ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review alinga or ancient Odisha, because of its Cochin-China) with the exception of three Kconducive geographical location had played northern districts of Than Hoa, Nghe An and Ha a pioneering role in the maritime relations of India. Tinh. It was situated between 180 and 100 north Being a great maritime power endowed with a latitude. It was a long narrow strip of territory number of all seasoned ports and port towns on sandwiched between the mountains on the west its coast it had brisk contact with different and the sea in the east, and intersected by transoceanic countries such as Sri Lanka, innumerable spurs of hills running in various Indonesian islands of Java, Bali, Sumatra and directions.1 The people of Champa were known Borneo, Burma, Funan (Cambodia), Siam as Chams (the term ‘Cham’ is derived from the (Thailand), Champa (Vietnam), Laos, Philippines, name Champa). The Chams were actively China etc. In course of its maritime interaction participating in the maritime trade, and articles like with those countries, Kalinga not only camphor, sandalwood, porcelain ware, lead and disseminated its own culture and civilization but tin etc., constitute their main items of export. also contributed significantly in the dissemination However, the most significant aspect of Chams Kalinga and Champa : A Study in Ancient Maritime Relations Dr. Benudhar Patra of Indian culture there. It influenced the history, history is that in ancient times they were greatly culture, polity, society and religious life of people influenced by the Indian culture though the of those countries to a considerable extent. Still adoption of some Cham features by the Indians the remains of that imprint are available in those cannot be ruled out. faraway lands. Kalinga had close maritime The discovery of items like shouldered contact with the ancient land of Champa. In the adzes, knobbed ware, glass beads etc., from present paper, a sincere endeavour has been made different sites in India and modern Vietnam (ancient to trace out the multifaceted contact of ancient Champa) point to relations between the two Odisha or Kalinga with Champa in historical regions in pre-historic times.2 There was also perspective. commercial relationship between India and The ancient Hindu kingdom of Champa Vietnam in ancient times. According to R.C. comprised the present states of north and south Majumdar,3 the Indians must have been Vietnam or old Annam (excluding Tonkin and acquainted with Champa by way of trade and 22 NOVEMBER - 2017 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 commerce, long before they established their been found from Dong-duong near Danang in political supremacy in that region. One of the central Vietnam. major trade routes between India and China Kalinga being situated on the coast of Bay passed through the coast of ancient Champa. The of Bengal had close maritime relations with the early Indian voyagers and traders arriving on the kingdom of Champa (modern Vietnam).The Malay coast were crossing the Gulf of Siam to people of ancient Kalinga like other people of reach Oc Eo.4 The Brahmanical Hinduism of India the east coast went to Champa and played there remarkably influenced the society, culture, religious a significant role in the process of Indianisation. institutions, literature, art and architecture of They influenced the political, social, economic and Champa. There are references to Vedic sacrifices religious life of the Chams in a remarkable manner. and ritual practices in the inscriptions of Champa. Though there is no clear cut evidence to the The Hindu trinity (worship of Brahma, Vishnu and political contact between the two regions it can Mahesvara or Shiva) was well known in Champa. be said that Simhapura, the capital of Champa Icons of various gods and goddesses like Brahma, was definitely named after the capital of Kalinga.6 Vishnu, Indra, Surya, Kubera, Ganesha, In the southern part of Vietnam, the Vo-Chanh Kartikeya, Lakshmi, Sarasvati etc., have also Rock Inscription (on palaeographic grounds been found from different places of Champa. God assigned to the second or third century CE) which Shiva, in Champa was worshipped in both the is in Sanskrit refers to the first kingdom in Champa forms-the human and the linga, the later having by the royal family of Sri Mara, who was been more popular in comparison with the image- supposed to be a Kalingan.7 According to the worship as in India. A number of kings of Champa Chinese chronicles, king Sri Mara was a Shaiva were well versed in the Vedas and other ancient by faith.8 He calls himself in the aforesaid rock Indian literatures like the Dharmashastras, edict to have been a Kalingan in origin and a Dharmasutras, the Ramayana, and the descendant of the Varmas. The rock edict further Mahabharata etc. The Chams were very familiar describes how he showed great mercy and favour with the contents of the Ramayana. King to his subjects at the time of his coronation. Thus, Prakashdharma of Champa (c. 653- c. 670 CE) a Hindu dynasty was founded in Champa by Sri constructed a temple for Valmiki, the author of Mara [a Kalinga descendant] in the second the Ramayana at Tar Ken, which is a very rare century CE.9 When there was no heir to the practice in India. Wen-hsien T’ung-k’ao, a throne, the practice of letting loose an elephant to Chinese work by Ma Tuan-lin gives a clear picture choose the successor, which was practised in the of the Cham society in the second half of the fourth century CE, when it had already received a large early medieval period towards the closing years measure of Indian culture. From Ma Tuan-lin’s of the Ganga rule in Odisha was also followed in accounts it appears that the royal dress, Champa. ornaments, the funeral customs and rites of The Jain Uttaradhyayana Sutra10 mourning of Champa were similar to those mentions the maritime contact between Kalinga obtaining in India.5 Buddha images of Amaravati and Champa. Pilgrims as well as traders of style pertaining to early centuries CE have also Champa, since the time of Mahavira, used to NOVEMBER - 2017 23 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review come to Pithunda (a port of Kalinga) as it was a Bhagavati Kautaresvari or Devi Bhagavati, for port town as well as a centre of Jain religion. This whose worship a beautiful temple was constructed Pithunda of Uttaradhyayana Sutra has been by Vicitrasagara in the eight century CE was the identified with the Pithunda metropolis of Kalinga presiding deity of Champa. On the other hand, it mentioned in the Hathigumpha inscription of is worth mentioning that almost during the same Kharavela and the Pityndra metropolis of period, goddess Bhagavati worship had started Ptolemy. The aforementioned Jain text further at Rankada or Bankada (present Banapur) on states that a merchant of Champa, named Palita the coast of Kalinga.14 Hence, from this it appears came to Pithunda for trade and stayed there that there was a close cultural link between ancient having married the daughter of a Kalingan Kalinga and Champa during that period. merchant.11 While returning to Champa his wife The Chams being influenced by the Hindu gave birth to a son in the ship during the voyage.12 culture did not eat beef, widows did not remarry Hence, his son was named as Samudrapala. and the queen performed sati after the death of The Brahmanical religion prevailed in the king.15 However, from the analysis of Kalingan Champa with the worship and great popularity of link with Champa, the important thing which Hindu trinity (trinath or tridev). However, the catches our eyes is the use of other name for the prevalence of the worship of Vishnu Purushottama Chams, i.e. Kiu-lien. It is evident from the together with Lakshmi indicates that Kalinga and Chinese records that in the year c. 137 CE, about Champa were bound together with cultural and 10,000 Kiu-liens, a barbarous tribe from beyond commercial ties in olden days. Vishnu was the frontier of their territories, attacked their worshipped in Champa as Madhava, Vikram and southernmost districts, destroyed the Chinese Hari.13 Various names of Vishnu like forts and ravaged the whole country.16 These Purushottama, Madhava, Narayana, Hari, people who seem to have possessed great military Govinda and Vikram are also very popular in skill and organisation, ultimately formed the Odisha from which it can be inferred that there kingdom of Champa with the conquered territory was close religious and cultural contacts between of the Chinese empire.17 These Kiu-liens, whom ancient Odisha and Champa. A famous king of the Chinese recorded as ‘a barbarous tribe’, were Champa named, Sriprakasdharma of seventh not actually barbarous but a civilized people, century CE built a temple for Vishnu Purushottama otherwise how could they establish a kingdom at Duong-Mong. The worship of Purushottam capturing territories from the Chinese empire. Vishnu in the kingdom of Champa during the They have left epigraphic records in Sanskrit. A.P. seventh century CE suggests a relationship with Patnaik18 says that, these Kiu-liens were quite the worship of Purushottama Jagannath at Puri, likely a branch of the kula people of Burma whom which must have been in practice (though the Gerini has described as people from Kalinga. present temple of Jagannath was not there) by According to Gerini,19 the term kula now that time in Kalinga. employed in Burma to designate western In the Kautara region of southern foreigners in general and the people from south Champa the prevalence of shakti worship was India in particular. H.B.