Fan Wen ( vi, Phạm Văn, ) was the King of
Champa
Champa (Cham: ꨌꩌꨛꨩ; km, ចាម្ប៉ា; vi, Chiêm Thành or ) were a collection of independent Cham polities that extended across the coast of what is contemporary central and southern Vietnam from approximately the 2nd cen ...
from 336 to 349. Fan Wen was the commander in chief to
Fan Yi
Fan commonly refers to:
* Fan (machine), a machine for producing airflow, often used for cooling
** Hand fan, an implement held and waved by hand to move air for cooling
* Fan (person), short for fanatic; an enthusiast or supporter, especially wit ...
, and, after Fan Yi's death in 336, he seized the throne.
[Higham, C., 2014, Early Mainland Southeast Asia, Bangkok: River Books Co., Ltd., ] In 340, he sent an embassy to
Eastern Jin dynasty
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
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of China to request the province of
Jiaozhi
Jiaozhi (standard Chinese, pinyin: ''Jiāozhǐ''), or Giao Chỉ (Vietnamese), was a historical region ruled by various Chinese dynasties, corresponding to present-day northern Vietnam. The kingdom of Nanyue (204–111 BC) set up the Jiaozhi Co ...
. His request was denied, and so Fan Wen recaptured
Rinan
Rinan (; vi, Nhật Nam), also rendered as Jih-nan, was the southernmost commandery of the Chinese Han dynasty. It was located in the central area of modern-day Vietnam between Quảng Bình and Bình Định provinces. It was administered by ...
in 347. He died two years later on another campaign.
Fan Wen was an ethnic Chinese
sold into slavery as a child to a barbarian chieftain. Legend states he caught two carp while tending goats, and hid them from his master. He was surprised to see them turned into two stones, one of which had iron in it. He forged two sabres and prayed, "If I split this rock when I hit it, let the divine virtue embodied in it make me a king." At fifteen, he fled and sought refuge with a Cham merchant, traveling to
Western Jin dynasty
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*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
of China in 315, before settling in Champa. He then entered the employ of Fan Yi, using his knowledge of martial art and city fortifications. He used the trust he gained to alienate Fan Yi from his children.
[Maspero, G., 2002, The Champa Kingdom, Bangkok: White Lotus Co., Ltd., ]
References
Kings of Champa
4th-century monarchs in Asia
4th-century Vietnamese people
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