pamalayu expedition, and in 1286 a statue of Amoghapasa was sent from Java to King Tribhuwanaraja Mauli Warmadewa, as the Padang Roco inscription records. Tantric Buddhism flourished at the court.
Decline and legacy
In 1347 Adityawarman, a prince with Malayu and Javanese ancestry who had served Majapahit, inscribed the back of the Amoghapasa statue and declared himself king. He moved the court inland, founding the Pagaruyung Kingdom.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Dharmasraya paid tribute to Singhasari1275 CE – 1292 CE
- Dharmasraya was a vassal of Majapahit Empire1293 CE – 1347 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Dharmasraya. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dharmasraya
- MLA
- “Dharmasraya.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dharmasraya. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Dharmasraya.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dharmasraya.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Dharmasraya’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dharmasraya (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻