Rivers in Cham inscriptions

Quang River. Photo: PHUONG THAO

The River Story

The river, in Sanskrit called Nadī नदी, in ancient Cham called Krauṅ /krɔ:ŋ/. The traces of Campa (Champa) left in Quang Nam - Da Nang with the history of the formation of the kingdom of more than 1,000 years, are not only temples. The massive irrigation system with fields, canals, and dams was built since ancient times. And the story of the river still continues.

The Great River (mahānadī) is mentioned in three inscriptions in the Quang Nam area: C.72 in My Son, C.105 in Hon Cut, C.147 in Chiem Son.

During the Campapura dynasty (4th-7th centuries), the C.72 inscription discovered near the A1 temple, My Son, was considered by L. Finot to be the first charter of the area.

Besides, the C.147 inscription in Champa states that to the north there is the Mahā River (mahānadī). The Campapura Dynasty only mentioned the name of the Big River, within the territory of My Son, which is now part of the Thu Bon River.

In the later dynasties, the Indrapura dynasty spanning from the 8th to the 10th centuries, there were three river systems mentioned. Among them, the boundaries of the temples were confirmed to be adjacent to the Nayauna River, Luvu River and Bhauk Śirā River corresponding to the Thu Bon River and Ly Ly River systems.

Inscription C. 106 was discovered in Ban Lanh village (Dien Trung commune, Dien Ban town), about 12 miles north of inscription C. 66 in Dong Duong.

Previously, the temple of Śrī Rudramaddhyeśvara was also built here by the sage Śrī Kalpa. From the Ṅauk Rayā field to the Nayauna river mouth, from the river mouth to the south bank of the temple, there are more than 100 fields, villages, ponds and lakes with place names in ancient Cham language. All are under the influence of the irrigation system of the two northern branches originating from the Thu Bon river, separating from the Co Thap in two directions: Northeast and Southeast.

According to the topography of Ban Lanh village, the Nayauna River mentioned in the C.106 inscription could only be two branches of the Great River (mahānadī) flowing down in the Northeast and Southeast directions.

Later Indrapura Dynasty

Also during this period, King Śrī Jaya Siṅhavarmadeva built temples and divided the system of villages and fields in Cam Le (now Da Nang City). The evidence is still recognized through the inscriptions of C.211 in Khue Trung and C.142 in Hoa Que. Archaeologically, the Phong Le ruins are also considered a religious center during this dynasty.

A section of the upper Thu River. Photo: VO THINH

Next to that, the C.140 inscription site in Huong Que, Que Son faces the east to the Ly Ly River - the territory of the lords could reach the Thu Bon River, Ba Ren River, Truong Giang River and the highlands.

During the reign of Yāṅ Põ Ku Śrī Jaya Harivarmadeva Ciy Śivānandana in the early 13th century, there were two rivers mentioned in the C. 100 inscription: the river flowing through the capital Siṅhapura (Trà Kiêu) and the Yāṃ river - two rivers belonging to the Thu Bồn river system (southern branch).

The C. 100 inscription was discovered at Temple G5, My Son - the Yāṃ River location east of the Guheśvara temple - a temple mentioned in the C. 106 Indrapura dynasty inscription.

Previously, in Śaka 1010 (1088), during the reign of King Śrī Jaya Indravarmmadeva Yãṅ Devatāmūrti, the C. 89 inscription discovered at Temple D1, My Son also listed the fields, villages and rivers here during the reconstruction of the country devastated by war.

Village festival in the upper Thu Bon River. Photo: VO THINH

Inscription C.64 in Chiên Đàn states that, at the end of the 11th century, King Śrī Harivarmadeva conquered the entire south, from the Tam Kỳ River to the Campeśvara Temple, in Trà Kiêu. The lords in this area submitted and became his vassals. The fields, rivers and lakes of the Tam Kỳ River system are also mentioned in inscription C.227 in An Mỹ and C.63 in Khương Mỹ.

Quang Nam - Da Nang, where the ancient capital of Campa existed and grew for nearly 1,000 years. Time has faded the relics but the names of the rivers, streams, lakes, fields, villages and people, all are still there. The shape may be different but the echoes of the dynasties still ripple in the waves, including stories about the life of the river.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nhung-dong-song-trong-bia-ky-cham-3148245.html