In the beginning of the first century A.D. a Hindu community existed in
Funan. The oldest Hindu kingdom established in the lower valley of the
Mekong, the area now included in the Indo-China peninsula was known as
the funan with its capital at Vyadhapura, probably near Ba Phnom.
According to the tradition recorded in inscriptions, it was founded in
the 1st century B.C. by a Brahamana and Kaundinya from India who
defeated and married the Naga prnices soma of that place. The second
Kaundinya - again a Brahmana from India was elected king by the people,
thus marking the next stage of Indian colonisation, Hinduasm too deep
root in that country, and the rulers bore Indian names and followed
Indian religion. The brahminical hierarchy was a notable feature in the
social order.
Chinese records mentions the year as 191 A.D. when Kaundinya, a Brahmin,
"planted his javelin and married a local naked princes". This was
confirmed by the inscriptions relating to King Srimara of the third
century A.D. History of Thais also confirms this evidence.
One of the kings, Ashvanarman performed otrthodox Aryan sacrifices. For
certain, another Kaundinya who ruled over Funan in the fourth century
A.D. appears to have reorganized the state and society. The successor of
Kaundinya II, Gu navarman, built temples in honour of Vishnu. In the
fifth century A.D. there was a war between funan and the newly emerging
champa. At this time Jayavarma of Funan sent an emissary to China
seeking its help.
This kingdom established by Kaundinya flourished for a few centuries.
Chinese annals refer to some of the vasslas of Funan in the seventh
century A.D.
Funan lost its importance and was merged in the famous kingdom of
Kambuja (Cambodia) named after Kambu-Svayambhuva. By abo to the 6th
century A.D, King Bhavavarman founded a new royal family. Consolidating
his hold over kingdom of Kambuja and Funan. His successors ruled for a
very long time. The later story is that of the empire of Kambuja
extending over a period of more than five centuries.
Three important kingdosm existed at the opening of the sixth century -
Kambuja (Cambodia), Champa (Thailand) and Srivijaya, a great maritime
empire which included the Malaya peninsula and Simatra.
KAMBUJA:
Kambuja began as a vassal state of Funan but by
the middle of the sixth century ir became an independent State of Funan.
The founder was Stiravarman. The early inscriptions are in classical
Sanskrit, Full of references to ancient India. The kings were Hindus,
mainly Saivite. More interesting is the fact that the prasati of
Bhavaarman was written in the Kavya style closely imitating the
Rabhuvansa of Kalidasa.
Buddhism appeared ni Kambuja by the middle of the seventh century, and
two religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, co-existed as in India.
From the homeland it was the Pallava influence that dominated. It was
the Pallava doctrine of Saivism that the official cult of Kambuja also.
Kambuja's architecture bears the influence of the Pallava tradition.
CHAMPA:
Champa or Thailand was also an anceitn kingdom. It
too broke away from Funan. Chmapa covered Vietna, Laos and Cambodia at
one time.
Founded by the turn of the first century A.d. with its capital at
Indrapura, Its nucleus was modern Thailand. Probably might have been the
first historical king, if not the founder of the Hindu dynasty. The
first known-important king was Rudravarman. One king Indravarman III
mastered the six systems of Hindu Philosophy, the Buddhist philosophy
system, the grammer of Panini, and the sacred texts of the saivitis. The
Vedas and the Dramasastras were studied and one king Sri Jaya
Idnravarma VII had mastery of the Dharmasastras. Even the Ramayana and
the Mahabharata were videly known. The architecture of Champa was of the
southern type. Champa disappeared in the 14th century from History
after many centuries of fight with the kingdom of Annam which was the
advanced post of Chiense culture.
SAILENDRAS:
Probably, the sailendras were merged with the
Srivijaya kingdom of Sumatra in the fourth century A.D. By the end of
the eighth century, the empire spread to Malaya peninsula, One of the
kings sent an expedition to Java. I-Tsing visited one king, Sri
Jayanasa. Inscriptions talek of Sailendra rule over Sumatra, java and
the Malay peninsula by theend of the thirteenth century A.D. As a naval
power the Sailendras continued till the 12th century.
The third kingdom of Srivijaya had the glory of guarding the sea routes.
The kingdom was first established in Sumatra. Soon the king conquered
the other island groups and established their hegemony over the Malaca
straits by the beginning of the seventh century. In the eighth century
they extended their power to the Malay peninsula. "Thus withone foot on
the continent and the other on the great island of Sumatra they bestrode
the straits and retained the mastery of both seas for over 500 years."
It was this authority of Srivijaya kingdom that was challenged by the
Chols in the eleventh century. It was Rajendra Chola who began the 100
years war with the Sailendras. At the end of the war the Sailednras
remained masters of the sea. Thus for full 700 years they did had held
sovereignty over the seas surrounding the islands and upheld Indian
culture in the archipelago.
They maintained friendly relations with the Palas of Bengal.
Balaputradeva of the Sailendras built a monastery at Nalanda. Another
ruler built a monastery at Nagapatnam.
The Sailendras were Mahayana Buddhist. Sumatra and Java attracted
foreign scholars. Atisadipankara of the Vikramsila university styed for
ten years in Sumatra. Their greatest stupa is the Buddha temple at
Baraboudour largest in the world - 2000 relief scultupres on the life of
the Buddha - built in the from of terraces - the top-most terrace
crowned with a bell-shaped stupa.
Arab travelers by compliments to the wealth and grandeur of the empire
in the 8th century. But Camobida as Java broke away in the 9th century.
SOCIAL LIFE:
The Indian, immigrants in South-East Asia,
while setting up their kingdoms, tried to build a social structure on
the orthodox Indian model with the traditional four castes (caturvarna)
and the supremacy of the brahmins and the ksatriyas. The distinction
between brahmins and the Kastriyas was more apparent than real.
Intermarriage between the two was not unknown. But the caste system in
these regioins was not as rigid as in India. The aristocracy and the
common people had a sharp line of distinction, specially noticed in
their dress, which was scanty in the case of ordinary people but
gorgeous and ornamented for the aristocrats. Caste did not interfere in
the Choice of the avocation. A Kambuja record refers to the members of a
Brahmin family being elephant drivers. Artisans and priests.
The Indian dhoti wsa very commonly used. It is mentioned by Chinese
historians. A sculpture at Bayon depicts the king dressed in dhoti with a
hara - jeweled gold garland - round his neck. The history of the Sui
Dynasti mentions that the kings was dressed in purple silk clothes which
were embroidered. Inscriptios and sculptures bring out the use of
Indian ornaments.
The food habit of the people was the same, tandula (rice) was the staple
food with pulses like tila and mudga. Likewise gharta, dadhi and guda
(ghee, curd anomolasses) are mentioned in inscription s.
ART:
It is astonishing that the greatest Buddhist temple is
found not in India but in Baraboudur in Indonasia. Considered to be the
largest Buddhist temple in the whoel world, It was constructed in the
eighth century A.D. and 436 images of Buddha were engraved onit. The
temple of Angkorvat in Kampuchea to medieval times of Baraboudur.
Although this temple belongs to medieval times in can be compared to the
best artistic achievements of the Egyptians and Greeks. The stories of
the Ramayana and Mahabharata are written in relief on the walls of the
temple. The story of the Ramayana is so popular in Indonasia that many
folk plays are performed on its basis. The Indonesian language called
BHASHA INDONESIA contains numerous Sanskrit words. In respect of
sculptures the head of the Buddha from Thailand, the head from Kambuja
and the Magnificent bronze images from Java are regarded as the best
examples of the blending of Indian art with local art traditions of
South-East Asia. Similarly beautifull examples of painting comparable to
those of Ajanta have been found not only in Sri Lanka but in the Tun
Huang Caves on the Chinese border.
It was a two-way traffic. Indians acquired the craft of minting gold
coins from the greeks and Romans. They larnt theart of growing silk from
Cinha. That of growing betel leaves from Indonasia, and several other
products from the neighbouring countries. Similarly the method of
growing cotton spread from India to China and central Asia. However,
Indian contribution seems to be more important in art, religion and
language.
