วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 12 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2560

Srivijaya Empire,the center was in Songkhla,Thailand


         
        
Srivijaya Empire, the center was in Songkhla,Thailand                  

                                                               Prajit  P. Prasad - Researcher


            The story of “Srivijaya Empire” and the location of it have become a topic of highly

controversial. Historians and archaeologists tried to pinpoint hypothesis but failed to do so

according  to the meager evidence. However,Thai historians have reluctantly suggested that

the capital of Srivijaya was on the peninsula of Thailand at the vicinity of Chaiya in Surat

Thani. Although some other historians have stated with the evidence based on the power

centralized  in Sumatra  and suggested  that Palembang was the center of Srivijaya. Have we 

accepted in such cases?.




I-ching, and excerpt of a scroll from I-ching’s Buddhist Monastic Tradition of  

Southern Asia, Tenri, Nara, Japan.



                                                                                                                                   
                                   
                                                                                                        
       To update the conclusions to meet with the present evidence  of  Srivijaya,

I myself, as the writer, accept the influence of Srivijaya  as they extended their domains to 

control  over the Malay Peninsula  as well as  the islands of  Java and  Sumatra. The story
  
of  Srivijaya  has always been interesting. It is worthwhile to follow the works of  the former

 historians as the professional in  this field  since they  supplied us  with the considering

evidence. But it is highly controversial and,of course, is necessary to add, pick or choose

what  to  accept and  what to discard. However, we have to  carefully  study  with  the

ancient documentary evidence, take them into conclusions and analyze the information

systematically with the adequate reference. Since the study on Srivijaya  has  not  yet  been

concluded, therefore, we have to investigate with  these available information  before

recommending and proposing the conclusions.


                                                                                                                                                 
              Most of the foreign historical records described Srivijaya in  normal  accounts except      

only  the written records of  I-ching, the  Chinese monk  who started his adventurous journey

to  Srivijaya  and India during  671-695 A.D.  The  written accounts described about  the time 

factor, distance, the number of dates related to the various local places, and climate at that

time.  These are valuable historical sources that have almost no written records of their

histories.

            Therefore, I-ching’s written  accounts  might be the solution that could  solve the

mystery of Srivijaya  throughout the early period, as the key clearly enough to pinpoint

the  hypothesis on Srivijaya  regarding the  names and places in Srivijaya history.



            Before  we  bring the reader to determine the various place - names in Srivijaya

history which, of course, very doubtful, we know for certain that the peninsula of Thailand

has a significant sources in history and archaeology. According to these information  we

focus on the establishment of the kingdom and the location of  the capital  that have been the

major subject of  disputes during the  last four or five decades.  

            In early time, scholars and historians tried to determine  the location of  the center of

Srivijaya Empire  compared with  various significant evidence such as fine arts and

monuments  of  Brahmanism and Buddhism. The art that developed in southern Thailand

during this period has thus termed “Srivijayan Art” which was related  to  the art  of the

Sailendra  Dynasty”.  Presumably, the sculptures found  in the peninsular  during   this

period  exhibit  a  similar style of the Pala art of Vajrayana  Buddhism from  Nalanda  in  the

northeastern India  that spread throughout the southeast Asia, China, and Java. Moreover,

the  archives and  interpretations referencing by both Thai and foreign experts tracing back

to the root, are the earliest proof of  its emergence and thriving of the kingdom of Srivijaya

since the 7th century where it was flourishing during 8th-9th centuries  as the Trading Empire

lying on the route between China in  the east, and India, Persia and Europe in the west.

            When  we say the  word “Srivijaya”, most of  the scholars at present, accept that       

professor George Coedes  produced this word in 1918 A.D. and located the centre of

Srivijaya  at  Palembang in the south of Sumatra. After that, the foreign scholars followed

Coedes’theory that  Srivijaya was at Palembang. However,the excavations at Palembang have

not yielded any significant evidence. According to the Sumatran inscriptions  including

with the Kedukan Buket inscription from Palembang, dated 682 A.D., there were five name

of  places and one name was the river.  Those inscriptions had been found at  Muara Takus,

Jambi, Lampung, and Palembang. One of  the inscription at Talang Tuwo ( Palembang) in

684 A.D. mentioned the name “Dapunta  Hiyam  Sri Jayanasa” who built a park called Sri

Ksetha for  the people. Ceramic and wares found  in Palembang might have been the 9th -10th

centuries which obviously was the  latest of  Srivijaya period.

            If  we  do not  accept that Palembang was  the capital of Srivijaya, some scholars

suggested that Chaiya was certainty the center of  Srivijaya since the  7th – 9th centuries or

before  that period ( such as Chand Chirayu Rajani M.C.,1999 A.D.,Sippanan Nuanla-ong,

2014 A.D.,Thammatas Banij,1991 A.D., and Nongkran Srichai, 2001 A.D.)

            Srivijaya is one of the various names which appeared throughout the history in the

documentary evidence and the inscriptions such as Bodhi, Sri -Bodhi, San-fo- tsi, Javaka,

Zabag, Fo-shih, and Shih-li-fo-shih.



I-ching’s sea route from Kwang-fu (Canton,China) to India (Tamralipti).



Details from a Pursian painting  showing  a  ship.  I-ching sailed  to the east 
coast of Malaya with cross - ocean ship (Poss- eu  or  Persian ship). 
On his way, he reached Fo-shih”(Srivijaya) in 671 A.D. 


To  find out the story of Srivijaya, from earliest time when folks learnt how to sail

crosswind. People set sail from  south  China when the northeastern Monsoon blew and 

sailed before the wind to the east coast of Malaya with cross - ocean ship ( such as  poss- eu

or  Persian ship) plying between China and Far East. I-ching, the Chinese monk who started

his  journey from  China to India,  on his way, he reached “Fo-shih”(Srivijaya)   in

671 A.D.  I -ching described Srivijaya as a confederation of  states with 10 colony states

He spent six months learning Sabdavidya  (Sanskrit grammar) before he left for India.                  

From  Fo-shih, he sailed down the east coast for around  fifteen days to the  country of 

Mo-lo-yu (Jambi) where he stayed for two months. From Mo-lo-yu, he  went in the other

direction up  the  west coast and through  the Malacca strait for another fifteen days to

Chieh-cha (Kedah). In  winter he embarked on the king’s ship and sailed to India and studied

at  Nalanda  for thirteen years (673-685 A.D.)

            According  to I-ching, the kingdom of Ho-ling was due east of  Fo-shih at  a  distance

that  could be covered in a sea journey of  four days. Ho-ling, or Po-ling  as  I-ching stated

some people pronounced the name; was from  the combination of the  word “Bodhi” and

Galinga”. Bodhi is a name of a tree and Galinga, at that time  was  the name  of  Indian

tribes “Galingaras” who  had moved from India to Malay Peninsula to establish  their

domicile at Ho-ling and Fo-shih. R.C. Majumdar, an archaeologist and  historian  suggested

that Galinga  had been moving in as refugees from  the war risks in India in the 6th century.

The Chalukya Dynasty attacked the key port cities of  Ganga  and  Sairodbhava Dynasty

where Galinga was one of the target for foreign  power  that would last over a hundred year.

Probably,the word “Maharaja” is not  a  personal name. It appeared only in Misore and 

Galinga state under Ganga Dynasty. It might have been intimidated by this  word as a generic

name or the title of the Sailendra king ruling in India in  the 6th century.

            However, Srivijayan capital  in the Malay Peninsula became  an important  center

of the Vajrayana Buddhism  from  Nalanda in the northeastern India and spread over to

China and Java during 7th- 9th  century AD. This influence had extended to the  kingdom of

Srivijaya.  It was the evidence that in Java, the Sailendra king of Srivijaya (king Vishnu)

had ordered  the construction of  Borobudur,one of the largest and most magnificent of 

Buddhist monumental building in the world.


An inscription discovered at Wat Wiang, Chaiya, dated 775 A.D., showed that        

 the kingdom was called “Srivijaya”.   However, the  rulers of Chaiya were related to the

Sailendra Dynasty  in  India, so that, it could have been the origin of  the Sailendra 

Dynasty in  the peninsula as  the name “Galinga” had obviously been related to the word            

“Ho-ling”.


            In 685A.D., I-ching  returned  the same way from India to China. While in Mo-lo-yu

he  mentioned that ”After a month, we come to the country of Mo-lo-yu which has now

become  Fo-shih” I-ching stayed in Fo-shih during 687-695A.D. for eight years to translate

original  Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures into Chinese. I-ching praised the high level of Buddhist 

scholarship in Srivijaya. According to I-ching’s notes, he mentioned that:-

“In  the fortified  city of  Fo-shih, there are more than a thousand monks in the city

whose minds are bent on learning  and  good practice. They investigate  and study all the

subjects that exist just as in India. The rules and ceremonies are not at all different. If  a

Chinese priest  wishes to go to the west in order to hear and read the original scriptures,

he had better stay here one or two years and practice the proper rules.

 Many of the kings and chieftains in the islands of the Southern Sea admire and

 believe in Buddhism, and their hearts are set on accumulating good actions”

            From I-ching’s records and memoirs we gather the following facts:-

1        Fo-shih, the capital, was on the river “Fo-shih”, and it was the chief trading port

      with  China.

2        In 665A.D., Huai-ning, the Chinese monk, went to the state of Ho-ling or Po-ling 

     as I-ching stated some people pronounced the name, as reference by the

     biographics  of  the Chinese pilgrims  to India  which I-ching has compiled. We

     are also told that  Hui-ning on his way to India, stopped for three years in Ho-ling,

     and, in  collaboration with a local monk calledJnanabhadra,translated several

     scriptural  texts.



         In 689A.D.,I-ching described that Ho-ling, Tan-tan(Don-din of  the history of Sui),    

and  Pan-pan (I-ching called Pu-pen), all these states became subordinate to the new state of

Fo-shih (Srivijaya). In fact, the country was named “Shih-li-fo-shih”.

            For over a half century, Srivijaya  has been  the major subject of disputes as its

location  remained in obscurities. With these basic uncertainties, we cannot discuss properly

the  history  of ancient Southeast Asia. Some  historians talked about “Mandala”, but  it

explains nothing. What state was the center of the ancient kingdom (Srivijaya), and

where  was it?  Had the ancient state named “Fo-shih” been inexistence at that time? or

was Chaiya a capital of Srivijaya?  Such problems inevitably dominated among the topic

of  discussions.

            To find the lacation of Fo-shih, we have to check I-ching”s itinerary that could bring

the information such as name of places, the duration of times, and distance among the places.

We found that the people at the olden times compared the shadow (with the dial-plate)  to

communicate  with each other  at the place of  observation. We know that the world is round,

so that, at the same time of  day, day of year  and month, the shadow length should be  

different  depends on the area of observation. I would like to know whether I-ching’s

statements about  the  sundial readings based on the observations could be the solution to the

location  of  the capital of Srivijaya since the 6th and 7th centuries. I-ching’s “sundial

readings” would  help  us  to  locate several of  I-ching’s toponyms, such as Fo-shih, Ho-

ling,and Mo-lo-yu. Therefore, it might be the tremendous changes of the history of  Southeast

Asia  especially in  the southern part of Thailand.


From  the geographical information,we have:-

Chaiya district is  at  the north latitude 9 degrees and 8minutes.

                        (The  sun is  over head on the 15th of April and the 30th of August)

Palembang (old  habour,Chiu-chiang)  is  at  the south latitude 3 degrees.                   

                        (The  sun is  over head on the 14th of  March and the 1st of October)


The location  of  “Fo-shih”  and  “Ho-ling” within the Srivijaya  kingdom 
by the archaeologists  and  historians.




Professor P.J.Bee  worked  out for the location of Srivijaya  in his book “ The Hsin

 Tang Shu, pagssage about Pan Pan” in 1974A.D.  He calculated the location of the capital

using  the information  given in the New Tang History (Hsin Tang Shu)  pointed to the north   

latitude of  6 degrees and  7 minutes and at  that time it was called Shih-li-fo-shih.

      When  we check with I-ching’s itinerary and the sundial readings (gnomon readings),    

the  information  are  as follows:-

            -“In the country of Shih-li-fo-shih, we see the shadow of the dial-plate become neither

long  nor short (i.e.”remain unchanged” or “no shadow”) in the middle of the eight month

(autumn equinox) and at  midday no shadow falls from a man who  stands on that day, so it

is  in the middle of spring(vernal equinox)”.

            -“At  Mo-lo-yu, at  midday,  no shadow falls from a man who  stands on that day”.

It  means that Mo-lo-yu  was on the equator.

            -“At Ho-ling, at noon  on the  day of the summer solstice (on the 21st of June),

a gnomon 8 sh’ih in height  casts a  southern shadow 2 sh’ih 5 fs’un in height”. It  means that

Ho-ling was  above  the equator. (note: sh’ih = foot, and  fs’un = inch  in English scale).

            -“At Fo-shih, at noon  on the  day of the summer solstice, a gnomon 8 sh’ih in

height  casts a  southern shadow 2 sh’ih 4 fs’un in height”. It  means that Fo-shih was at

the  north of  the equator  not far from Ho-ling and it was slightly higher than Ho-ling

(north of  Ho-ling). 

To  compensate the tilt of the rotation axis of the earth (ɛ)

        With  the information of the article of Mr. Nipon  Saipet, the astronomer of

“The Thai Astronomical Society”, presenting to the scholars of the Science Society

in  2001 A.D.  as follows:-

       Seasons on the earth are due to the tilt of the rotation axis of the earth with  
               
respect  to the normal to the plane of the orbit  of the earth about the sun. ( see

figure)  This calls the “obliquity” and  its symbol  is  ɛ

        Nowadays, this angle (ɛ1) is about 23˚ 26΄ 22˝ ( 23.439444444˚) which  is

the  latitude of the  tropic of  cancer.

        ɛ will  be decreasing to the minimum value 22.6˚ within 10,200  years.                 
After that, this value will be gradually increasing to reach the maximum value of  24.2˚.            

 Around 10,000 years ago, we  obtained this maximum value.

          We cannot use today’s value ( 23˚ 26΄ 22˝) for  the calculation because of  the errors.

Therefore , we  must compensate with some value to obtain  the  real  obliquity value (ɛ2) 

that had happened during the time of  I-Ching’s journey  to the ten  states of the  southern

seas in 687 A.D. when  he returned   from  India  and stayed  in  the kingdom  of Srivijaya.

From  the calculation we could obtain   ɛ2 = 23˚ 32΄ 25˝

It  means in the year 687 A.D., the value of the tropic of  cancer (ɛ2) was

23˚ 32΄ 25˝.   We  use this value (ɛ2) in our calculation  compare to the time  when

I-Ching stayed in the fortified city of Fo-shih  and the state of  Ho-ling.




From  the  calculations, we  could have:-

-Fo-shih  was  at  the latitude 7 degrees and 17 minutes north.

            -Ho-ling  was  at  the latitude 6 degrees and 44 minutes north.            

            Since  Chaiya district is situated at the latitude 9 degrees and 8 minutes north, so that,

Chaiya was not the Fo-shih  state. Also, Nakhon si Thammarat (or Tambralinga) is at the

latitude 8 degrees and 25 minutes north, it was not the Ho-ling state eventhough Nakhon si

Thammarat is obviously at the east coast of  Chaiya. It  was the  misunderstanding or

misplace since we  studied the history of  Srivijaya.   I-ching also pointed out  that Ho-ling

was due east  of the city of  Fo-shih at  a distance that  could be covered in a sea journey of 

four days. The exact location  could  obtain  only from  the calculation which is one of  the 

solution  regarding  Srivijaya  History.

            Therefore, both  Fo-shih  and Ho-ling can be located  with certainty by the

calculations  as  follows:-
           
7 degrees and 17 minutes north is Singhanakhon district in Songkla province      

in South  Thailand.

And.   6 degrees and 44 minutes north is  Yarang district (Langkasuka) in Pattani province

in  South  Thailand.

            Was  it probably that I-ching stayed in Singhanakhon (Chalair sub-district) for six

months to study Sanskrit ?  If this was true, then  he went on board the king’s ship to the

country of Mo-lo-yu  and  arrived there after fifteen days’ sail at a distance of around 1,100 

kilometers.

If  this was possible, it means:-

   ……I-ching  departed from Kwang-fu(Canton) in 671A.D. and after twenty days’ sail  he

was  in Fo-shih (this can be possible). From Fo-shih, he  reached Mo-lo-yu after fifteen days

and  stayed there ( also, this can be possible). Starting the journey from Fo-shih, he could

sail  toward the  south covered with around 70 sea-kilometers per day. Please be noted that,

from  Mo-lo-yu to Palembang (old habour)  could possibly be in five days’sail. The journey  

between  Palembang and Mo-lo-yu  took only a few days not in 15 days as I-ching stated

in  his  itinerary  from Fo-shih  to  Mo-lo-yu.                                                                        

            We  have quite frequent  questions for the Palembang  theory on  I-ching. Did  I-ching

go  to Palembang  within  20 days from Kwang-fu (Canton)?  It might be physically

impossible  to  reach  the old port of  Palembang within  20 days. I-ching also wrote that  it

took  more than one month from  Mo-lo-yu  to Kwang-fu.  Mo-lo-yu (Jambi) was nearer than

Palembang  to Kwang-fu. Therefore, from Kwang-fu to Palembang was  much  longer taking

twice  of the 20 days’ sailing time. This explains why the kingdom of  Srivijaya, the “Shih-li-

fo-shih” of  Chinese document  was not Palembang(old habour) at  that  time.
Fo-shih  attacked Mo-lo-yu  and Palembang.                                                                       

In  685A.D., I-ching embarked  on a  ship from Chieh-cha (Kedah) for the south.

After a month, in 686 A.D., he arrived in the country of  Mo-lo-yu  which had become

Fo-shih.  He arrived in the first or second Chinese lunar month generally in February or

March. At Mo-lo-yu, he measured the shadow length of 8 sh’ih (R ) bar  and  found that at

midday  no  shadow falls  from  a  standing  person ( equal to 0 ).

            The  quoted sentence is an explanation of how Mo-lo-yu become Fo-shih. We  should

explain  why Mo-lo-yu  had become the vassal state of  Srivijaya (Fo-shih). At  that  time, in

682 A.D., the king Sri Jayanasa was the Maharaja of Srivijaya. He  was probably  a  prince

who was made Commander - in- Chief  of  the Srivijaya expedition that conquered 

Palembang as mentioned in ” the South Sumatran inscriptions”. Srivijaya (Fo-shih) based in 

the Malay Peninsula  sent  big  navy to the South of Sumatra and conquered Jambi (or Mo-

lo-yu)  and Palembang to control the whole Malacca strait.

            Rokuro  Kuwata, a  Japanese scholar, made several points  regarding Chih-tu (The

Red  Earth  Land).  In 607 A.D.,Chang-chun was sent as an envoy from Sui court  to

Chih-tu. Rokuro  Kuwata  compared with several evidence and concluded that Chih-tu had

become “Shih-li-fo-shi” as  the capital  of  the region.  In 670-673 A.D., the  king Ho-mi-to 

of  Shih-li-fo- shih  sent envoy to  the  great Tang. Rokuro Kuwata  made a point that Shih-li-

fo-shih  sent  envoys  instead of  Chih-tu  as  it  was “the  same  state”.They sent 8 embassies

to the Tang court during 670-742 A.D.  I-ching  also recorded that the king of Fo-shih (Ho-

mi-to)possessed ships,probably for commerce, sailing between India and Chieh- cha (Kedah).

            According  to  the records  on  Chang-chun’s story of “Chih-tu, the Book of Sui”,

Chih-tu  was  located among the South Sea, the northwards  it faced the ocean, and  the

southwards  was “Ho-lo-tan”.  Ho-lo-tan was probably the same as “Tan-tan” which

mentioned  in  I-ching’s written records.
            Ho-lo-tan ( Kelantan) was located on  the east coast of  the Malay Peninsula.        

In  the  Song Shu ( the first Song or Lieu Song ), there  is a  description of  Ho-lo-tan

and  the  relations with Java Shu. Ho-lo-tan  sent  embassies to  the  first Song during

430-452  A.D. and stopped suddenly(Srivijaya  towards Chaiya,Takashi Suzuki, 2012AD).

            According  to  Sui Shu, Tan-tan (Ho-lo-tan)  is  situated in the northwest of Taruma

(West  Java). There  are around 20,000 families. The king holds audiences for two times

every  day. The king  has eight senior ministries who are Brahmans, and the government

style  is  Indian. It  means the location we could expect was the Malay Peninsula  and  not

Sumatra.

            Tan-tan  sent embassy to China as tributary country in 531A.D.  An envoy from  

Tan - tan presented to the Liang court namely 2 ivory images, 2 stupas, fine pearls, cotton

fabrics, various perfumes and drugs.

            According to the  History of Song Dynasty(960-1279A.D.), there  was a country in the 

south sea  called “ San-fo-tsi”. After Sailendra was expelled from Java, the major Srivijaya

city-states  formed  a new allied state, called San-fo-tsi  which was easily approved by the

Song  Dynasty  as the former successor of Shih-li-fo-shih. However, the Song did not know 

the  relation  between Shih-li-fo-shih, the first Srivijaya and San-fo-tsi. When Srivijaya  

group  formed “San-fo-tsi”, the  leader of San-fo-tsi  is unknown.  Anyway, the Sailendra 

could  have established the full hegemony and it is the firm evidence that Shih-li-fo-shih

was  the predecessor of San-fo-tsi. San-fo-tsi sent its envoy to the Tang in 904 A.D.

            I-ching also mentioned that, Fo-shih, the capital was on  the river ”Fo-shih

(the name was  same as  the city).  It  was the  chief trading port with China. The river

 Fo-shih  is  obviously a stream channel of  landform between the Satingpra  cape  and

Nang-kham  island  in  Songkla  lake. There is  a  spectacular view in front as the island

is  located  across  the vast lake so it appears like the channel is a wild river flowing from

the  north  to  the  south side.                                                                                                

Another  entrepột  recorded  by the Chinese annalist is  Pan-pan . Ma-tuan-lin

recorded  about  Pan-pan  in the 6th century. The Chinese chronicler  recorded that Pan-pan 

was  a  small state with no solid city wall and poorly equipped army. The ordinary people

lived  mostly by the water-side, and in default of city walls erected palisades entirely of short

wood.  Ma Tuan-lin, relates that the arrows employed in the kingdom of Pan-pan were

tipped with heads made of a very hard stone; spears are fitted with blades sharpened on their

double cutting edges. Pan-pan  was bordered  by another polity, Langkasuka (Wheatley,

1961:48). We know  something of  the  rituals of the court of Pan-pan. When the king held

audiences, he  was wont to lounge upon a gilt  couch shaped like a dragon. The dignitaries  of

his  entourage  attended  in  a kneeling posture in front of him, the body erect, and the arms

crossed  in such a  manner that the hands rest upon the  shoulders. At  his court  may be seen

many Brahmans,who had come from  India  in order to profit by his munificence. The  king

 favoured  the Indian Brahmans,but there were also Buddhists in the kingdom.



 According  to  the Tong-dian,compiled  by Du-you in 801 A.D., Pan-pan in the  6th

century AD, was as follows:-                                                                                                 

” There are  ten  monasteries where Buddhist monks and nuns study their canon.

They  eat  all  types of meat but refrain from wine. There is also one monastery of 

“Daoshis”( religiously advanced devotees; Rishi –Hindu Indian priest ) who partake neither

of meat nor wine. They study the classic of  the  Asura  king ( Ramayana), but they enjoy no

great respect. The ordinary  Buddhist priests are commonly  called  “ pi-chu” ( bhiku  for

male, and bhikuni  for female), the  others “tan” ( Tan  means “Sir”)”.




Details from a Chinese painting  showing  an emissary from Langkasuka 
(Achito, 515 A.D.) with  description of  the  kingdom calld "Lang-ya-hsiu". 
Liang Dynasty’s painting  dated during 526-539 A.D.



Srivijaya Empire, the center was in Songkhla,Thailand 
Prajit P. Prasad , Bangkok, Thailand
Email  : pranjicprasad@gmail.com
                                     

The article was reported in Thai in the monthly magazine Art&Culture,
on  the 9th of  July,2015(7 th  issue  of  the  year  2015).

Preliminary  report  submitted  by Prajit P. Prasad, who  during  the time was  doing  part of  this paper  since July, 2014



References:-                                                                                                                       

1) The Vestige of Srivijaya by Nongkran  Srichai, published in  A.D.2001.

2) The History of Indian Ocean by Dr. Tida Saraya, Muangboran press,A.D.2011. 

3) The Flourish of Dharmaratpura as recorded in the Southern Chronicle by Dharmatart

Panich, The first  meeting and seminar on the Nakhon si Thammarat History, Bangkok:

A.D. 1982.

4) The Historical Evidence of Srivijaya Empire by Chand Chirayu Rajani  M.C.,

The second meeting and seminar on the Nakhon si Thammarat  History, Bangkok :

A.D. 1982.

5) Tambralinga, Srivijaya, the Forgotten Kingdom  by police general  Sanpet

Dharmathikul, published in  A.D. 1995.

6) The article “ The Tilt of the Rotation Axis of the Earth” by Nipon Saipet, presented  at

the  meeting  of  the Royal Scholars, Science Academy, on the 17th of January, A.D.2001.





Vishnu stone; 6th-7th century A.D.
Discovered  at the ancient city pillar in Muang  district, Songkla  province.
On displayed  at the National Museum, Songkla.





Body of Vishnu stone; 7th century A.D.
Discovered  at Khun Chang temple, Ranode  district, Songkla  province.
On displayed  at the National Museum, Songkla.





Shiva bronz; 9th-10th century A.D.
Discovered  at  Nong Hoy in Wat Khanun  subdistrict,Songkla province.
On displayed  at the National Museum, Songkla.




Shiva-lingam;7th - 8th century A.D.
Discovered  at Ban Pangpao, Satingpra  district, Songkla  province.
On displayed  at the National Museum, Songkla.



View  from Satingpra cape to Songkla lake ( Nangkham island) in 
the west. Where it was seen as a river “Bodhi” by I-ching, 
a Chinese visitor in 687 A.D. Sulaiman, an Arab traveler in 851 A.D., 
also called  the  river  by  the name “Sea-large”, which  was flowing 
to  the  sea.



  


 View from the Tigris  River.
This  was  recorded  by an  Arab  traveller (Sulaiman,851 A.D.), 
who  looked at  the Songkla lake. He  saw  the Nangkham  island 
and described the scenery in  front  similarly  to  the  silt  deposited  
in  the  Tigris  river, flowing  to Baghdad and  Basra.
                  





 The tilt of the rotation axis of the earth (ɛ)

 Note : Refer to the article  of  Nipon  Saipet, The President  of “ The Thai Astronomical Society” ,presented  at  the  meeting  of  the Royal Scholars, Science Academy, on the 17th of January, A.D.2001.












Map of  Songkhla (Fo-shih) and  Pattani (Ho-ling,
Langkasuka)