Langkasuka

Langkasuka
1st century–15th century
Possible extent of the Langkasuka kingdom
Possible extent of the Langkasuka kingdom
Religion
Hindu-Buddhist
GovernmentMonarchy
Raja 
History 
• Established
1st century
• Disestablished
15th century
 Succeeded by
Pattani Kingdom
Today part ofMalaysia
Thailand

Langkasuka was an ancient Hindu-Buddhist kingdom located in the Malay Peninsula.[1][2] Langkasuka flourished from the 200s to the 1500s as the oldest kingdom in the Malay Peninsula, believed to have been established by descendants of Ashoka the Great.[3] The name is Sanskrit in origin; it is thought to be a combination of langkha for "resplendent land" [4]-sukkha for "bliss".[5] The kingdom, along with Old Kedah, is among the earliest kingdoms founded on the Malay Peninsula. The exact location of the kingdom is of some debate, but archaeological discoveries at Yarang near Pattani, Thailand suggest a probable location. The kingdom is proposed to have been established in the 1st century, perhaps between 80 and 100 AD.[6]

According to the legend given in the Kedah Annals, the kingdom was founded and named by Merong Mahawangsa. Another proposal suggests that the name may have been derived from langkha and Ashoka, the Mauryan Hindu warrior king who eventually became a pacifist after embracing the ideals espoused in Buddhism, and that the early Indian colonizers of the Malayic Isthmus named the kingdom Langkasuka in his honour.[7] Chinese historical sources provided some information on the kingdom and recorded a king Bhagadatta who sent envoys to the Chinese court.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference guy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Proceedings of The 6th MAC 2016. MAC Prague consulting. 2016-02-16. p. 211. ISBN 978-80-88085-05-8.
  3. ^ Ringmar, Erik (2019). History of International Relations - A Non-European Perspective. Langkasuka, 200s-1500s, the oldest kingdom in the Malay Peninsula thought to have been created by descendants of Ashoka the Great. Mixing Hindu, Buddhist and Malay culture..
  4. ^ J. Dodiya, Critical Perspectives on the Rāmāyaṇa, Sarup & Sons, 2001, p. 166-181
  5. ^ https://www.learnsanskrit.cc/translate?search=sukha&dir=se
  6. ^ Grabowsky, Volker (1995). Regions and National Integration in Thailand, 1892-1992. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 978-3-447-03608-5.
  7. ^ W. Linehan (April 1948). "Langkasuka The Island of Asoka". Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 21 (1 (144)): 119–123. JSTOR 41560480.