Wat Si Mueang Aem Inscription

Name other

Kh.K. 15, K. 1102

Script

Pallava

Date

12th Buddhist century

Language

Sanskrit

Face/Line

1 face, contains 3 lines of writing

Material

green stone

Form

decadent rectangle bar

Size

30 cm. width ; 78 cm. length ; 30 cm. thick

Found at

Wat Si Mueang Aem, Dong Mueang Aem Locality, Khao Suan Kwang District, Khon Kaen Province

Exhibited

Dong Muang Am Ancient City Museum, Dong Mueang Aem Locality, Khao Suan Kwang District, Khon Kaen Province

Description

This inscription mention King Citrasen, a great king who conquered Cambodia and who auspiciously changed his name to ‘Śrīmahendravarman’. He also commissioned the construction of holy sculptures, in accordance with Śiva, to mark his victory. The inscription described the construction of the Phra Go, referring to the Bull ‘Nandi’, the vehicle of Lord Śiva. So, this inscription provide further evidence that helps to prove that the civilization along the Chi and Mun river basins, between the 11th-12th Buddhist century, was led by a leader who practiced the Śivaism branch of Brahmanism. ‘Citrasen’ was the name of a prince who was a relative of King Bhavavarman the First (1141-1150 B.E.), a king of the Chenla Kingdom. The prince later ascended to the throne and elevated his name to that of King Mahendravarman (around 1150-1159 B.E.).

Reference

Edited by : The Inscriptions in Thailand Database Project Staffs (2552 B.E.), SAC, from :
1) Auguste Barth, “Inscription Sanscrite du Phou Lokhon (Laos),” Bulletin de l’École Française d’Éxtrême-Orient III (1903) : 442-446.
2) Cha-em Kaeokhlai, “The Phra Chao Mahendravarman Inscription,” Silpakorn 31, 5 (November-December 2530) : 79-84 (in Thai).
3) “Chronique : Siam,” Bulletin de l’École Française d’Éxtrême-Orient XXII (1922) : 385.
4) Erik Seidenfaden, “Complément a l’inventaire descriptif des monuments du Cambodge pour les quatre provinces du Siam Oriental,” Bulletin de l’École Française d’Éxtrême-Orient XXII (1922) : 58.
5) George Cœdès, “Liste générale des inscriptions du Cambodge : K. 363 (Čăn Năk‛ôn ou Phou Lokhon),” in Inscriptions du Cambodge vol. VIII (Hanoi : Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient, 1966), 138-139.
6) George Cœdès, “Liste générale des inscriptions du Cambodge : K. 508 (Thăm Prasat ou Ph‘u Ma Năi),” in Inscriptions du Cambodge vol. VIII (Hanoi : Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient, 1966), 160-161.
7) R. C. Majumdar, “No. 15 Phu Lokhon Inscription of Citrasena,” in Inscriptions of Kambuja, 1st ed. (Calcutta : The Asiatic Society, 1953), 20-21.
8) Thoem Mitem, “The Wat Si Mueang Aem Inscription,” in The Inscriptions in Thailand volume 1 : Pallava and Post-Pallava Script, 12th-14th Buddhist century (Bangkok : The National Library of Thailand, NLT, 2529), 155-157 (in Thai).

Illustrations

Rubbing inscription picture from : Department of Oriental Languages, Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, 2545 (Record Number : CD; INS-TH-08, File Name; OB_002)