Chen Li Fu

Chên Li Fu (; ) or Suvarnapura was a political entity located on the north shore of the Gulf of Siam, west of Chenla. It centered at the ancient Mueang Uthong. The area encompassed the western Chao Phraya Basin, present-day Phetchaburi province, and Prachuap Khiri Khan province of Thailand, bordering ''Po-Ssu-lan'' to the southeast and Tambralinga to the south. Chên Li Fu sent tribute to the Chinese court in 1200 and 1205. Later, it evolved to Suphannabhum and was then merged into the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 14th century.

Chên Li Fu was supposed to be one of the main polities under the Dvaravati civilization, together with the Lavo Kingdom in the eastern basin. Modern scholars believe Chen Li Fu was Siamese Suphannabhum.

Chên Li Fu was a short-lived polity, as mentioned in the Nakhòn Si Thammarat source, which states that King Mahesvastidrādhirājakṣatriya of Phip Phli (Phetchaburi), expanded his territory northward to Phraek Si Racha (in present-day Chai Nat) in 1204, encompassing the area purported to be Chên Li Fu.

Location

O. W. Wolters suggests ''Chên Li Fu'' was potentially located on the east coast of the Gulf of Siam in Chanthabun area or in the Mae Klong Valley or both. For phonological reasons, Gerini stated emphatically that ''Chên Li Fu'' represented ''Candanapura'' or ''Chanthabun''. Friedrich Hirth, W.W. Rockhill, and L.P. Briggs also accepted the identification, but George Cœdès cautiously describes it as being on the Gulf of Siam. Wolters contended this identification since the location of ''Chanthabun'' is sufficiently close to Angkor to make it unlikely that the Khmers lost control of it at that time.

Wolters proposes that its center was at Mueang Uthong. If that is so, according to the archaeological found in Mueang Uthong, the kingdom might have existed since 300–600 CE.Higham, C., 2014, Early Mainland Southeast Asia, Bangkok: River Books Co., Ltd., Nevertheless, Paul Wheatley posited that the site in question was the city-state of Chin Lin, the kingdom King Fan Man of Funan endeavored to annex during the 4th century.

History

Chin Lin and Kamalanka: before 10th century

Mueang Uthong, which has been claimed to be the center of Chen Li Fu, was potentially the city-state of Chin Lin mentioned in the Chinese text '' Liáng Shū''. It was also the state that King ''Fan Shih-man'' of Funan attempted to conquer in the 3rd century but failed due to his illness. After that there was no record about Chin Lin. Around the early 6th century, it was probably absorbed into '' Lang-ya-hsiu'', the succeeding state of Tun Sun that was said to have expanded its territory to the present-day Chanthaburi, where it met Chenla. These polities, including Chin Lin, Lang-ya-hsiu, Lavo, Tanling, and Tou Yuan, later evolved into Dvaravati around the 6th century.

During the 10th–11th century, the lower Chao Phraya River basin faced several invasions by its surrounding neighbors, including the conqueror of Menam basin by Tambralinga from the south in 928, fall of Rāmaññadesa (country of the Mon) in 946, Hall, Kenneth R. “Khmer Commercial Development and Foreign Contacts under Sūryavarman I.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, vol. 18, no. 3, 1975, pp. 318–336. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3632140. Accessed 3 June 2020. the invasion of the Angkor from the east in 1001, the annexation of Lavo by Haripuñjaya from the north in 1052, and the invasion of Pagan from the west in 1058 and 1087.
wikisource:th:พงศาวดารเหนือ (2474)/พงศาวดาร, Northern Chronicle These are potential reasons for the abandonment of Mueang Uthong. However, some hypothesized that this was due to the river's inability to be navigated, which was a result of its shallowness and drying up, as well as certain pandemics. The city was relocated to another location, possibly near where the traces of a large ancient city was found, and then again to the present-day Suphan Buri.

According to the architectural styles, Mueang Uthong was probably built before the ancient Nakhon Pathom and Khu Bua. Archeological evidence indicates Mueang Uthong began to lose its prosperity around the 8th century. The center of power was then shifted to the ancient Nakhon Pathom. However, all of these cities were later destroyed by the troops of Pagan's Anawrahta during his Menam invasion campaign in the 11th century. This period was called "''The Collapsing Era''" () by Thai scholars.

The city of "''Balangka'', an inland town" (), mentioned in the ''Geographike Hyphegesis'' of Ptolemy, has been assumed by Thai scholars to be Mueang Uthong. As well as ''Chia-mo-lang-chia'' or ''Kamalanka'' mentioned by the Chinese monk ''Xuanzang'' in the 7th century and was said to be located southeast to Sri Ksetra kingdom and west of Dvaravati, was also centered at Mueang Uthong. and was later shifted to the ancient Nakhon Pathom.

Angkorian influence: 12th century

''Chên Li Fu'' was mentioned in the Chinese text ''Sung Hui Yao Kao'' in 1200–1205. Its exact period of establishment is unclear. The ''Sung Hui Yao Kao'' says it is located in the southwestern corner, bordered by ''Po-Ssu-lan'' to the southeast and ''Teng-liu-mei'' (, Tambralinga) to the southwest. It is five days by sea travel to ''Po-Ssu-lan'' and takes another day to reach Chenla. It was the only trading center in the north of the gulf visited by Chinese ships at that time. The capital was situated inland and connected to the sea by the river. It takes 80 days of sea journey to reach Qingyuan of the Song.

In the early 13th century, the Chinese Sung court was no longer receiving envoys from Southeast Asian kingdoms and was discouraging them and their trading. Still, Chinese merchant ships were trading with Chên Li Fu during this period. On 23 September 1200, 20 years after his establishment of , the King of ''Chên Li Fu'' named ''Mo-lo-pa-kan-wu-ting-ên-ssŭ-li-fang-hui-chih'' (Kamrateng Sri Fang-hui-chih) sent senior palace officials to present a memorial for the Chinese court. The present included a gold-engraved scroll with the king's handwriting in black script, two elephants, and several local products. Due to the far distance, ''Chên Li Fu'' was informed by the Chinese emperor not to send any tribute.

According to the regnal name of its king who used the Khmer title of ''Kamrateng'', ''Chên Li Fu'' was regarded as a vassal of Khmer before sending envoys to the Chinese court in 1200, which was the year Khmer fell under Champa. After that, Khmer declined in power, and the Menam Valley was dominated by Siamese people. ''Chên Li Fu'' then broke away. However, archaeological evidence indicates that Mueang Uthong was possibly abandoned around the 11th century, thus escaping from the Khmer influence that came to the most significant power in the 12th century during the reign of the Khmer king, Jayavarman VII. O. W. Wolters suggests ''Chên Li Fu'' was potentially an independent polity in the 13th century, which is consistent with the contemporary Pali chronicle says Khmer influences have waned from the Menam Valley since 1052 when it lost control over Lavapura of the Lavo Kingdom to Suphannabhum princes from Haripuñjaya. Several Xiān polities, mentioned by the number of Chinese and Đại Việt texts, have emerged in the area, such as Ayodhya, which has existed since the 1080s. In 1202, another envoy was sent. and again in 1205 by another ruler, Mahīđharavarman III.

However, it is not clear yet that Chen Li Fu was a dependency of the Angkorian, since the 13th century ruler of its southern neighbor, Phip Phli, was also titled as ''Gan-mu-ding'' (which is equated to ''Kamrateng''). Still, the city-state of Phip Phli was the vassal of the Sukhothai Kingdom and had a close dynastic relation with the Lavo's Ayodhya which was ruled by the Lavo (Uthong) dynasty that was previously more often in touch with the Angkorean than other regions in the Siam proper. The dynasty might have received the Ankorian norms of titling their local rulers.

It is more likely that the political center of this era was near the Nong Chaeng village in Sra Krachom subdistrict (), Don Chedi, Suphan Buri province, as there are traces of a large ancient city surrounded by a rectangular moat, and was speculated to be ''Suvarnapura'', a city mentioned in the Prasat Phra Khan inscription ().''เข้าใจถิ่นเข้าใจเที่ยว สุพรรณบุรี'', การท่องเที่ยวแหงประเทศไทย, 2547, p.7 or ''Appriciate the Locality, Travel Knowaladgableably, Suphan Buri'' Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2000, p.7 ; * Wārunī ʻŌsathārom. ''Mư̄ang Suphan bon sēnthāng kan̄plīanplǣng thāng prawattisāt Phutthasattawat thī 8 - ton Phutthasattawat thī 25'' (History, development, and geography of the ancient city of Suphan Buri Province, Central Thailand, 8th-25th B.E.), Samnakphim Mahāwitthayālai Thammasāt, Krung Thēp, 2547. Some propose that ''Suvarnapura'' was at the Nern Thang Phra Archaeological Site (), about 20 kilometers northeast of the Nong Chaeng village. Both location conforms with Jean Boisselier's assumption that the first Ayutthayan king, Ramathibodi I (Uthong V), came from the , near the Nong Chaeng and Nern Thang Phra where the traces of ancient cities were found, and then ascended the throne of Ayutthaya.

Transitional era: 13th–14th century

After sending an embassy to China in 1205, there was no additional record about Chen Li Fu. During this period, Angkorian influences in the Menam Valley waned. However, there were several records of new polities that emerged in the area, such as ''Pi-ch'a-pu-li'', which identified with Phetchaburi, led by Xian's king ''Gan-mu-ding'', that sent an envoy to China in 1295 and ''Su-men-bang'', which has been identified with Suphan Buri, led by ''Zhao Lu-qun Ying'' ( Chao Nakhon In) who was also the crown prince of Xiān, that send anvoys to the Chinese court in 1377, 1396, and 1398.

The area was the vassals of Sukhothai Kingdom during the reign of Ramkhamhaeng (r. 1279 - 1298), then formed the city-state confederation with Lavo's Ayodhya, which led to the formation of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 14th century.

Social and economy

''Chên Li Fu'' consisted of more than 60 settlements. Each has its administrator. The chief officials only use silver utensils and their tents are of flowered silk. The people tend to follow the law of the Buddha. When there is a dispute about grievances among them, (the parties) proceed to the Temple of the God of Potent Magic and drink the water of the Buddha in front of each other. He who remains at ease is considered to be telling the truth, while he who shows distress is considered to be lying.

Its resources are ivory, rhinoceros horn, local beeswax, lakawood, foreign oil, coarse perfumes, cardamons, and ebony wood. The people are fond of dark red ganze and pottery, which are commodities that Chinese ships bring to them for commerce. For trade dealings in clothing and food, they use pieces of lead.

There seems to be no evidence to indicate the ethnic identity of the population. There must have been many Mons in the area. In the 16th century Tomé Pires, writing about Ayutthaya, regarded the population of 'Siam' as similar to that of Pegu in the Hanthawaddy Kingdom:

Rulers

The rulers of ''Chên Li Fu'' were called by the Chinese ''Zhǔ'' (, ), not ''Wáng'' (; ). They lived in a palace resembling a Buddhist temple. All of the king's utensils are of gold. The tents are made of Chinese red floss silk. He wears white clothes as his privilege. His curtains are of white gauze interwoven with gold. When his officials come to court, they bow their heads and clasp their hands to salute him. The canopy over his curtains is 'dry' red. Beneath it is a madder-red one, a striped red one, and finally a green one. When (these people) use official documents they are bound together with black skin and the characters are written in white powder.

The copper plate dating from the 6th–mid 7th centuries found at U Thong also mentions King Harshavarman (หรรษวรมัน), who was assumed by Jean Boisselier to be one of the kings of Dvaravati, while George Cœdès considered the plate was brought from the Khmer Empire, and the name mentioned might be the Khmer king as well. However, the periods seem unrelated since King Harshavarman I of Khmer reigned from 910 to 923, 200 years after the inscription's date,"Book Review: Voices from S-21"
. ''The American Historical Review'' (October 2002). and Harshavarman I's grandfather was Indravarman I, not Isanavarman as mentioned in the inscription.

List of rulers

References

{{Authority control

History of Thailand
Indianized kingdoms
12th century in Thailand
13th century in Thailand
Former countries in Thai history
States and territories disestablished in the 13th century