- Chinese:
- Lin-yi
- Related Places:
- Cochinchina
- Vietnam
Champa
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What was the Champa kingdom?
The Champa kingdom, which existed from the 2nd to the 17th century CE, was located in ancient Indochina, in the central and southern coastal region of what is now Vietnam. The Cham people, who were of Malayo-Polynesian origin with an Indianized culture, established the kingdom, which the Vietnamese eventually absorbed; the Vietnamese were in turn greatly influenced by Cham culture.
Champa was created in 192 CE during the breakup of China's Han dynasty. It evolved into a decentralized country made up of four small states named after Indian regions. King Bhadravarman united Champa around 400 CE. The kingdom experienced significant independence, prosperity, and artistic achievements in the 6th century after throwing off its allegiance to China. By the late 15th century, the kingdom was practically gone due to constant wars, and Champa was completely absorbed in the 17th century.
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Where was Champa located in ancient times?
Champa, an ancient kingdom in Indochina, existed from the 2nd to the 17th century CE. It was located in the central and southern coastal region of present-day Vietnam, stretching from approximately the 18th parallel in the north down to Point Ke Ga (Cape Varella) in the south.
Established by the Cham people, who had Malayo-Polynesian roots and an Indianized culture, Champa was eventually absorbed by the Vietnamese, who were themselves significantly influenced by Cham culture. The kingdom was composed of four small, decentralized states named after regions in India: Amaravati, Vijaya, Kauthara, and Panduranga. These populations were concentrated in coastal enclaves. The kingdom had a powerful fleet that was used for commerce and piracy.
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Who were the people of Champa and what language did they speak?
The Cham people, of Malayo-Polynesian stock with Indianized culture, established the ancient Indochinese kingdom of Champa, which existed from the 2nd to the 17th century CE in the central and southern coastal region of Vietnam. The Chamic languages they spoke are classified as West Indonesian languages in the Hesperonesian group of the Austronesian language family. Cham borrows heavily from Vietnamese and resembles both the Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian languages.
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What was the main religion or belief in Champa?
Champa, an ancient kingdom in Indochina (2nd to 17th century CE), was formed by the Cham people, who were of Malayo-Polynesian origin with Indian cultural influences. The Hinduizing dynasties who ruled Champa from the 6th century were obliged to pay heavy tribute to the Chinese empire. In the late 9th century, a Buddhist monastery complex was built in Dong Duong. By the mid-14th century, Theravada Buddhism was spreading all over the region.
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How did Champa interact with its neighboring kingdoms?
The Kingdom of Champa, located in the central and southern coastal region of Vietnam, interacted with its neighboring kingdoms through both conflict and cultural exchange.
Initially, Champa was formed during the breakup of China's Han dynasty. In the 9th century, the kingdom exerted pressure on Chinese provinces to the north and the growing Khmer Empire to the west. Constant pressure from the Vietnamese kingdom of Dai Viet to the north forced Champa to relinquish Amaravati in 1000 and Vijaya in 1069. In 1145, the Khmers conquered Champa, but Cham rule was restored briefly in 1177 after they sacked the Cambodian capital at Angkor. Later, the Chams again came under Cambodian rule from 1190 to 1220 and were attacked by the Tran kings of Vietnam and the Mongols in 1284. By the late 15th century, the kingdom was practically wiped out due to incessant wars and was completely absorbed in the 17th century.
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What happened to the Champa kingdom and why did it disappear?
The kingdom of Champa was an ancient Indochinese kingdom that existed from the 2nd to the 17th century CE. It was located in the central and southern coastal region of what is now Vietnam. The Cham people, who were of Malayo-Polynesian origin and had an Indianized culture, founded Champa. The Vietnamese ultimately absorbed Champa, but they were also significantly influenced by Cham culture.
Constant wars of aggression and defense had essentially destroyed the Champa kingdom by the late 15th century. One by one, their provinces were annexed until Champa was completely absorbed in the 17th century.
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Champa, ancient Indochinese kingdom lasting from the 2nd to the 17th century ce and extending over the central and southern coastal region of Vietnam from roughly the 18th parallel in the north to Point Ke Ga (Cape Varella) in the south. Established by the Cham, a people of Malayo-Polynesian stock and Indianized culture, Champa was finally absorbed by the Vietnamese, who in turn were strongly influenced by Cham culture.
Champa was formed in ce 192, during the breakup of the Han dynasty of China, when the Han official in charge of the region established his own kingdom around the area of the present city of Hue. Although the territory was at first inhabited mainly by wild tribes involved in incessant struggles with the Chinese colonies in Tonkin, it gradually came under Indian cultural influence, evolving into a decentralized country composed of four small states, named after regions of India—Amaravati (Quang Nam); Vijaya (Binh Dinh); Kauthara (Nha Trang); and Panduranga (Phan Rang)—whose populations remained concentrated in small coastal enclaves. It had a powerful fleet that was used for commerce and for piracy.
In about ce 400 Champa was united under the rule of King Bhadravarman. In retaliation for Cham raids on their coast, the Chinese invaded Champa in 446, bringing the region under their suzerainty once again. Finally, under a new dynasty in the 6th century, Champa threw off its allegiance to China and entered into an era of great independent prosperity and artistic achievements. The centre of the nation began to shift from north to south; around the middle of the 8th century Chinese sources cease to mention Lin-yi and begin to refer to the kingdom as Huan-wang, a Sinicization of the name of the northernmost province, Panduranga (Phan Rang). In the late 8th century the Chams were distracted by attacks from Java, but in the 9th century they renewed their pressure on the Chinese provinces to the north and the growing Khmer (Cambodian) Empire to the west. Under Indravarman II, who established the Indrapura dynasty (the sixth in Champan history) in 875, the capital of the country was moved back to the northern province of Amaravati (Quang Nam), near present Hue, and elaborate palaces and temples were constructed.
In the 10th century the Vietnamese kingdom of Dai Viet began to exert pressure on Champa, forcing it to relinquish Amaravati in 1000 and Vijaya in 1069. Harivarman IV, who in 1074 founded the ninth Cham dynasty, was able to stave off further Vietnamese and Cambodian attacks, but in 1145 the Khmers, under the aggressive leadership of Suryavarman II, invaded and conquered Champa. Two years later a new Cham king, Jaya Harivarman I, arose and threw off Khmer rule, and his successor, in 1177, sacked the Cambodian capital at Angkor. Between 1190 and 1220 the Chams again came under Cambodian suzerainty, and later in the 13th century they were attacked by the Tran kings of Vietnam, as well as by the Mongols in 1284. By the late 15th century, incessant wars of aggression and defense had for all practical purposes wiped out the Champa kingdom; one by one their provinces were annexed until Champa was entirely absorbed in the 17th century.
Its end marked the demise of the only culture of mainland Asia with Oceanian features. Cham painting is known only from the inscriptions on the temples. Cham sculptors, under the influence of Indian Gupta art, evolved a very personal style, characterized by forms springing with wild energy. Architecture generally was confined to tiered brick towers.