Land Chenla
Land Chenla ចេនឡាដីគោក 陸真臘 Lù Zhēnlà 文單 Wéndān 婆鏤 Pólòu | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 706–717–c. 802 | |||||||||
| Status | Fragmented kingdom | ||||||||
| Capital | Shresthapura (near modern Lao border / southern Laos) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Old Khmer | ||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism (Shaivism), Mahayana Buddhism | ||||||||
| King | |||||||||
• c. 717–754 | Ts’ie-k’i-wou (Tsekiu) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Classical Southeast Asia | ||||||||
• Division of Chenla | c. 706–717 | ||||||||
• Absorbed into the early Khmer Empire | c. 802 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Land Chenla or Upper Chenla (ចេនឡាដីគោក; Chinese: 陸真臘; pinyin: Lù Zhēnlà; also known in Chinese sources as Wéndān 文單 or Pólòu 婆鏤) was the northern half of the Khmer kingdom of Chenla after its split in the early 8th century (c. 706–717 CE). The southern half was Water Chenla.
The division is traditionally attributed to the lack of a male heir after King Jayavarman I (r. c. 657–690), who left the throne to his daughter Queen Jayadevi. Her accession as a female ruler is believed to have fatally weakened central authority.[1]
Chinese chroniclers consistently called the northern kingdom Lù Zhēnlà (“Land Chenla”) or Wéndān / Pólòu to distinguish it from the riverine and coastal south.
Geography
Land Chenla comprised the mountainous and forested interior of central and southern Laos and north-eastern Thailand, centred on the original heartland of Chenla around Shresthapura (possibly near the modern Laos–Cambodia border region).
History
Much less is known about Land Chenla than its southern counterpart because it lay far from the main Chinese trade and diplomatic routes.
Nevertheless, Chinese records confirm that:
- 717 CE – King Ts’ie-k’i-wou (Tsekiu) of Wéndān sent an embassy to the Tang court.
- 750–754 CE – Embassies from Wéndān continued; a prince of Land Chenla personally visited the Chinese capital.
- 753 CE – Land Chenla forces fought alongside Vietnamese rebel Mại Huyền Thành (the “Black Emperor”) against Tang China.
- 771 CE – The heir-apparent Pómí (婆彌) visited the Tang court and received the honorary title Kāifǔ yìtóng sān sī (開府儀同三司).
- 799 CE – Another embassy led by Lītóují (李頭及).
These missions are recorded in the New Book of Tang (vol. 222下).[2]
The kingdom appears to have remained relatively stable and unified compared with the highly fragmented Water Chenla. Its most powerful known ruler was probably Jayasimhavarman, whose inscription has been found as far afield as Nakhon Ratchasima in present-day Thailand.[3]
By the early 9th century, Land Chenla was absorbed by Jayavarman II when he founded the Khmer Empire at Angkor (802 CE).
Rulers of Land Chenla (c. 706 – 802 CE)
| No. | Reign / Posthumous Name | Personal Name | Capital / Notes | Approximate Reign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhavavarman | unknown | Dvaravati region | late 7th – end of 7th century |
| 2 | Hashavarman | unknown | Dvaravati region | c. late 7th – early 8th century |
| 3 | Ts’ie-k’i-wou (Tsekiu; 屈子) | unknown | Shresthapura | c. 717 – c. 754 |
| 4 | Probable son (or successor) of Tsekiu | unknown | Shresthapura | c. 754 – |
| 5 | Jayasimhavarman | unknown | Shresthapura | 8th century |
| 6 | Probable heir-apparent Pomi (婆彌) | unknown | Shresthapura | c. 771 – c. 799 |
Traditional / simplified list (commonly used in Cambodian sources)
| No. | Ruler | Personal Name | Approximate Reign |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ts’ie-k’i-wou (Tsekiu) | unknown | c. 717 – c. 754 |
| 2 | Probable son of Tsekiu | unknown | c. 754 – |
| 3 | Jayasimhavarman | unknown | 8th century |
| 4 | Probable heir-apparent Pomi (婆彌) | unknown | c. 799 |
References
- ^ Trịnh Ngạ, History of Cambodia, p. 70.
- ^ 《New Book of Tang, vol. 222下》
- ^ Trịnh Ngạ, History of Cambodia, pp. 71–72.
See also
- Chenla
- Water Chenla
- Khmer Empire