A Brief History of the Kampuchea-Krom By Peter Scott and KKF Research Team (Extracted from the same name of the history document in “The Khmer-Krom Journey to Self-Determination” book) Historically, the identity and name of the Khmer-Krom people and their ancestral lands have been changed and/or referred to differently by various civilizations as well as the colonizing governments. Under the colonization of France, Kampuchea-Krom was called Cochin China. The terms Khmer, Khmer-Krom, Vietnamese of Khmer Origin, Khmer Nam Bo, and Cambodian are used interchangeably when referring to people of Funan descendent (see table below). Time line Kampuchea-Krom has been known as: 1 – 550 Funan or Nokor Phnom 550 – 681 Chenla (Zhenla) 681- 802 Water Chenla 802 – 1862 Kambuja 1862 -1949 Cochin China (Cochinchine) 1949-1975 South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) 1975-Present Vietnam (Socialist Republic of Vietnam) FUNAN OR NOKOR PHNOM Khmer-Krom legend has it that the community’s origins can be traced to an ancient story in India: “The Brahman named Kaundinya sailed from India in his magnificent ship to find the beautiful Dragon princess who lived in the forest beyond O Keo with father, Naga. When the Dragon princess beheld Kaundinya’s ship, she paddled out in her dugout to meet him. Naked and erect in the canoe, the Dragon Princess amazed Kaundinya with her beauty and power. He drew his magic bow, shot an arrow into the dugout at her feet and with it subdued her. He clothed her nakedness and married her and they lived at O Keo….” The international and the Cambodian researchers, by and large, agree that the Indigenous Peoples of Kampuchea-Krom, known as the Khmer-Krom, are ancient descendents of the people of Nokor Phnom (or Funan in the corrupted Chinese translation) Empire. A study by the Ethnographic Study Services on Minority Groups in the Republic of Vietnam (1966) supports this claim by describing the Khmer-Krom people as “descended from the ancient Khmer of the Empire of Funan.” Archeological evacuations conducted by French archaeologist Louis Malleret, of the Ecole Francaise dExtreme-Oriente (EFEO), found the site of a city named O-Keo (Oc-Eo), which provides evidence that the Khmer civilization lived in 1st century B.C., or during the Nokor Phnom (Funan Kingdom) period. CHENLA (ZHENLA) Chenla is the Chinese translation for the ancient term of Kambuja meaning Cambodia. Aided by its similarities in cultural identity and customs, Funan was successfully integrated into Chenla under the rule of King Mahendravarman, brother of King Bhavavarman and then by King Isanavarman. During the reign of the King Isanavarman, Chenla’s capital was established at Isanapura, in the ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk of modern Cambodia. While Western and Chinese historians have often referred to Chenla as the first Khmer kingdom, Khmer sources claim that Kampuchea-Krom or Funan is actually Cambodia’s first state. This is especially true with the recent suggestion that the Funan people are indeed the Khmers. Inscriptions of early Khmer writing as well as Sanskrit language found in brick stones and Hindu temples across Kampuchea-Krom and mainland Cambodia during this era suggest adaptation and integration of the native language with the Sanskrit language. In 681, the death of King Jayavarman I bought on civil wars amongst the Khmer and Khmer-Krom principalities within Chenla. The lack of the rightful successor after the death of the former king may be one reason contributing to the split of Chenla into two separate states. “The northern region comprising of mountains and valleys is called Upper Zhenla. The southern region, surrounded by the seas and swamps, is called Lower Zhenla.”ANGKOR PERIOD In 802, a new period of Cambodia emerged, now widely known as the Angkor Period. Derived from the Sanskrit word “nagara” meaning “city”, Angkor became an empire. On the claim that he was a descendant of Funan, Jayavarman II was crowned and began the process of uniting Lower Chenla (Kampuchea-Krom), starting at the capital of Aninditapura. He then progressed northwest, taking control of Indrapura (on the lower Mekong River on the east of Kampong Cham). The capital of Hariharalaya (southeast of Siem Reap) became Jayavarman II’s permanent destination, a site in which he then started to expand his influence across South East Asia. In Kampuchea-Krom, the statues of Shiva, Vishnu and Buddha made of Bronze have been recovered by French archaeologists at Wat Bodhisiri in Kampong Spean (renamed Cau Ke district) in the province of Prek Reussey (CanTho) as well as other temples across the Mekong Delta region.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 02:11:23 +0000
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