Ban Phangphuai Inscription

Name other

K. 957, P.Ch. 3

Script

Old Khmer

Date

1484 B.E.

Language

Khmer

Face/Line

2 faces ; contains 35 lines of writing, face 1 contains 22 lines and face 2, 13 lines

Material

red sandstone

Form

Bai Sema

Size

45 cm. width ; 152 cm. height ; 12.5 cm. thick

Found at

Ban Phangphuai, Aranyaprathet Locality, Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province

Exhibited

Kanchanaphisek National Museum, Khlong Ha Locality, Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani Province

Description

The content on Face I says that King Rājendravarman gave a royal command to high ranking officials in the Vanapura city that they jointly take care of the holy sculptures at the holy places by offering oil and dice for a period of 1 year. Regarding the paddy fields and the crops in the paddy fields, slaves and their children were allowed to gain full rights upon them, while cattle should not belong to Khloñ Viṣaya, Khloñ Kṣetra and Khloñ Paryyan, and the cattle must not be allowed to wander into the compound of the holy place. If the people disobeyed the order, they would be arrested and sent to the authorities. The writing on Face II mentions a royal edict for people to take care of the city’s holy sculptures by regularly offering rice, oil, fruits, spear and cloth, and also that Khloñ Viṣaya and Khloñ Paryyan were not to travel into the jungle, but to wait on the high ranking officials. The writing also mentions the setting up of a meeting place or a court.

Reference

Edited by : The Inscriptions in Thailand Database Project Staffs (2554 B.E.), SAC, from :
1) Amphai Khamtho, “Ban Phangphuai Inscription,” in The Inscriptions in Thailand volume 3 : Khom Script, 15th-16th Buddhist century (Bangkok : The National Library of Thailand, NLT, 2529), 50-56 (in Thai).
2) Amphai Khamtho, “Transliteration of letters and Khmer language obtained inscription from Ban Phangphuai, Aranyaprathet District, Prachin Buri Province,” Silpakorn 16, 1 (May 2515) : 61-66 (in Thai).
3) George Cœdès, “Stèle de Nông P’ang P’uey (K. 957),” in Inscriptions du Cambodge vol. VII (Hanoi : Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient, 1964), 137-140.

Illustrations

Rubbing inscription picture from : Department of Oriental Languages, Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, 2545 (Record Number : CD; INS-TH-02, File Name; PJ_004f1 and PJ_004f2)