What did king Suryavarman I originate from?
There are many arguments about the origin of the King Suryavarman I. The first historians who studied Suryavarman, Coedes and .P. Briggs, thought that he was a foreign conqueror from the Malay peninsula. This is because he was given the title 'Kamtvan' which G. Coedes linked to the word 'Tuan' which means 'leader or master' in Maly language. In addition, the king had the posthumous name 'Nirvanapada'. G. Coedes believed that this posthumous name must have being connected to the Buddhism in Malaya1 (Srivijaya).
A Thai chronicle written in Pali language described a war between forces from the Malay peninsula and other places in the middle section of Siam called Lvo and the southern part called Nakhon Sri Dharmmaraja. In the Pali language, this later name is called Sri Dhammangera, which G, Coedes indicated was Ligor that was controlled by King Kambojaraja. Again, G. Coedes thought Kambojaraja was the King Suryavaraman I, who conquered from th esouth to the middle of Siam then to Cambodia.
Inscriptions Wat Thipdei (K. 125) and K. 834 proved that Suryavarman I was of the maternal line of King Indravarman. The inscriptions also praised Suravarman I , as a 'Moon of the Ocean of Milk' , and considered that he belonged to the family of the mother of IndravarmanII. Under the reign of King Harsavarman III (the son of Suryavarman I) there is another 11th century inscription, K. 136 which was sponsored by an important family called Saptadevakula (the 'seven gods family'). The inscription says that this family gad served since the grand parents of Rudravarman. The inscription also say that Suryavarman I, was born in to that family, rather than the royal family. Inscription K.125 (found at Sabor-Kratie) proves Suryavarman I was born in a family that had ancestors who were high-ranking officials in Jayavarman II's period.
The period Suryavarman I and local wars
Suryavarman I became the king after winning a war with Jayaviravarman (we don't know the origin of the King Jayaviravarman). Perhaps both kings were not of the royal family and they fought each other to become the king at the end of Udayadiyavarman I's period(?). We can not clearly understand the background of Jayaviravarman. It is known that he was a king at Angkor before or contemporary with, Suryavarman I , because there are inscriptions which are listed K.153, K.89, K.161 from Kampong Thom and Kampong Cham provinces. They prove that there is a name Jayaviravarman around 1003-1006 (?) (the same time as Suryavarman I). George Coedes believed that Jayaviravarman may have come from a great family at Angkor, as an inscription at Prasat Kravan (built in the 10th century during Jayavarman IV's period) says that there officials who were responible for the construction of this temple. One of them was named Kamsten Jayavaviraman who was perhaps an ancestor of King Jayaviravarman (?).
Why was there war?
If we read about the war from the period of Indravarman to Yasovarman, inscriptions say that many temples were built by the king himself in this period. Starting from the period of the sponsored by the king but rather belonged to the high-ranking officials. We see there was competition between the high-rankings officials. Philippe Stern, A French historian who was a specialist in art and architecture, said there was a regular pattern in the development of constructions during the reigns of the Angkor kings.
In the period of four kings Indravarman, Yasovarman, Rajendravarman and Jayavarman VII, he discovered that there were three similar paterns in their construction works. Between the period of Rajendravarman and Jayavarman VII are, firstly, public works such as building the Baray and roads, secondly, ancestral monuments such as Preah Ko, Lolei, Mebon and Preah Khan, and thirdly, state temples with a royal with royal Siva-linga (Bakong, Bakheng, Pre Rup, Bayon). In fact, the same thing can be seen in the Koh Ker of Jayavarman Iv, but as he was considered a usurper, Stern did not pay attention to him. He also says that after Rajendravarman's period we have not seen this pattern again except in Jayavarman VII's period as most of the buildings belonged to officials (Takeo, Banteay Srei Temple, and etc.)
Generally inscriptos are about people who were not related to the king, and these inscriptions were written in Khmer languge. In Jayavarman VII's peroid, we see this pattern of construction again, but the king's inscriptions are written in Sanskrit language. The war in Suryavarman I's period as stared by high-ranking official families who had the same status and owned land. When we compare the inscriptions, they reveal information about the families that had the same status and who always competed with each other. Starting from Indravarman's period, we know that high officials bore a tittle of Purohita, Guru, Hotar & ect. The family that wrote the inscription known as Sdok Kakthom (K.235, dated 1052AD) says that in Jayavarman II's period, their ancestor name Sivakaivalya was Purohita of Jayavarman II. But another inscription K.989 dated 1008AD written before that of Sdok Kakthom proves that their ancestor named Vrah Manadatta was also Purohita of Jayavarman II.
Both families were the local chiefs of northwest Cambodia (perhaps they were in competition).
The writer of th Kakthom inscription claims that they were the Varna of Aninditapura who came from Satagrama district and their status was Purohita. Two other inscriptions, K.259 dated 1066AD reveal the family named Madhusudhana and K.534 dated 893AD reveal the family named Kesavabhatha. They claimed that were some exaggeration in order to control their ancestor's land.
There are two more inscriptions K.253 dated 912AD and K.382 dated 1047AD, which claim that the family of Sikhasiva and the family Sikhasanti were Hoter. Inscription K.842 dated family of Sivacarya was Hotar and Guru. Inscription K.91, which was found at Choeung Prei dated before Suryavarman I's period reveals evidence of competition and argument between an official's family in Jayavarman II's period at Jalingesvara in the Haripura region. Another family named Hyenpavitra in inscription K.278 dated 1007AD reveals that they were high-ranking officials at Jalingesvara in Haripura region. Inscription K.276 dated 1078AD reveals an official, whose name was Yogisvarapantita was Hotar, and this official built Takeo temple.
Be the inscriptions above, it is revealed that for about 200 years, great families from before or during, Jayavarman II's period there was a war. The families that supported King Suryavarman I, appeared in inscriptions, but other families who did not, were not mentioned.
There are three inscriptions that speak about the families who supported King Suryavarman I in the central region:
- K.354 (Khna temple) at Mlu Prei region daed 1060AD (Suryavarman I son's period) proves the status of a family called Vyajanadhara (the 'person who carries an umbrella') and the person who was close to the king called Adhipavyajadhana.
- K.289 (Preah Ngok) describes land in the region from Phom Bok to Phnom Kulen which belonged to a high official from Jayavarman II's period to Suryavarman I's period. this inscription also reveals the action of soldiers whose status was called Camcarina (General) and their regions were to the northeast of Angkor.
- K.125 (Ta Kin near Sambor-Kratie) is close to the Suryavarman I's period dated 1003AD. It reveals the chronological kings and we see the word "Ka.tvan" (Suryavarman I) This inscription proves the word "Vap" (the official who worked in the central state) wo asked King Suryavarman I to reclaim his postion in a place which he controlled. Before it was create by Kamsten, one of four Kamsten who were Rajakula of Paramesvara , and the four Kamsten in Jayavarman II's period. More clearly, one of the four Kamsten names, "Kamsten bhaavanukrsna" in K.124 belonged to there queens at Samborpura (803AD) which spoke of "Vrah punya bhagavaa kamraten an Utakrsna". This inscription relates to King Jayavarman II. This reveals that Suryavarman I, came from an official's famaly in the court of Jayavarman II.
Achievements of Suryavarman I in his period
Some schools think that Suryavarman I was Buddhist according to his posthumous name Nirvanapada, but most of this buildings were dedicated to Hinduism such as Phnom Chiso, Preah Vihear, Wat Baset, Preah Khan (Kampong Svay), & etc. He built a giant reservoir to the west of Phnom Bakheng called the Western Baray (Baray Tukthla). Coedes thought that his son Udayadituavarman II built this Baray. This is much evidence that he exended his authority to central Thailand by attacking to the west, and after this attack, the country of Lvo (Lopburi) was defeated).
Especially, an inscription at Lopburi states King Suryavarman I, received an oath from the Mratan who came from Lvo (which was not far north of the capital Ayuthya). There is much evidence of the extent of his authority which proves that many important persons in the northeastern, central and southern Thailand, were Khmer. these people had lived in these regions for a long time before Suryavarman I's reign. Up to the period of Suryavarman I perhaps there was peace and new relationships between the Khmer at Angkor and the Khmer in central Siam were developed after periods of no contact. We believe Suryavarman I died in 1049AD, as inscription K.229, found in Sisophon, is dated to the start of the period of Udayadityavarman II.
Conclusions
This study reveals that Suryavarman I, didn't come from abroad. His decent was from a royal family of the Angkor period. Coedes suggestion and other documents both differ from Dr. Michael Vickery's accounts, as Coedes suggests Suryavarman I, came from the northwest of Cambodia (southern Thailand). Dr. Micael Vickery, on the other hand, claims that the king came from the eastern region of Cambodia in Sambor-Kratie and started to conquer from the east towards the capital Angkor, then continued to Lopburi (Siam).
These points are opposite from G. Coedes who said Suryavarman I started to seize power from southern to central Siam and across to Angkor. The war in this period was started by competition between high-ranking officials who claimed they came from great ancestors (after the period of Jayavarman II) in order to control their land. The success of Suryavarman I, was to utilize the power of these great families that had begun to grow prior to his reign. In his period these was a war, and at the end of it, Suryavarman I, was the victor.
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