Suvarnabhumi

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Suvarnabhumi , or Suvannabhumi , the "Golden Land" (in Sanskrit : suvarna or Pali : suvanna 'golden' and both languages: bhūmi 'earth, land'; from Ptolemy Chryse Chersonesos , from the Romans Aurea Chersonesus , Thai : สุวรรณภูมิ , RTGS : Suwannaphum) was for centuries the synonym for the peninsula of India or the region that is now called Southeast Asia . Already since the 1st century AD there was a brisk shipping traffic between Sri Lanka , the Ganges estuary and Malaya . Indian settlers from Gujarat and Kalinga (now Orissa ) colonized the island of Java while others settled in Burma and Cambodia . In old Indian books this region is referred to as the “Golden Land”, islands like Java as Suvarnadvipa (“Golden Island”), probably to impress those who stayed at home. In the ancient Indian city of Kathakosa, for example, Nagadutta is told who was able to make a profitable trade with Suvarnabhumi with 500 ships. A special type of sandalwood, tailaparnika, is mentioned in the Arthasashtra, which was produced in Suvarnabhumi. Even today one can discover ruins all over Southeast Asia that bear witness to the Indian past.

Historically, the concept of the Golden Land is polysemic . On the one hand, gold is of course a valuable commodity, a means of payment, on the other hand, as a symbol, it can also have a religious meaning.

Southeast Asia is actually not known for being rich in gold. Nevertheless, it still plays a very important role there today. Many people mistrust banks and prefer to invest their savings in gold jewelry that they can touch and show off. But gold is also the color of kings and it is used in religious ceremonies. The royal regalia are made of gold, and the many gilded pagodas in Thailand and Burma are shining examples.

Its highest importance, however, gets the concept of the Golden State of the Theravada - Buddhists . Burmese and Thai chronicles report that Emperor Ashoka was born in the 3rd century BC. Chr. , After the third Buddhist Council (Sangayana) in Pataliputra had called (now Patna), Buddhist monks sent out into all the world, to the Dhamma to spread. So it came about that the two Theras (Pali: "Elder", honorary title for bhikkhus who have been ordained for at least ten years.) Sona and Uttara were sent to Suvarnabhumi to spread Buddhism there.

Both Burma and Thailand today claim to be this Golden Land. The Burmese Glass Palace Chronicle tells that Ashoka's Golden Land corresponds to the coastal region around today's Thaton , the capital of a historical Mon kingdom.

The renowned Thai historian Prince Damrong Rajanubhab describes in an article in the "Journal of the Siam Society " that, according to this chronicle, the Burmese King Anawrahta was so impressed by the great chedis and viharas in Thaton that he had plans made of these structures, to rebuild it in his capital Bagan after the capture of Thaton in the 12th century . But today there is no trace of the chedis and viharas mentioned in Thaton. On the other hand, there are a large number of ruins from the time of King Anawrahta in Nagor Pathom near today's Nakhon Pathom , a provincial town west of Bangkok, which is also said to have been a port city directly on the coast at the time. For Prince Damrong, the ancient city of Thaton was in Thailand. This is also supported by finds of old silver coins that had a shell symbol embossed on one side . These coins have not been found anywhere else in the world except in Bagan. Nagor Pathom was abandoned after the 12th century , so no further historical evidence exists.

In fact, an old name for Thailand is Laem Thong ("Golden Peninsula").

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Thomas Suárez: Early Mapping of Southeast Asia. Periplus Editions, Hong Kong 1999, p. 12.
  2. ^ The Siam Society: Miscellaneous Articles Written for the JSS by His Late Highness Prince Damrong . The Siam Society, Bangkok, BE 2505 (1962)