Sanfotsi

Sanfotsi (), also written as Sanfoqi, was a trading polity in Southeast Asia mentioned in Chinese sources dated from the Song dynasty circa 12th century. In 1918, George Cœdès concluded that Chinese forms of ''San-fo-ts'i'' (Sanfoqi), ''Fo-ts'i'' (Foqi), ''Fo-che'' (Foshi), ''Che-li-fo-che'' (Shilifoshi), which correspond to Arabic ''Sribuza'' and can be reconstructed as ''Śribhoja'', are names referring to the Srivijaya empire, located in Palembang, South Sumatra, in present-day Indonesia.

Others argued that Sanfotsi is more likely a transliteration of ''Suvarnabhumi'', which may refer to Suvarnadvipa or Sumatra.

According to Chinese sources, Sanfotsi was an empire that controlled many territories in the strait of Malacca, eastern Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. It was purportedly a large thalassocracy ruled by a high-king exercising sovereignty over several states that were dependencies of Sanfotsi. Although some considered Sanfotsi to refer to Palembang proper, recent scholars say its territorial extent was more vast.

Accounts

Sanfotsi as a state is recorded in many accounts, the majority of which are from Chinese sources such as the Chinese annals Chu-fan-chi written by Chau Ju-kua, and ''Ling-wai tai-ta'' by Chou K'u-fei (). Excerpts here translated by Hirth and Rockhill:

''Hsin-Tang-shu''

This Tang dynasty chronicle '' Hsin-Tang-shu'' mentioned that the envoy of ''Mo-lo-yu'' (Melayu Kingdom) came to Chinese court in 644–645. While the envoy of ''Shih-li-fo-shih'' (Srivijaya) came for the first time in 670.

''Chu-fan-chi''

''Ling-wai-tai-ta''

Interpretations

The established theory has concluded that Sanfotsi is identical to Srivijaya. Srivijaya was written in older Chinese sources as ''Shi-li-fo-shi'' (室利佛逝, also shortened as ''fo-shi'') which is an approximate phonetic rendering, but changed to ''San-fo-qi'' at the end of the Tang dynasty. ''San'' means "three" in Chinese, therefore the term can be read as "the three vijayas"; this has been suggested as Chinese recognition that it was not a centralized empire at some time in its history.

''Ling-wai-tai-ta'' mentioned that in the years of 1079, 1082, and 1088 the country of ''Chan-pi'' (Jambi) located in ''Sanfotsi'' sent envoys to China. In the 12th century, ''Shi-li-fo-shi'' (Srivijaya) only twice sending envoys to China; 1156 and 1178. The equation of ''Shi-li-fo-shi'' (Srivijaya or Palembang) with ''Sanfotsi'' is quite problematic, since ''Chu-fan-chi'' mentioned that Palembang was one of the vassal states that belongs to Sanfotsi. While on the other hand Jambi or Malayu was not mentioned as Sanfotsi's vassal. This could mean that at that time Sanfotsi was centered in Jambi or Malayu, not in Palembang. Sanfotsi is more likely a transliteration of ''Suvarnabhumi'', which rever to Suvarnadvipa or Sumatra. Thus the kingdom was Suvarnabhumi (''Sanfotsi'' or Sumatra) while the capital was shifted between Palembang (''Shi-li-fo-shi'' or Srivijaya) and Jambi (''Chan-pi'' or ''Mo-lo-yu'').

However, other historians tried to locate it somewhere else. Filipino historian Paul Kekai Manansala suggested that Sanfoqi refers to it was a Prehispanic Philippine state name Sambali. He argued that the accounts suggests that Sanfotsi was located to the south of China, and was, in fact, due south of the port of Ts'uan-chou. Since the Philippines is the only area exactly and directly due south of the port of Ts'uan-chou and has several place names such as Lingmayon (Lingayen) and Poni ( Panai) that may fit some of the place names in the account, it therefore may fit the description.

Some Thai historians, such as Chand Chirayu Rajani, while agreeing with the designation of Sanfoqi with Srivijaya, argued that it refers to Chaiya in Thailand rather than Palembang.

See also

* Zabag kingdom

References

{{Precolonial states in Indonesia

Hindu Buddhist states in Indonesia
Former empires in Asia
Srivijaya
Former countries in Thai history
Former countries in Philippine history
History of the Philippines (900–1565)