Insane-nan

See also: Funan

The Insane-nan or Funan was a kingdom located close to the delta of the Mekong and which developed before the Khmer empire, in the first centuries of our era. The apogee of this civilization is at Ve century of our era. Indeed, as of the next century, of the internal conflicts and the dynastic tensions started to undermine its stability, facilitating the incursions of hostile neighbors, in particular of Tchen-la- which was probably more one confederation of city-States that a powerful unit State, which succeeds, in VIIe century, to make Insane-nan vassal sound.

General information

The Insane-nan was what is called a kingdom indianized , i.e. the archaeological vestiges are of Hindu culture, the vestiges epigraphic are written in Sanskrit and that the dominant classes were consequently most probably of culture and brahmanic religion. (See the article Indianisation of the Indochinese peninsula). It constitutes the first of the indianized States and is generally considédé by the Kampuchean ones like the oldest Khmer kingdom.

The capital initially located at Vyadhapura, close to current the Phnom Penh then moved in Oc Eo a little later.

History

The Insaneone is mentioned for the first time in the description of a Chinese forwarding in the country in IIIe century (the name even of Insane-nan derives from the Chinese reading of the old Khmer word bnam “mountain”, but the name of its inhabitants remains a mystery): a Chinese embassy reported that the State had been founded by a Brahmane of the name of Kaundinya, which, in a dream, had received instructions to seize a magic arc in a temle and to beat the armies of a princess khmère of the name of Soma, girl of an indigenous chief, the king of the Nagas . Kaudinya married then Soma , and it is of their union which would descend the royal dynasty from Funan. This myth of Kaudinya and Soma returned legitimates the worship as well brahmanic as the worship returned to the divinity of the cobras which were practiced at the same time by the inhabitants of the kingdom.

At the beginning of the history of Insane-nan, the population was probably concentrated in villages along Mekong and of the big lake Tonlé Sap; thus, displacements and the commercial exchanges were done especially by inland waterway. The whole of the deltaic zone supported an economy based on the culture of the Riz and on the fishing. One finds indications of an abundant rice production, facilitated by an effective system of Irrigation. However, the crucial role which the maritime trade played in the history of Insane-nan is confirmed by the discovery of objects Indian, Persian, Greek and Roman in its principal port, Oc Eo, today in Vietnam.

At the beginning of the 3rd century century, the empire of Insane-nan extended until the south from the Malaysia, and, in the west, until the Irrawaddy, i.e., until current Myanmar. The most remarkable sovereign was Fan Che-man ( Fan Shih-man in English) developed the fleet and the bureaucracy of the empire. He created also a whole of vassal States which preserved their habits and their identity.

Fan-Tchan , successor of Fan Che-man establishes commercial relations with China, India and even with the Roman Empire. At that time, the terrestrial relations between China and the occident were broken and the Insaneone occupied a situation privileged on the road maritime trade.

Apart from the Chinese sources, one knows few things on the country. In years 270, the Insaneone, combined with its neighbor the Champa, attacked the Tonkin which was then a Chinese province. In 357, the Insaneone had to accept the suzerainty of China. This situation of dependence lasted until the bursting of the empire at the 5th century. The dynasty of the Sailendra S which reigned on Java and Shrîvijaya (in the island of Sumatra) claimed to go down from the dynasty from Insane-nan.

The Chinese sources make state, into 357, of an Indian sovereign who would have taken the title of Chandan . Then, one does not hear any more of Insane-nan until the beginnings of the 5th century. From 484 to 514, the reign of Jayavarman marks for Insane-nan the one time of size and brilliant civilization.

Culture

The archaeological vestiges let suppose that the kingdom was under a strong influence of the Indian culture. The Sanskrit, old language of the religious and mythological literature Indian, was the language of the court, with, like dominant religion the Hindouisme until the 5th century and then, various Buddhist tendencies. However, after modification of the alphabet Sanskrit during the diffusion of this language, a local system of writing had been created.

The taxes were paid with gold, money and pearls and wood invaluable. According to the Chinese witnesses, slavery was a current practice and the Ordalie S were used to return justice (the legal system was copied on that of India, the Code of Manu . Moreover, the ceremonies of the court and the political structures took as a starting point the imported models

In 263, a group of musicians of Insane-nan in round in China impressed so much the emperor of China which it ordered the creation of an institute of Founaniase music close to Nankin. The Chinese witnesses give a report on vast collections of books and files, letting suppose a level of schooling rather high.

Inhabitants

According to a Chinese mission come to Insane-nan between 245 and 250, the inhabitants all are “ugly and black with curly hair, energy naked and flip-flop” .

Sources

  • Cœdès, Georges, People of the Indochinese peninsula , Dunod, 1962.

See too

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