Jayavarman Kaundinya ( km, កៅណ្ឌិន្យជ័យវរ្ម័ន, ) was a ruler of
Funan
Funan (; km, ហ៊្វូណន, ; vi, Phù Nam, Chữ Hán: ) was the name given by Chinese cartographers, geographers and writers to an ancient Indianized state—or, rather a loose network of states ''(Mandala)''—located in mainla ...
. He died in 514.
Biography
According to the Chinese annals, he reigned over a prosperous kingdom influenced by
Shaivism
Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...
, but at the same time other religions were equally well represented in his kingdom. An inscription was also attributed to his wife, Queen Kulaprabhavati, who laid the foundation of
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
in the kingdom.
On the other hand, two events confirm that
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
was also well established. The first concerns was his demand in 484 CE for military aid, delivered by a Buddhist monk named Nàqiéxiān/Nāgasena (那伽仙) to the emperor
Wudi against the
Kingdom of Lam Ap in Central Vietnam, guilty of boarding and looting the merchant ships of the country. Even if the request was rejected, the copy preserved by the Chinese archives shows a perfect knowledge of the
Buddhist canon
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
that only a thorough study can allow.
The second index relates to the sending to China of two Buddhist monks, Mandrasena in 503 CE and
Sanghapala
Sanghapala (506–518 CE) was a famous Khmer monk who traveled to Southern and Northern Dynasties China.
He, along with the fellow Funan monk, Mandrasena, translated Buddhist scriptures to Chinese.
See also
*List of Buddhists
This is a list o ...
in 508 CE.
Jayavarman Kaundinya sent two more embassies in
middle empire in 511 CE and in 514 CE, the year of his death. According to inscription K. 40, his eldest son,
Rudravarman, born of a concubine, then murdered the legitimate heir, Guṇavarman, to seize the throne and was the last ruler of Funan, that is mentioned in the Chinese annals; until at least 517 he was involved in a power struggle with his step mother, who was supported by his opponents.
[Jacobsen, Trudy, Lost goddesses: the denial of female power in Cambodian history, NIAS Press, Copenhagen, 2008]
References
Sources
*COEDES 1948 lEHdIedI P57-60
*PELLIOT BEFEO 1903 lFN P270-271
*DAGENS 2003 lK P25
(Khmer , chapter number = I , title chapter = The Khmer Country. The story , passage = 25)
{{Monarchs of Cambodia
6th-century Cambodian monarchs
Funan