•28 THE EMPIRE OF THE MAHARAJA. 



ments there. Meanwhile Eastern Java was under another dynasty,. 

 which claimed South Indian origin. It would appear that in those 

 early days the Sumatran house was the more powerful. It con- 

 tinued to maintain, or at anv rate claim, supremacy over Western 

 Java (Sunda) till about 1200 A.D. There is much reason to be- 

 lieve that its influence on the development of Indian civilization 

 in Java was very great, and that amongst other things it was the 

 means of introducing the Mahayana form of Buddhism (which we 

 know prevailed at Palembang) into Java. 



It seems, therefore, that we have to conceive the existence, 

 during the period in question, of two great rival powers in the 

 Archipelago, the one centred in Southern Sumatra, the other in 

 Eastern Java. Until well into the 13th century, the former was 

 the stronger. Then, by degrees, the Javanese power, soon to be 

 centred at Majapahit, gained upon it, and eventually completed 

 its ruin by conquering its capital and many of its outlying posses- 

 sions and dependencies somewhere about 1377 A.D. 



C. B. 



Jour. Straits Branch- 



