Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c14.t3.20

v2.c14.t3.20

The decline of the empire of San-fo-tsi during the latter half of the thirteenth century A. D. brought about a great change in the political condition of the Malay Peninsula. Java, the successful rival, now regarded the empire of his enemy as her legitimate prey. Thus Kṛtanagara conquered Pahang, one of the vassal states of San-fo-tsi. The tragic end of Kṛtanagara did not allow him to carry on this direct process of conquest any further. But Malayu, the vassal state of Java, which was planted by Kṛtanagara as the out-post of Javanese authority in the heart of Sumatra, continued the task and conquered many of the vassal states in Malay Peninsula. About the same time the king of Siam entered the stage and by 1292 A. D. had established his authority as far as Ligor. The lost Peninsular empire of San-fo-tsi thus proved a bone of contention between Siam and Malayu, as we have already noticed above (Bk. IV, ch. I). According to the ‘Koṭ. Monthīerabān (Kaṭa Maṇḍira-pāla) or Palatine Law of Siam, enacted in A. D. 1360, Ujong Tānah (Johor), Malaka, Malayu, and Worawārī were vassal states of Siam.²