Kaundinya I
Kaundinya I, also known as Kaundeyan in Tamil Kaundanya in Odia and Preah Thong, was the second monarch of Funan which comprises much of Cambodia located in mainland Southeast Asia centered on the Mekong Delta. He was the consort of the first monarch Soma, Queen of Funan, also known as Neang Neakii, and inspired by Indian models of governance, they co-founded the kingdom of Funan with the capital located at Vyādhapura. Funan is generally considered as the earliest known kingdom in Southeast Asia.
Indian origins
Numerous historical sources and regional folklores refer to the arrival of the merchant Brahmin Kaundinya from India and his subsequent marriage to the Nāga princess Soma, an event traditionally associated with the founding of the ancient Funan kingdom in Southeast Asia. While many accounts confirm Kaundinya's Indian origin, they often lack precise details about his background, leading to the development of varied legends across different traditions.These narratives, particularly prominent in Chinese historical sources and Southeast Asian oral traditions, evolved over time and incorporated mythological elements. The story has become a foundational legend in Khmer culture, where the union of Kaundinya and Soma is personified in the symbolic figures of "Preah Thong and Neang Neak".
Account
As per the legends, an Indian merchant ship was attacked by the pirates led by Soma, daughter of the chieftain of the local Nāga clan. The merchants led by Kaundinya fought back and fended off the attackers but the ship had been damaged and was beached for repairs. The Indians were wary of a second attack but Princess Soma was impressed by Kaundinya's bravery and proposed marriage, which was accepted as they had by then fallen in love. The union led to the foundation of the House which would rule Funan for many generations and the royal legitimacy of the dynasty was acquired through the female line in the kingdom. The founding myth also explains the reason why the serpent became an important part of Khmer iconography as is seen thousand years later when this mystical union remained an important part of the court ceremonies at Angkor during the era of the Khmer empire.Modern theories
Newly discovered DNA evidence, suggest there is some truth to the Khmer creation mythology. DNA sample taken from a protohistoric individual from the Wat Komnou cemetery at the Angkor Borei site in Cambodia contains substantial level of South Asian admixture.Radiocarbon dating result on the human bone indicate that this individual lived during the early period of Funan.
The history of maritime links along with the inscriptions analysis corresponding to the region can provide insights into the origins of Kaundinya in India. The origin of the name Kaundinya, which is not usually a common first name in India but a gotra of a group of Brahmins who lived on the eastern coastline of India especially along the Odisha-Andhra-Tamil coastline. Hence this corresponds to the ancient Kalinga region considering the early Indian mariners were trading from this region as evident from their ancient maritime history around 3rd century BC and the port of Palur which was referred to by Ptolemy as a prominent international port during the 2nd century CE. The links with Kalinga are also noted from the copper plate land grants given by the rulers of Kalinga to Kaundinya Brahmins who lived in the Mahendragiri region of Ganjam with the most notable one being the Ragolu inscription copper plate grant issued by the ruler Nandaprabhanjanavarman of the Pitrbhakta dynasty, the Shaivite customs mentioned in the Chinese work History of the Southern Dynasties during the reign of Kaundinya's descendant Jayavarman Kaundinya with regards to Mount Mo-tan in Funan, bearing affinity with the early Saivism and its relation to Mahendragiri mountain which was the prevalent religion during the reign of different dynasties of Kalinga and the diplomatic relations between Funan and the Murunda dynasty of northern Kalinga during 3rd cen CE, when King Dhamadamadhara of Murunda received envoy Su-Wu representing King Fan Chan of Funan.
As per other legends, he was the son of king Adityavamsa “Intapah” who was banished from Indraprastha, located about 20 miles south of Delhi, India.