Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3Eliot, Charles
Religion
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3
Eliot, Charles
Asia -- Religion; Buddhism; Hinduism
It would be useless to follow in detail the long chronicle of the
kings of Champa but a few events merit mention. In 446 and again in
605 the Chinese invaded the country and severely chastised the
inhabitants. But the second invasion was followed by a period of peace
and prosperity. Śambhuvarman (†629) restored the temples of
Mi-so'n and two of his successors, both called Vikrântavarman, were
also great builders. The kings who reigned from 758 to 859, reckoned
as the fifth dynasty, belonged to the south and had their capital at
Vîrapura. The change seems to have been important, for the Chinese who
had previously called the country Lin-I, henceforth call it Huan-wang.
The natives continued to use the name Champa but Satyavarman and the
other kings of the dynasty do not mention Mi-so'n though they adorned
and endowed Po-nagar and other sanctuaries in the south. It was during
this period (A.D. 774 and 787) that the province of Kauthâra was
invaded by pirates, described as thin black barbarians and cannibals,
and also as the armies of Java[333]. They pillaged the temples but
were eventually expelled. They were probably Malays but it is
difficult to believe that the Javanese could be seriously accused of
cannibalism at this period[334].
The capital continued to be transferred under subsequent dynasties.
Under the sixth (860-900) it was at Indrapura in the north: under the
seventh (900-986) it returned to the south: under the eighth
(989-1044) it was in Vijaya, the central province. These internal
changes were accompanied by foreign attacks. The Khmers invaded the
southern province in 945. On the north an Annamite Prince founded the
kingdom of Dai-côviêt, which became a thorn in the side of Champa. In
982 its armies destroyed Indrapura, and in 1044 they captured Vijaya.
In 1069 King Rudravarman was taken prisoner but was released in return
for the cession of the three northernmost provinces. Indrapura however
was rebuilt and for a time successful wars were waged against Camboja,
but though the kings of Champa did not acquiesce in the loss of the
northern provinces, and though Harivarman III (1074-80) was
temporarily victorious, no real progress was made in the contest with
Annam, whither the Chams had to send embassies practically admitting
that they were a vassal state. In the next century further disastrous
quarrels with Camboja ensued and in 1192 Champa was split into two
kingdoms, Vijaya in the north under a Cambojan prince and Panran in
the south governed by a Cham prince but under the suzerainty of
Camboja. This arrangement was not successful and after much fighting
Champa became a Khmer province though a very unruly one from 1203 till
1220. Subsequently the aggressive vigour of the Khmers was tempered by
their own wars with Siam. But it was not the fate of Champa to be left
in peace. The invasion of Khubilai lasted from 1278 to 1285 and in
1306 the provinces of O and Ly were ceded to Annam.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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