Shailendra dynasty

The Shailendra dynasty (Śailēndra derived from Sanskrit combined words Śaila and Indra, meaning "King of the Mountain", also spelled Sailendra, Syailendra or Selendra) is the name of a notable Indonesian dynasty that emerges in eighth century Java and whose reign marks a cultural renaissance in the region.

The Shailendras are active promoters of Mahayana Buddhism and cover the Kedu Plain of Central Java with Buddhist monuments, one of which is the colossal stupa of Borobudur, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Shailendras are considered to be a thalassocracy and rule maritime Southeast Asia; however, they also rely on agriculture pursuits through intensive rice cultivation on the Kedu Plain of Central Java.

The dynasty appears to be the ruling family of both the Medang Kingdom of Central Java for some period and Srivijaya in Sumatra.

The inscriptions created by Shailendras use  three languages; Old Malay, Old Javanese and Sanskrit, written either in the Kawi alphabet or pre-Nāgarī script.

The use of Old Malay has sparked the speculation of a Sumatran origin or Srivijayan connection of this family; on the other hand, the use of Old Javanese suggests their firm political establishment on Java.

The use of Sanskrit usually signifies the official nature and religious significance of the event written on the inscription.

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