Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v1.c7.s5.2

v1.c7.s5.2

The founder of this dynasty is named Prthivīndravarman.¹ A brief reference is made to him in the Glai Lamov Inscription (No. 24), vv 2-5. We are told that he ‘enjoyed the lands by having conquered all his enemies by his own power’. This seems to show that he owed the kingdom to his military genius. As we shall see, there are epigraphic references to more than one raid of Champā by the Javanese fleet within half a century of his accession. The Chinese history also contains reference to a raid as early as 767 A.D.¹ It is likely that the invasion of the Javanese fleet overthrew the last dynasty and Pṛthivīndravarman owed the kingdom to his success against these naval marauders. But whatever may be the circumstances to which he owed his throne, the inscription tells us that 'he enjoyed the whole of Campā' (No. 24 A. V. 3). The king is said to have destroyed all the thieves. This probably means that there were disorders consequent upon the overthrow of the last dynasty and king Pṛthivīndravarman effectively checked them. He enjoyed a long reign and died sometime before 774 A.D., the earliest known date of his successor king Satyavarman. King Satyavarman was the nephew (sister's son) of king Pṛthivīndravarman. He issued the Po-Nagar stelæ inscription (No. 22) and we know a great deal about him from the Glai Lamov Inscription (No. 24) of his younger brother Indravarman, and the Po-Nagar inscription of his sister's son, king Vikrāntavarman (No. 29 A.).