Po Klaung Yăgrai (1151 - 1205) was king of the

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 ...

polity of

Panduranga Vithoba, also known as Vi(t)thal(a) and Panduranga, is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian state of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is generally considered as a manifestation of the god Vishnu, or his avatar Krishna. Vithoba is o ...

.In what is now

Phan Rang Phan may refer to: * Phan (surname), a Vietnamese family name * Phan District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand * Phan River, Bình Thuận Province, Vietnam * Phan (tray) Phan ( th, พาน, ) is an artistically decorated tray with pedestal. It ...

in southern

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

Title

Po Klaung Yăgrai is the

royal title Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duke ...

, not the

name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A personal ...

. According to legend, he came from the popular types with name Jatol. His title ''Po Klaung Yăgrai'' means the "king of dragons" or "dragon king of

Jarai people Jarai people or Jarais ( vi, Người Gia Rai, , or ; km, ចារ៉ាយ, ) are an ethnic group in Vietnam's Central Highlands ( Gia Lai and Kon Tum Provinces, with smaller populations in Đắk Lắk Province), as well as in the Cambodian ...

" in the

Cham language Cham (Cham: ꨌꩌ) is a Malayo-Polynesian language of the Austronesian family, spoken by the Chams of Southeast Asia. It is spoken primarily in the territory of the former Kingdom of Champa, which spanned modern Southern Vietnam, as well a ...

. It includes of "Po" is the

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

, "klaung" is the

dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

and "Yăgrai" is the

History

Po Klaung Yăgrai ruled from 1167 to his death and is credited to have built many irrigation works and dams. He probably is the same person as

king,

Jaya Indravarman IV Jaya Indravarman IV was the king of Champa, a former region located within modern-day Vietnam, from 1167–1192. He probably was the same person as Panduranga ruler, Po Klong Garai. A usurper, "he called himself Jaya Indravarman on Vatu and said h ...

. He is worshipped at the

Po Klong Garai Temple Po Klong Garai Temple is a Hindu Champa, Cham religious complex located in the Cham principality of Panduranga, in what is now Phan Rang in southern Vietnam. It was built in honor of the legendary king Po Klaung Garai, who ruled Panduranga from 1 ...

, built by Champa King

Jaya Sinhavarman III Jaya may refer to: Media *''Jaya'', self titled albums by Jaya (singer), released in 1989, 1996 and 2001 * ''Jaya'' (film), a 2002 Indian Tamil film Mythology *''Jaya'', a name of Karna in Mahabharata; the core portion of the ''Mahabharata'' ...

(Chế Mân).

Legend

He started life as a lowly cowherd, but became king of

by destiny, ruling wisely and for the good of the people. When the Khmer of

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

invaded his kingdom, he challenged them to settle the matter peacefully in a tower-building contest. Po Klaung Garai prevailed in the contest, thereby obliging the invaders to return home. After his death, Po Klaung Garai became a god and protector of the people on earth; it is said that the tower he built in his contest with the Khmer is the tower that today is known by his name.

References

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External links

Temple of Po Klaung Yăgrai
1151 births 1205 deaths People from Ninh Thuận province Cham rulers Jarai people Vietnamese Hindus Hindu monarchs

Title

History

Legend

See also

References

External links