Khmer historical events from the beginning of the 4th to the 6th century (Part 4)

Buddhism in Cambodia during the 6th century, when Cambodia gained second influence from India, flourished It was so glorious that Cambodian monks were sent to help in this field in China. Next, Mr. Chun Chanboth would like to describe some historical events from the beginning of the 4th to the 6th century.

Events that took place during the early 4th century are rarely documented, whether inscriptions or Chinese documents. Anyway. Until 357, the mountain kingdom was ruled by a king named Chantan, whom the Chinese named Tianzhu Chantan, which translates to India as Chantan. Chantan is a title of Indo-Sith, especially of the Kosan dynasty, who may have fled from southern India. It ruled for a time when an Indian king, King Samut Kupat, invaded and liberated the area in 335. -375.

During his reign, King Chantan had good relations with China, and he raised a tribute to the Chinese emperor. Also. Chinese documents also record that among the kings who succeeded to the throne from Chantan was a king named Kaundin Chea. An Indian Brahmin, who at one time had a mysterious voice, ordered this Brahmin to reign in the mountain kingdom.

Kaundin was very happy and went to Panpan district in the south, where the people of Nokor Phnom met. And it was easy for him to ascend the throne. Some documents state that the king had the royal name Srutavarman, who was given the nickname Defender of the Vedas.

During his reign, the Brahmin religion of Iso flourished greatly, but Mahayana Buddhism still had its followers. Believe and respect a lot. The political and social order of the mountain kingdom was copied from India. Not only that, he even invited many Brahmins from India, giving them high honor to They also help organize religious, educational, and social activities.

After his death, his son succeeded him as Sresthavarman. He ordered diplomatic messages and offerings to the Chinese emperor of the Wen Dynasty several times, around 4 AD. 34-435 and 438. On the other hand, in order to maintain good relations with China, King Sresthavarman in 431-432 refused to help Champa in the conquest. Take the Chinese province of Tongkeng.

According to Chinese chronicles of the Southern Xi Dynasty, about 10 years after the deadline of 431-432, the king of the mountain kingdom, Jayavarman of the Kaundin dynasty, was King Kaundin Jayavarman, 480-514 AD. He was the King of the Mountain Kingdom, who had excellent diplomatic relations with China until the Chinese emperor conferred the title. That the peace-loving commander of the southern part of the Phnom Penh emperor. During the reign of King Kaundin Jayavarman, two monks of the mountain kingdom, Baal and Mantrasen, were invited to live in China. To help translate various Bibles from Sanskrit. And in his reign, in 503 AD, he sent a monk named Neak Sen to bring a Buddha statue. Corals and stupas made of ivory and other objects were given to the Chinese emperor Song Dynasty.

Based on Chinese documents that state the Chinese emperor's respect for King Kaundin Jayavarman, it can be assumed that the reign of He was the most glorious period in the history of the Phnom Kingdom. He died in 514 AD. According to royal tradition, after the death of King Kaundin Jayavarman, he was succeeded by his successor, Kun Varman, the son of the royal wife, Princess Kol Praphavatey. Ang. But in the same year 514, Rutravarman, the god of Kunavarman, the son of a concubine, assassinated Kunavarman as a younger brother in order to usurp the throne.

King Rudravarman was the last king of the kingdom of Nokor Phnom. He sent ambassadors several times between 517 and 535 AD to China. A mountain kingdom ambassador who brought a rhinoceros tribute to the Chinese emperor in 539 told him that in The body has a head of hair, a hair of God, three meters long. Upon hearing this news, Emperor Leang Wuti ordered the monk Che Yunpao to come to the mountain kingdom to bring the hair to the country. China.

According to the legends of the Leang dynasty, Buddhism at that time was glorious because the document said that a Chinese diplomatic mission had been sent. The mountain kingdom between 535 and 545 AD to ask the emperor of the mountain kingdom to send Chinese scholars and Buddhist scriptures.

It should be noted that such an erroneous reign of King Vutravarman caused the kingdom of Nokor Phnom to be in turmoil until it was right. It completely collapsed in the second half of the 6th century.