________________
VIETNAM (Champa) [7] Champa stretched along the coast line of South China Sea. In the north of Champa was Amman, Laos in the west, South China sea in the west, and ancient Kampuchea on the south and west on its southern-most boundary. The northern limit of Champa was the port of Vinaya now Binh and southern limit was the port town of Panduranga now Phanrang. Champapura was the capital of Champa. It is already known that Champapur was the birth place 12th tirthankara Vasupujyaji. Champa was touching the frontier of Funan (Kashyapdvipa) and the people of both countries were of the same racial denomination. In the beginning Champa had four independent states all situated on the coast, and tthese were Vinaya (modern Vinh), Indrapura (modern Hue), Vijaya (modern Pinh-Dinh) and Panduranga (modern Phanrang). The modern city Ho-Chi-Minh or Saigon was ancient town of Hastinanagara but it was in Kashyapdvipa. The bay of Along has rock islands of fantastic shapes. It had been notorious as they were smugglers and procurers of girls. Old women lured the girls away and delivered them somewhere in the bay to Chinese junks who sold them in the open market in farther east. It may be mentioned here that the famous story of Sati Chandana who lately became the disciple of Lord Mahavira, had been sold to a one rich person in an open market.
The people of Champa were called Chams. Images of Tirthankaras of 1st century AD have been discovered in Champa. 'A sanskrit inscription written in the script of 2nd century AD found near Nah Trang in the Kanh Hoa province of Vietnam evinces that there was a Hindu King named Mara had achieved his first victory over Chinese forces in 2" century AD. Another inscription of 400 AD names King Dharma-Maharaja Shri Bhadravarmana. He erected a Shiva temple (Jain temple) of Bhadreshwara Swami which became the national shrine of Champa. On the death of his son, the throne was occupied by Gangraja who retired by abdication and went away to India to spend the rest of his remaining years of life at the bank of sacred Ganga'. After Gangraja, inscriptions have mentioned several names of kings- Manoratha Varmana, Rudra Varmana, Shambu Varmana, Kandarpa Varmana and Prakasha Dharma. Jagdharma, a son of Shambhu Varmana married Sharvani the daughter of King Ishanavarmana of Kambuja. At the end of 7th century AD Champa was raided by Shailendras of Yavadvipa. In 1177 AD the Cham army killed Tribhuvan Adityavarman of Kambuja, burnt the city and did not even spare the world famous Vardhaman temple (
51
