Haripuñjaya


Haripuñjaya was a Mon kingdom in what is now Northern Thailand, existing from the 7th or 8th to 13th century CE. Its capital was at Lamphun, which at the time was also called Haripuñjaya. In 1292 the city was besieged and captured by Mangrai of the Tai kingdom of Lan Na.
The kingdom is referred to as K'un-lun in ancient Chinese records.

Founding

According to the Camadevivamsa, Jinakalamali and Singhanavati chronicles, the city was founded between 629–57 AD by four hermits named Suthep, Sukatanata, Tapanana, and Chantasikatungka. Hermit Sukatanata requested the Mon ruler of the Lavo Kingdom to send his daughter, Jamadevi, to become the first queen of the city. However, this date is now considered too early, and the actual beginning is placed at around 750 AD. At that time, most of what is now central Thailand was under the rule of various Mon city-states, known collectively as the Dvaravati kingdom. Queen Jamadevi gave birth to twins, the older succeeding her as the ruler of Lamphun, and the younger becoming ruler of neighboring Lampang.
The local legend said that at the beginning of her reign, Haripuñjaya's Jamadevi defeated the Lawa dynasty's Khun Luang Wilangka, the 13th king of Raming Nakhon, but her 2 princes married the 2 princesses of King Vilanga and both dynasties became allies.

Flourishing and downfall

In the twelfth century, during the reign of King Adityaraja, who, together with his brother Chadachota, were previously princes of Suphannabhum but fled to Haripuñjaya after the kingdom was annexed by Lavo of Tambralinga's prince Kampoch, came into conflict with the Khmers who took over Lavo from Tambralinga in 1002. Adityaraja, with an assist from Suphannabhum, annexed Lavo in 1052 and appointed his brother, Chadachota, the king of Lavo. This marked the end of Khmer influence in the Menam Valley. Lamphun inscriptions from 1213, 1218, and 1219, mention King Sabbadhisiddhi endowing Buddhist monuments.
The chronicles say that Austroasiatic-speaking people, possibly Kuy people and/or Lawa people, from the northern polity of Umongasela in the present-day Fang unsuccessfully besieged Haripuñjaya several times during the 10th–11th century. In 957, due to such invasions, a Haripuñjaya noble named Aphai Kamini went south and refounded Sukhothai, which previously was abandoned around the 6th century.
The early 13th century was a golden time for Haripuñjaya, as the chronicles talk only about religious activities or constructing buildings, not about wars. Nevertheless, Haripuñjaya was besieged in 1292 by the Tai Yuan king Mangrai, who incorporated it into his Lan Na kingdom. The plan set up by Mangrai to overpower Haripuñjaya began by dispatching Ai Fa on an espionage mission to create chaos in Haripuñjaya. Ai Fa managed to spread discontent among the population, which weakened Haripuñjaya and made it possible for Mangrai to take the kingdom over. Phraya Yi Ba, the last king of Haripuñjaya, was forced to flee south to Lampang.

List of rulers

Names of monarchs of the Haripuñjaya kingdom according to Tamnan Hariphunchai :
  1. Camadevi
  2. Hanayos, son of the previous
  3. Kumanjaraj, son of the previous.
  4. Rudantra, son of the previous.
  5. Sonamanjusaka
  6. Samsara, son of the previous.
  7. Padumaraj
  8. Kusadeva
  9. Nokaraj
  10. Dasaraj
  11. Gutta
  12. Sera
  13. Yuvaraj
  14. Brahmtarayo
  15. Muksa
  16. Traphaka
  17. Uchitajakraphad, King of Lavo
  18. Kampol
  19. Jakaphadiraj, King of Atikuyaburi or Jinghong
  20. Vasudev
  21. Yeyyala
  22. Maharaj, King of Lampang
  23. Sela
  24. Kanjana
  25. Chilanka
  26. Phunthula
  27. Ditta
  28. Chettharaj
  29. Jeyakaraj
  30. Phatijjaraj
  31. Thamikaraj
  32. Ratharaj
  33. Saphasith
  34. Chettharaj
  35. Jeyakaraj
  36. Datvanyaraj
  37. Ganga
  38. Siribun
  39. Uthen
  40. Phanton
  41. Atana
  42. Havam
  43. Trangal
  44. Yotta
  45. Yip