The Hindu Art and Architecture in Angkor

I

"What do they know of India who only India know?" This is the overwhelming impression which remains in the mind of the Indian traveller who contemplates the great ruins of Hindu architecture at Angkor in Cambodia. Something of the same impression is felt under the influence of the wonderful stupa at Borobudur, in Java. But this impression will only be his who has freed himself from the ordinary boundary lines of Hindu tradition which thinks of India as only Hindu in religion, and who has incorporated the Buddhist stream of spiritual thought as a part of India's gift to the world. But more than in Java, the impression is overwhelming at Angkor. The stupendous nature of the great temple at Angkor is indescribable on paper, and any attempt to describe it is bound always to be a failure.

The ruins in the Province of Cambodia are the remains of a great epoch in Indian civilisation of which little is known in India. The story has to be deciphered from the monuments and inscriptions found in them. This scholarly work has been done almost exclusively by French savants. Most of us in India are scarce aware of the great contribution of French Orientalists in the domain of Sanskrit studies. The names of Buronuf, Senart, Barth, St. Hilaire. Sylvain Levi, de la Vallee, Poussin and others, are scarcely known, except to the few who specialize in Sanskrit studies and read French. The knowledge which we have concerning Hindu civilisation in Cambodia comes from French scholars who have steadily worked on the subject since the first discovery of the ruins. Indeed, but for the insistence of these French enthusiasts, the ruins of Angkor would probably still be lying buried in the jungle. In the development of the imperialist policy of France, a clash took place between Indo-China, a colony of France, and Siam. For a considerable time, France had a Protectorate over Siam. This Protectorate ended in 1907, but when the treaty was signed, France arranged to have that part of Siamese Cambodia, in which are the ruins, incorporated as a part of French Cambodia. Of course this was a piece of imperialistic robbery at the expense of Siam. But the action was due to the influence brought to bear upon the French Colonial Office by the French orientalists. It is probably the only instance of imperialistic robbery which has helped the expansion of cultural ideas. For, had Siam continued in possession of the ruins, they would probably be still covered by the jungle, for Siam has little interest in ruins, nor has she the necessary funds for their exploration. France, however, having added to Cambodia this precious bit of territory, set to work to clear the jungle, and it is to her Colonial governors, under the impetus of French orientalists, that we have the excellent condition of the ruins today. Roads have been opened to them, and a curator established. If one can travel to the ruins today with convenience, it is because France has taken a pride in Angkor, and has made it accessible to the world’s enthusiasts.

Though there are as yet many doubtful points of history, nevertheless it is possible to gain a general idea of what happened, and the story narrated by the French scholars from the inscriptions is briefly as follows.

There is really no historical record when Indian migration first began towards Cambodia and Sumatra and Java. It is not known how many waves of migration there were, nor how many centuries before the Christian era the first wave took place. So far as the traditions go, the first wave to Cambodia was about the first century after Christ. A Brahmin, Kaundinya by name, is said to have founded the kingdom of Founan on the lower reaches of the river Mekong. It appears, though the point is not certain, that he took for wife some princess of the land by name Soma. From Kaundinya arose a dynasty of kings. But their history disappears, till the kingdom of Founan is conquered by another kingdom further north, founded about 400 A. D. by a Hindu named Kambu. His greatness as a ruler and conqueror is attested by the fact that he was called Kambu Svayambhuva, in imitation of the well known name of the Hindu Manu. It is after Kambu that his descendants were called Kambuja, the people of Kambu. Tradition says that Kambu took for wife the Apsaras Mera, which probably is an euphemistic way of saying that he took for wife one of the non-Hindu women of the land. It is from the word Kambuja that we have the modern word Cambodia.

The first really historical indication of the rulers of Cambodia is found in the name Rudra-Varman. From his time all the kings have the designation Varman. The following list of rulers is that found in Hachette’s Guide, which contains a summary of the work and speculations of French scholars.

LEGENDARY PERIOD

100 A.D. Kingdom of Founan; founded by Kaundinya-Soma

400 A.D. Kingdom of Kambujas: founded by Kambu Svayambhuva-Apsaras Mera

PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD

Rudra-Varman.

550 Shreshtha-V.^l

Bhava-V. I.
Mahendra-V.

610 Ishana-V.

635 Bhava-V. II.

Jaya-V.

ANGKOR PERIOD

802 Jaya-V. II. Parameshvara

869 Jaya-V. III. Vishnuloka

877 Indra-V. Ishvaraloka

889 Yasho-V. Paramashivaloka

910 Harsha-V. Rudraloka

928 Ishana- V. II. Paramarudraloka

Jaya-V. IV: Paramashivapada

942 Harsha-V. II. Brahmaloka

944 Rajendra-V. Shivaloka

968 Jaya-V. V. Paramaviraloka

1001 Udaditya-V. I.

1002 Jayavira-V.

Surya-V. I. Parama-nirvanapada

1049 Udaditya-V. II.

1065 Harsha-V. III. Sadashivapada

1090 Jaya-V. VI. Paramakaivalyapada

1103 Dharanindra-V. I. Paramanishkalapada

1112 Surya-V. II. Paramavishnuloka

Built Angkor-Vat

1152 Harsha-V. IV.

1152 Dharanindra-V. II. War with Champa

1182 Jaya- Varman VII. Paramasangata. Last great King of Cambodia

1400 Angkor Thom abandoned to Siamese conquerors.

Rise of An-nam

1642 Cambodia expels Ibrahim, becomes vassal of An-nam.

1774 Pigneau de Behane, Bishop of An-nam saves King of An-nam

Entry of France

1907 Cession of Angkor to Cambodia.

1909 King Sisowath (Shri Svasti) greets ancestors at Angkor

l ‘V’ stands for ‘Varman.’