Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c13.s2.t2.61
Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champā; Vol. II: Suvarṇadvīpa) v2.c13.s2.t2.61
- Language
- English
v2.c13.s2.t2.61
The view that Zābag is to be located in Malay Peninsula is strikingly confirmed by independent evidence. The South Indian literature refers to an oversea kingdom called Śāvaka, Sāvaka, or Jāvaka. We find references to it in the famous epic Maṇimekhalai⁶ which mentions its kings Bhūmicandra and Puṇyarāja, and says that the latter was ruling the earth with his capital at Nāgapura. That this country is the same as Zābag admits of no doubt. As Ferrand has remarked, the two names Jāvaka and Zābag are the only ones in Indonesian geography which can be equated with certainty.¹