CHAMPA ( Cham 's country, now annexed by Viet-Nam ) 1st Part

Shared By S K MONOHA of Cambodia,France

The Kingdom of Champa which has figured in the history of Angkor,lay in Annam,occupying part of what is now the south of Vietnam. In fact its art seems to have followed its course of evolution alongside KHMER ART. But as the weaker and less fortunate neighbour of the Cambodian Empire, Champa never succeeded in creating any city as magnificent as Angkor.

Even so, Cham Art has its own styles and great particular beauties. There remains so much archaeological investigation to be done, however, that only an outline of this development can be given.

Champa's early history runs parallet to that of CHEN LA ( Khmer Kingdom ) But the Chinese Empire claimed much more than nominal sovereignty over Annam. The Hinduized dynasties that ruled Champa from the early sixth century A D were thus obliged to pay heavy tribute to the Chinese,though for a short time in the mid-sixth century they threw off the Chinese yoke. Then in the eighth century the Javanese became a constant threat to the Cham; and from the north the Sinicized Annamese ( The Vietnamese ) annexed their northern provinces in the late tenth century.
The Cham were then compelled for safety to move their capital from near Mi Son to Binh Dinh in the south. Still later the KHMERS were their bane,and in 1145 broke their power altogether. After this disaster the Cham still continued to live and work mainly in the south.
But in 1225 the Vietnamese again pursued a policy of aggression and in 1283 the Mongols under Kublai Khan ravaged the whole coast. After this the Vietnamese continued their drive southwards, though a brief interlude of subservient peace for the Cham Kings at Binh Dinh followed while the Vietnamese were themselves threatened by the Chinese MING dynasty between about 1360 and 1390 . By 1471 the Cham were totally extinguished as a nation.
It is perhaps surprising that they succeed in creating any kind of independent art at all.But they did.

Nothing remains of the earliest great temple built by King Bhadravarman at Mi Son,and rebuilt by Sambhuvarman ( c 572-629) . The earliest pieces of art come from the period of Prakashadharma ( c.653-686 ) who was a descendant in the female line of the royal house of Chen La. These works all formed part of his embellishment of the original sacred capital, Mi Son, which lies in that northern section of the country from which the Cham were driven by the Vietnamese after 980. Mi Son is set in a circuit of impressive wild hills,and its temples are oriented both east and west. The pattern of the temple did not really change throughout the whole of Cham history. Stylistic development was far more a matter of change in ornamental elements than in architectural invention. No grandiose engineering schemes and spatial conceptions like those of Angkor appear, and the Cham seem always to have remained content with the traditional Indian conception of the single-celled tower-shrine built largely of brick, but with stone elements.

The only exception to this rule is the monastery complex at Dong Duong.
It will be convenient to discuss the evolution of Cham art in two main phases. The first, centred on Mi Son and Dong Doung, in the north,came to an end with the Vietnamese captured of the northern region about 980. The second is that centred on the southern capital, Binh Dinh, after the loss of Mi Son. All Cham art is based on the cult of divine Kingship, somewhat resembling the KHMER Cult,but far less rich, for this kingdom was fragmented, and by no means easy to unite. Kings,therefore,were the only patrons for whom temples were built. They also seem to have been the only builders of Buddhist monasteries. Like the Khmers, they were much concerned with their own post-mortem deification ,and the multiplicity of shrines at a site,as at Mi Son,is a function of this " personalization" of the divine. The limited power of those kings,however,is reflected in the modesty of the shrines.

Continued Second part......