Ancient Indian Colonization in South-East Asia c8.47

c8.47

In addition to Fu-nan, Kambuja and Champā, there were several other Hindu colonies in Indo-China, whose existence the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Siam, thus controlling the shorter trade-route to the east,¹² to which reference has been made above. According to local traditions preserved in the Chinese accounts of the sixth century A.D., the kingdom was founded four hundred years ago *i.e.*, about the second century A.D. The king of this country extolled the emperor of China by saying, among other things, that the precious Sanskrit was generally known in his land. This indicates it to be a Hindu colony. Further evidence is furnished by the detailed account preserved in the *History of the Liang Dynasty*. We are told that the king grew jealous or suspicious of a member of the royal family on account of his great popularity and drove him out. The latter took refuge in India and was married to the eldest daughter of the king. On the death of the king of Lang-ya-su the great officers of the State recalled the exile and offered him the throne. He died after a reign of more than 20 years and was succeeded by his son, Bhagadatta. He sent an ambassador named Āditya to China in A.D. 515 and repeated the embassies in A.D. 523 and 531. A further embassy was sent in A.D. 568.