Bhavavarman I

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Bhavavarman I was a king of the Cambodian kingdom of Kamboja, which would later become the Khmer empire. Though the full dates of his reign are unknown, it is known that he reigned around the year 598.

Bhavavarman's queen was named Kambuja-raja-lakshmi, and it was through her that he inherited the royal lineage. He was also very likely the grandson of the king of Funan, a neighboring and more powerful Cambodian kingdom.

The main accomplishment of Bhavavarman's reign was the expansion of Kamboja into the Mekong river valley, attacking both Funan and Champa, an ancient Vietnamese kingdom. The reasons for these attacks are not clear, but most likely revolve around the accession of Rudravarman to the Funan throne; Rudravarman killed the legitimate heir to the throne, and Bhavavarman may have seen himself as a rightful member of that lineage. It is not clear, however, if he wanted to claim the throne of Funan for himself, or to simply see Rudravarman unseated so that the next legitimate heir could take it.

He was succeeded by his brother Chitrasena, who took the reign name Mahendravarman. Chinese records of the time indicate that Chitrasena was responsible for more of the conquests and battles than his brother, but it seems fair to assume that these were the actions of both kings. The Chinese records also indicate that, around this time at the beginning of the 7th century, the king of Funan was replaced, and that the new king was a 'wicked king' who did not support Buddhism; either Bhavavarman or his brother could fit that definition, as both belonged to the traditional Shivaite religion of Kamboja.

Preceded by: Unknown

Kamboja King c. 598

Succeeded by: Mahendravarman

[edit] Reference

• Coedes, G. (1962). "The Making of South-east Asia." London: Cox & Wyman Ltd.