Bapnom (the modern pronunciation of the Chinese name is Funan , the ancient pronunciation is Byunam) is an early class state in Southeast Asia in the I - VI centuries , the first Khmer state, which was the second oldest in Southeast Asia (after the Vietnamese states of Wanglang and Aulak ). It was located in the southeastern part of modern Cambodia, in the Mekong Delta . The capital was the city of Wadhyapura . Initially, the territory of Bapnom included land from Lake Tonle Sap to the mouth of the Mekong. Subsequently, due to the wars of the ancient Khmer kurung in the west and in the north, the territory of the state was expanded fourfold [1] .
| monarchy | |
| Bapnom | |
|---|---|
 | |
 →I century - VI century | |
| Capital | Wadhyapura |
| Largest cities | Okeo |
| Languages) | Khmer language |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Currency unit | |
| Form of government | |
Content
Title
The name Funan is known in the Chinese hieroglyphic notation ( Chinese р ú п , pinyin : Fúnán ), however, works on the reconstruction of the Chinese phonetics of antiquity (the ancient Chinese sound was “Biunam”), and research by Khmerologists showed that the word “Bapn ”, Associated with the ancient Khmer monarch title -“ kurung bnam ”(king of the mountain) [1] .
In other languages
- Khmer : នគរភ្នំ [nɔkɔː pʰnum];
- Funam ( Vietnamese. Phù Nam ) ;
- Thai : ฟู นาน [fuːnaːn].
History
Little is known about the state of Bapnoy. In the III century, one of his commanders - Fan Shi-man - subordinated the Bapnom authorities to the coastal kingdoms in the west right up to the Malacca Peninsula. For his military services, Fan Shi-man was elected by the people to rule the country, and under him the state of Bapnom turned into a significant trading empire.
The IV century became a significant milestone in the history of Bapnom: the units organized by the state on a community basis built canals and carried out drainage work in the swampy Mekong Delta . The conquered lands were consecrated to the gods and recognized as royal. Similarly, land was developed on the eastern coast of the Malacca Peninsula. Economic development has given an impetus to urbanization.
According to Chinese sources, at the beginning of the 5th century, King Caudinha II ruled in Bapnom. He is credited with changing local laws, bringing them "in line with Indian." Hinduism strengthened in Bapnom in the 5th century. initially in a milder Vishnuish form, more tolerant of other religions, in particular Buddhism widespread in the empire (by the end of the century, apparently, mainly Mahayanist) [2] .
At the end of the VI century, Bapn was absorbed in his former vassal - the state of Chenla . Chenla was a vassal of Funani in the middle of the 6th century , but by the end of the century it had achieved independence and ultimately conquered its entire territory, absorbing its peoples and culture.
Culture
Economics
The economy was based on irrigated rice growing in the Tonle Sap River basin, originating in Tonle Sap Lake, and in the surrounding areas along the banks of the Mekong. Widely used hunting for buffalo and bulls . By that time, the ancient Khmers had achieved a high level of craftsmanship, as a result of which their large cities, located in the centers of rice-producing areas where irrigation canals intersected with transport (for merchant shipping), became large shopping centers. Naval vessels could also pass through transport channels, mainly Chinese merchant ships. Water supply in cities was organized in such a way as to minimize possible contamination in conditions of frequent epidemics in the tropics .
In agriculture and crafts, iron tools were widely used. In addition to buffaloes and bulls, tamed elephants were widely used, for which a kind of harness was invented.
In the pottery, a foot potter's wheel was used . Potters were largely united in workshops, manufacturing vessels of both traditional and new forms; their products were not inferior to the Indian or European of that time. The abundance of specialized forms of ceramics speaks of the complex economic life of the city. Particular attention is drawn to ceramic funeral urns and portable furnaces with local cult ornaments.
Metalworkers made a variety of products from iron , bronze , tin , lead , and complicated casting techniques were used. Craftsmen-jewelers made jewelry from gold , silver , precious stones . Glassmakers made bowls and goblets. On the products there are signs of artisans, which indicates the complex organization of the craft.
Bapnom maintained trade relations not only with the South Indian states of Ikshvakov , Pallav , Satavakhanov , but also with Persia , Armenia , and the Roman Empire . Trade was conducted with the southern provinces of the Han empire, and later with the kingdom of Wu and the southern Chinese kingdoms that replaced it.
According to excavations, trade was intensive with the monk states and the Pew state in Western Indochina, as well as with the Vietnamese , Tym , and the peoples of Indonesia , especially after the transformation of Bapnom into a sea empire.
The development of domestic trade is evidenced by the circulation of one's own coin not only from gold and silver, but also from bronze and tin, local and global forms, with and without Indian symbols. Coins of Bapnom were found up to Western Indochina; Chinese coins in Bapnom, unlike the Vietnamese lands, were not found. The presence of coins and medallions from the Roman Empire and the Middle East states speaks of long-distance trade ties.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 History of Kampuchea. Short essay. - M .: The main edition of the eastern literature of the Nauka publishing house, 1981. - P. 15.
- ↑ Early Class Societies of Ancient Kampuchea
Literature
- History of Kampuchea. Short essay. - M .: The main edition of oriental literature of the publishing house "Science", 1981.
- History of the East. In 6 vols. - T. II. East in the Middle Ages. - M .: publishing house "Eastern Literature" RAS, 2002. - ISBN 5-02-018102-1