Historical Accounts

The Relation Between Cambodia and Indonesia in the 8th to the 9th Century

By Soewadji Syafei

Did Jayavarman II, ruler of Cambodia in 802-850 A.D., descend from the Cailendra Dynasty of Indonesia? The author brings up evidence supporting the hypothesis.

Angkor kingdom. Unfortunately, emanated from a king named Ja- he was almost unique among the yavarman. The inscription of 770 Introduction kings of Cambodia in that he did AD came from Preach Theat Preah not leave a single inscription; at Srei in Thbong Khmum. That This paper containing prelimina- least none has been found up to of 781 AD was found at Lobok ry notes looks more closely at the now. Fortunately, the principal Srot, in the region of Kratie. (G. evidence of the relation between episode of his reign was related in Coedes, 1970). I am inclined to Cambodia and Java at the eighth some detail in an eleventh century think that these two inscriptions to the ninth century. The eighth inscription on the stele of Sdok had been made by King Jayavar- century is a troubled period in Kak Thorn, which cited the follow- man II before he became king of the history of South East Asia. In ing information: Man vrah pada Cambodia. A serious study of these Cambodia it saw the partition of parameqvara mok amvi jawa piku- two inscriptions is necessary to the country into several principa- run ni nau nagara indrapura = His establish the identity of the author lities, grouped, according to Chi- Majesty came from Java to reign Jayavarman's Ancestry nese sources, into two kingdoms: in the city of Indrapura. Water Chenla, in the Mekong basin About the parentage of King Ja- If this information can be verifi- yavarman II, G. Coedes believed and the basin of the Big Lake, and ed, it will raise some questions Land Chenla, on Korat plateau and that King Jayavarman II was only about the relation between the distantly related to the ancient the middle Mekong. It also presents ruler of Cambodia and that of Java an interesting historical problem. dynasties of pre-Angkorien Cambo- in the beginning of the ninth cen- dia. He was the great-grandnephew Certain historfc aspects remain tury. Who was actually KingJava- obscure despite the attention that a through the female line of Pushkara- varman II? Was he related to the ksha, the prince of Aninditapura great number of scholars have paid ancient dynasties of pre-Angkorien to the relation between Cambodia who became king of Sambhupura Cambodia? Or was he an Indone- through his marriage with a princess under the reign of King Jayavar- sian who came from Java as a con- of this state. And he was also the man II and Indonesia, in this case queror? What was the historical nephew of King Jayendradhipa- Java, at the beginning of the ninth relation between Cambodia and tivarman. Further. G. Coedes sug- century. Indonesia from the end of the gested that the family of Jayavarman seventh century to the middle of II which was linked with the In the history of Cambodia, Ja- the ninth century? dynasties of the eighth century yavarman 11 was known as a king of Inscription of Jayavarman II took refuge in Java during the ancient Cambodia who ruled be- As Jayavarman II did not ap- disturbance over the succession. tween 802 AD and 850 AD. He was (G. Coedes, 1968). Palmer Briggs also known as the founder of the parently leave any inscriptions dur- ing his reign, information about assumed that King Jayavarman II him should be gathered from sour- was chosen by the ministers of king ces datinq from the period before Mahipativarman who was beheaded A reprint from the Majalah or after his reign. For instance, some by the Qailendra Maharaja. (P. Arkeologi, September 1977. inscriptions from the region of Briggs, 1951). Historians were inclin- The author teaches at the Uni- Sambhupura (Sambor), two of versitas Indonesia. ed to think that king Jayavarman II which, dated 770 AD and 781 AD, was a Khmer, but they did not 15

know who his father was. All of the the latter, the Qailendras were the inscription of Mantyasih dated opinions cited showed that the paren- formerly Civaites but for unknown 907 AD. This inscription contained tage of king Jayavarman II remains reasons, Sanjaya, a givaitic Qai- a list of Javanese kings who reigned unknown. lendra king who had erected a before its author, Qri Maharaja linga temple in 732 AD, ordered Rakai Watukura Dyah Balitung Qri his son, Rakai Panamkaran, to aban- don the faith of his ancestors and Dharmodaya Mahagambhu. The list, The Cailendra Dynasty which does not give any account of to become a buddhist. (Poerbot- genealogical relation, is as follows: G. Coedes in his "The Making of jaroko, 1958). Further, in his "Ri- Southeast Asia" remarked that the wayat Indonesia I", Poerbotjaroko history of Cambodia in the eighth proposed that a grandson of King "Rahyangta rumuhun ri mdang century and the beginning of the Sanjaya named Gajayana, however, ri poh pitu, rakai mataram sang ninth century could not be un- held to the givaitic religion. Conse- ratu Sanjaya; Qri Maharaja Rakai derstood properly without a quently, he had to migrate to east Panamkaran; Qri Maharaja Rakai knowledge of happenings in Indo- Java where he built a new kingdom Panunggalan; Qri Maharaja Rakai nesia from the end of the seventh in the region of Malang in East Java Warak; Qri Maharaja Rakai Ga- century. (G. Coedes, 1970). and, in 760 AD, erected the Agast- rung; Qri Maharaja Rakai Pika- ya temple. (Poerbotjaroko, 1952). tan; Qri Maharaja Rakai Kayu- Moreover, Louis Finot's transla- wangi; Qri Maharaja Rakai Watu- tion of the inscription of Sdok humalang; Iwifiasangkarika landa- Kak Thorn: Alors, S.M. Paramec- pan yan pakacapatha Cri Maha- vara vint de Java pour re'gner dans raja Rakai Watukura Dyah Bali- la cite' d'lndrapura, inclined us to tung Qri Dharmodaya Mahagam- think that King Jayavarman II was bhu." not related to the ancient dynasties It seemed to indicate that King of pre-Angkorien Cambodia but, Sanjaya was the founder of the that his forefather came from In- dynasty. (W.F. Stutterheim, 1927). donesia. Hence events in Indonesian The inscription of Mantyasih The inscription of Kalasan dated history may be helpful in solving enumerates the Javanese 778 AD, however, gave evidence the problem of whether King Jaya- kings from Sanjaya to that the successor of King Sanjaya, varman II was in some way related Mahacambhu Maharaja Dyah Pancapana Panam- to any Javanese royal family. karana or Rakai Panamkaran was a Qailendra king who commemorated the foundation of the Candi Kala- san as shrine to the Buddhist goddess Selendra, the Origin of Qailendra Tara. (F.D.K. Bosch, 1928). For some time after the discove- If the information of this inscrip- The name Sanjaya was also men- ry of the West Java Purnawarman tion can be verified, it will raise tioned in a Sanskrit inscription of some questions in the ancient his- inscriptions of the middle of the 732 AD found in Canqgal. Central fifth century, no epigraphic do- tory of Indonesia from the end of Java. This incription told of a the eighth century to the middle cuments about Java had been givaitic king called Sanjaya and the of the ninth century. What happen- found. The island re-entered the erection of a linga on the island ed in the history of Indonesia in scene in an Old Malay inscription of Java in the country of Kun- that period? Were there two dynas- found at the village of Sojomerto jarakunja. The ruins of the Civaite ties reigning in Central Java of near Batang in Central Java. Paleo- sanctuary where the linga' had which one were Qivaite kings and graphically, M. Boechari supposed been erected can still be found to- the other adherents of the Buddhist that this inscription dated from day on the hill of Gunung Wukir, religion? Or was there only one the beginning of the seventh cen- southeast of Borobudur. dynasty "the Qailendras" that were tury. This inscription bore the According to a later tradition, formerly adherents of the Qivaitic name Dapunta Selendra which i.e. Kitab Carita Parahiyangan, King religion? Boechari believed was the "vamga- Sanjaya had sent expeditions to kara" of the Cailendra dynasty. Bali, Sumatra, Cambodia and even The name Selendra, a personal name, China. There iseemedtobe some was undoubtedly an Indonesianized truth in this tradition since the Panamkaran, the Successor of form of Qailendra. Selendra was an Vietnamese Annals recorded that in King Sanjaya ardent worshipper of Civa. (M. the year of 767 AD, the delta area Some scholars assumed that two Boechari, 1966). was invaded by bands from Java. dynasties reigned in Central Java If Boechari's opinion can be veri- from the eighth to the beginning fied, it will support the opinion of The name of Sanjaya was found of the tenth century, the Sanjayas the late Poerbotjaroko that only not only in the inscription of Canq- and the Qailendras. (Vogel, 1919; one dynasty ruled Central Javs, gal dated 732 AD and in the Kitab Van Naersen, 1947; de Casparis, i.e. the Cailendras. According to Carita Parahiyangan but also in 1950). According to Vogel's inter- 16 pretation of the Kalasan inscrip- teachers from Bengal to the ro- tion, Maharaja Dyah Pancapana yal household resulted to the Panamkarana or Rakai Panamkaran disestablishment of conservative was not a Qailendra king but a Brahmanist interest associated with Rakai Panunggalan vassal of the Qailendra king Vishnu. the previous regime in Central Java. (J.P. Vogel, 1919). But if we read This, at any rate, was the interpre- migrated to Cambodia carefully the inscription of Kala- tation of the Chinese sources which at an opportune time san, especially strophe 5 and 6, mentioned the removal of the king- we undoubtedly would conclude dom of Holing to the east by a king that Maharaja uyan rancapana Pa- named Ki-yen between 742 and at West Baray, Angkor Thorn re- namkarana was none other than 755 AD as a result of the acceptan- flected that at that time the coun- Rakai Panamkaran, a Qailendra king ce of Mahayana Buddhism in Cen- try was ruled by a woman, Jayadevi. who had built Candi Kalasan, a tral Java. Ki-yen was none other than In the opinion of Coedes, she was sancturary dedicated to the Bud- prince Gajayana mentioned in the the widow of Jayavarman I who dhist goddess, Tara, located in the inscription of Dinoyo dated 760 reigned after his death. (Coedes, plain of Prambanan east of the AD from East Java. This inscription 1964: 162; LP. Brigges, 1951:57). city of Yogyakarta. commemorated the foundation of a In this incription, Jayadevi men- tioned donations to a sanctuary of This fact was strengthened by the sanctuary, in honor of Agastya. discovery of the Sojomerto inscrip- (F.D.K. Bosch, 1924). Civa Tripurantaka and complained tion which bore the name Daounta of the misfortunes of the time. A Selendra as a personal name. It was It is quite probable that Gajaya- group of petty kings sprang into quite possible that the illustrious na, a son of King Dewasimha. was a prominence and the country be- Cailendra derived their family name grandson of King Sanjaya. He came divided into a Land and a from this person. If this supposition tried to escape from Mahayana Water Chenla. Water Chenla itself can be verified, it is likely that all Buddhist influence in Central Java divided into several kingdoms and the king's name in the Mantyasih in- and to look for a new place in principalities which, respectively, strove for supremacy over each scription dated 907 AD were Qai- East Java where he could continue ; lendras. The inscription also men- his worship to Civa. (Poerbotjaro- other. The T'ang history said the; tioned the name Rakai Panamkaran division into Land and Water Chenla took place after 706 AD. who was known as the successor of ko, 1952). King Sanjaya. Undoubtedly, King (Coedes, 1964: 161; P. Pelliot, It was likely that Rakai Panungga- 1904:211). Sanjaya was also a Qailendra King lan, another grandson of king San- who adhered to the Qivaite religion. jaya and the successor of Rakai The Conquest of Panamkaran according to the inscription of Mantyasih, also tried Cambodia Effects of Buddhism to escape from the Mahayana Bud- Java might indeed have taken ad- it seemed that after the reign of dhist influence in Central Java and vantage of the partition of Cambo- King Sanjaya, central Java began to seek a new place in Cambodia dia and launched an expedition to respond to the new influence where he could proceed with his against it. The first expedition was of Mahayana Buddhism. This sect faith. This supposition was strengthen- more likely sent by King Sanjaya of Buddhism showed a strong ten- ed by the fact that Rakai Panung- of the Cailendra dynasty in 767 galan, like King Gajayana, did not dency toward assimilation with the AD. The Vietnamese Annals record- leave a single inscription in Cen- Brahmanist cults, especially with ed that the delta area and the tral Java. that of Qiva. The inscription of southern region of Cambodia was in- vaded by bands from Java. (Coedes, Kelurak dated 782 AD told us that Cambodia's Political Condition during the reign of a Qailendra king 1964: 173). This supposition was known as "the killer of enemy Fortunately, he had the good op- strengthened by the later tradition portunity to develop his politi- heroes" and crowned under the of Kitab Carita Parahiyangan men- cal power in Cambodia which name of Sangramadhananjaya Ku- tioned before. passed through a very troubled maraghosha, a teacher from the period for more than a century The second expedition was more country of Gaudi— India—consecra- after the death of King Jayavarman likely led by king Rakai Panungga- ted in Kelurak an image of the in 682 AD. Jayavarman I did not lan, a grandson of king Sanjaya who Bodhisattva Manjugri. It synthesized seem t o have left male heirs and left his native country due to poli- the Three Buddhist Jewels (Trirat- that, probably, among others ac- tical and religious problems in na), the Brahmanic trinity (Tri- counted for the partition of Cam- Central Java. Quite probably in 770 murti), and all the gods. (F.D.K. bodia. He seemed to have been AD, he attacked and occupied the Bosch, 1928). succeeded by his wife. But nothing region of Sambhupura, Cambodia, However, it was quite probable indicated when Jayavarman I ceas- and made this region as the base of that the acceptance of Mahayana ed to reign or when his wife suc- his army. This fact was strengthen- Buddhism and, perhaps, of ceeded him, if she did. ed by the discovery of some inscrip- the appointment of Mahayanist tions in this region, two of them An inscription of 713 AD found dated 770 and 781 A.D. These two 17 inscriptions were made by a king also to liberate himself from all Volkenkunde. Uit- named Jayavarman, whom G. dependence on Java. gegeven door het Coedes named as Jayavarman I In this occasion, he also held a Koninklijk Bata- (bis). (G. Coedes, 1964: 178). I special ceremony to commemorate viaasch Genoots- am inclined to think that king Ja- the establishment of ritual for the chap van Kunsten yavarman mentioned in those two worship of devaraja. (Soekmono, en Wegtenschappen, inscriptions was none other than 1974: 127, 128). The ceremony Vol. LXVIII, pp. 1- Rakai Panunggalan who came from consisted of founding a linga on 64. Java. It was possible that in order to the hill. This symbolized that his Briggs, L.P. "The Ancient Khm- be accepted by the Khmers, he used authority was equivalent to that of 1951, er Empire," Tran- the name Jayavarman and placed Mahendra (Civa), the king of the sactions of the Ame- himself as a valid heir of the Ang- gods. Jayavarman II instituted the rican Philosophical kor kingdom, especially of Sam- cult of the devaraja. A sanctuary in Society held at Phi- bhupura. a pyramid was erected on a natural ladelphia for promo- A Sanskrit inscription of Nha- or artificial mountain. It sheltered ting useful know- trang dated 774 AD. told us that a the linga as a symbol of devaraja. ledge. New series — band who came in ships burnt It is likely that the worship done by Volume 41, Part 1. down the temple of Po-Nagar near King Jayavarman II in Cambodia Buchari, "Preliminary report Nha-trang. But, they were routed was an effort to think back to his 1966, on the discovery of and driven back to the sea by the native country, Java, and to con- an Old-Malay inscrip- king of Champa. This raid was re- tinue the worship proceedings of tion at Sojomerto", Majalah llmu-llmu peated in the year of 787 AD and his ancestor King Sanjaya, a zealous Sastra Indonesia. another temple of Civa, near Vira- adherent of linga Girisa, as was (Indonesian Journal pura, was burnt down (L.P. Briggs, mentioned in the inscription of Canggal in Central Java. of Cultural Studies), 1951: 67). I am of the opinion JiIitd III, No. 2 & 3. that this invasion was also led by pp. 241 -252. King Rakai Panunggalan who four Conclusion Casp.aris,J.G.de "Inscripties uit de years before had occupied Sambhu- All these accounts strongly indi- 1950 Qailendra-tijd", Pra- pura-Cambodia. cate that King Jayavarman II of sasti Indonesia I. The above account was also con- Cambodia was none other than Djawatan Poerbaka- firmed by an early tenth century Rakai Panunggalan from the Qailen- la R.I. Jakarta. Arab writer, Abu Zaid Hasan, who dra dynasty in Central Java. Never- told the story of the travels of a theless, a search for further evi- Coedes, G. "Les Etats Hindoui- merchant named Sulaiman. The lat- dence to support this hypothesis is 1964, ses d'lndochine et ter visited Angkor in the year of still needed. A careful study of Old d'lndonesie", Nou- 851 AD.; and picked up an account Javanese and Old Kmer inscriptions velle edition revue of a Javanese expedition against and the inscription of Sdok Kak et mise a jour. Paris. Chenla in the closing years of the Thorn will throw more light upon 1968 "The Indianized eighth century. Although legenda- the forefather of King Jayavarman States of Southeast ry, there is justification in suppos- II and the relation between Cambo- Asia," Edited by ing that it may have been inspired dia and Indonesia, in this case Java, Walter F. Vella, by some historical event. at the end of the seventh century Translated by Su- to the middle of the ninth century. san Brown Cowing. The Coronation of Jayavarman II University of Mala- ya Press. Kuala Believing that his power was References Lumpur. firm enough, Rakai Panunggalan Bosch. F.D.K. "Het lingga-heilig- 1970, "The Making of proclaimed himself ruler of the 1924, dom van Dinojo", South East Asia," Khmers of the Angkor and took the Translated by H.M. name Jayavarman II. According to Tijdschrift voor Indis- Wright, London. the incription of Sdok Kak Thorn, che Taal—, Land Hall, D.G.E. "A History of South- Jayavarman II began his long reign — En Volkenkunde. by building his capital named In- Uitgegevendoor het 1960 East Asia" drapura at a place identified with Koninklijk Bata- New York. St Mar- the archaeological site at Bantey viaasch Genoots- tin's Press. Prei Nokor, east of Kompong Cham chap van Kunsten Naerssen, F.H. "The Qailendra in- on the lower Mekong. The inscrip- en Wetenschappen, van, 1947 terregnum", India tion also tells us that in 802AD.,, Vol. LXIV, pp. 227 Antiqua. A volume Jayavarman 11 held a big ceremony -291. of Oriental Studies at the summit of Mahendraparwata 1928, "De Inscriptie van presented to Jean (the hill of Phnom Kulen) to es- Keloerak", Tijds- Philippe Vogel, tablish himself as sole sovereign chrift voor Indische CLE. pp. 249 - (cakravartin) in Kambujadeca and Taal— Land— en 253. Continued on page 22 22

The Relation Jiu Gang Indonesia Longchuan cela- don and big and small jars Indonesia Green-ware rough Pelliot, Paul "Deux itine'raires Pu Ban bowls, and big 1904, de Chine en Inde a and small jars la fin du VIM siecle. Green wares, jars B.E. 4: 131 -385. Wen Lao Gu Indonesia and the like Poerbotjaroko "Riwayat Indonesia Indonesia Longchuan celadon R.Ng. 1952, I". P.T. Pembangu- Long Ya Men Indonesia Rough bowls and nan Djakarta. Hua Mian green Longchuan "Crivijaya, de Cai- 1958, porcelain lendra — en de San- Indonesia Rough bowls and jaya vamca", Bijdra- Dan Yang the like gen Tot de Taal—, Indonesia Green wares and Land— en Volken- Gou Lan Shan the like kunde, deel 114, pp. Blue-and-white 254 - 264. Ban Da Li India wares Soekmono, R. "Candi, Fungsi dan Man Tuo Lang Unidentified Green wares 1974, Pengertiannya". Di- sertasi untuk mem- Nan Wu Li Indonesia Blue-and-white peroleh gelar Doc- wares tor dalam ilmu-ilmu Jia Li Na Iran Blue-and-white Sastra pada Univer- wares sitas Indonesia di Qian Li Ma Unidentified Rough bowls Jakarta. Xiao Ba Nan India Blue-and-white wares Stutterheim, "Een Belangrijke W.F. 1927, oorkonde uit de Ke- Peng Jia La Bangladesh | Blue-and-white doe", Tijdschrift wares voor IndischeTaal—, Tian Tang Saudi Arabia Blue-and-white Land-en Volken- wares kunde. Uitgegeven Tian Zhu India Blue-and-white door het Koninklijk wares Bataviaasch Genoot- Gan Mai Li Iran Blue-and-white schap van Kunsten wares, jars and en Wetenschappen, vases deel LXVII, pp. 172 Wu Die India Blue-and-white -215. wares Fogel, J.P. "Het Koninkrijk Sri- The above list mentions green procelains (cela- 1919, vijaya", Bijdragen dons) fifteen times, Chu hou porcelains five times, Tot de Taal—, Land- blue-and-white floral porcelains sixteen times, blue en Volkenkunde, and white porcelains three times, porcelain ware deel 75. pp. 626- three times and rough bowls five times. Most of the 637. exports came from the kilns in Jiangxi and Xhejiang provinces and a lesser number from those in Fujian province. Ceramic (to be continued)

Footnotes The consultants/resource persons 1Page 1868. Vol 3, Zhonghua Shuqu were the following: Prof. Feng edition. Xian-Ming and Mr. Li Hui-Ping from China; Dr. Janice Stargardt 2'3Page 2516, Vol 3, Zhonghua Shuqu from Cambridge University; Dr. edition. Pierre-Yves Manguin from Ecole Franchise D'Extreme-Orient; Prof. 4-5Page 4537-38, Vol 13, Zhonghua Meitoku Kamei from Kyushu His- Shuqu edition. torical Museum; and Dr. Zuraina "Zhu Fan Zhi, Revised and Anno- Majid-Loewe from the Universiti tated" Page 5, 1966 edition, Zhong- Sains Malaysia. Dr. Rosa Tenazas hua Shuqu edition. represented the SPAFA Coordinat- ing Unit. 'Page 7. "Ku Jin Yi Shi" (photome- chanical Printing),