The Crisis of the 13th century

The Crisis of the 13th centuryAnd the decline of Indian cultural influenceBefore the 13th centuryChampa and Dai Viet conflict led to the transfer of the capital of Champa to Binh-dinh areaDai Viet increased its pressure when the Ly Dynasty came to powerCambodia succeeded in occupying Champa twice in the 12th centuryThe Chams sacked Angkor in 1177Sanskrit culture continued to flourish through monuments and inscriptionsThe Pagan Dynasty was founded in BurmaThe literary arts blossomed in PaliIn 1190, the Indian Culture introduced Sinhalese BuddhismIn Cambodia, the Sanskrit culture is predominantly seen in inscriptions and temples built in the 12th centuryThe Khmer Empire had two high points during the 12th centurySuryavarman II led his armies to northern Vietnam and upper Menam ValleyJayavarman VII expanded the territory of the Khmer Empire

During the 12th century, the Indianized states were firmly rooted to their tradition and cultureThe influence of Indian culture was very much alive in their language and works of artTHE 13TH CENTURY CRISIScHAMPAThe capital and the political center was moved from My-sonA new conflict arose against Dai Viet and its new dynastyIn 1220, the Khmers ended their occupation in ChampaAfter this, King Jaya Parameshvaravarman II was enthronedHe demanded retrocession of the three northern provinces which are the major cause of conflict between them and Dai VietDai vietTran Thu Do founded the new dynastyHe arranged a marriage between his nephew, Tran Thai-tong, and the sister of the empressIn 1240, Tran Thai-tong immediately named his son the heir apparent and passed the throne in 1258Reforms of tran thai-tongProvincial AdministrationOfficial HierarchyPayment of TaxesPublic Works of IrrigationsWater ControlDAI VIETTran Thai-tong led an expedition against Champa in 1252Shortly after the expedition, the Mongols invaded Dai VietCambodiaStarted showing signs of strain due to territorial expansion and the burden imposed by the two great warrior and builder kingsTheir vulnerability was shown by the invasion of the Chams in 1177Their dependencies and possessions broke free due to internal conflictChen li fu and Lo-hu took advantage and broke their vassalagecambodiaThey lost hold over the Tais in Menam and their two main centers: Sukhodaya and Shri Sajjanalaya (Sawankhalok)These twin cities were frontiers of three cultural and political zones: Khmers, Mons and BurmesePha Muong conferred the title of Indrapatindraditya and married a Khmer princesscambodiaPha Muong struggled with the governor of Sukhodaya with the help of Bang Klang TaoHe proclaimed Bang Klang Tao as the King of SukhodayaThe Cambodians then lost the city but it was not catastrophic until the new kingdom displayed an expansionist policy over them The remains of Sukhodaya were evidences of pure Khmer style during the 12th centuryInvasion of the MongolsIn 1260, Kublai became the Grand KhanHe sought vassalage from the neighboring countries of the Sung EmpireThey failed to invade Japan in 1281 and a year after, they targeted Indochina

Invasion of the MongolsIn 1257, Uriyangadai invaded northern Vietnam and sent ambassadors to Tran Thai-tongThe Mongols took revenge by proceeding to the southHowever, the heir apparent came to aid which forced the Mongols to withdrawIn 1258, Tran Thanh-tong reigned Dai VietInvasion of the MongolsIt was during the reign of Tran Nhan-tong when they successfully resisted the Mongol attacksIn 1282, the Mongols attacked ChampaIndravarman V maintained a good relationship with Dai Viet by sending four embassiesThis action bore good fruit when the Mongols invadedInvasion of the MongolsThe Mongols sent invitations to Champa but were declinedKublai decided to lead an expedition but Dai Viet refused to let them pass their lands towards ChampaFor two years, the Chams, led by King Indravarman, and the Mongols had a guerrilla warfareSogetu returned to China in 1284Invasion of the MongolsKublai sent his son to lead an expedition which will travel in Dai Viet no matter what the costThey attacked Dai Viet but were forced to withdraw to China when they were defeated in the delta areaSogetu tried a rear attack in Champa but were ambushed and massacredIndravarman V decided to send an ambassador to KublaiInvasion of the MongolsSogetu, during his campaign against Champa, sent a small troop to attack the Khmer king in CambodiaJayavarman VIII captured them but decided to pay tribute to Kublai in 1285Then in 1295, Jayavarman VIII passed the throne to ShrindravarmanInvasion of the MongolsIn 1287, the capital of Dai Viet was again attacked by the Mongols but were unable to hold their groundTran Nhan-tong returned victorious but still tied vassalage with Kublai in 1288He gave the throne to Tran Anh-tong who sealed a matrimonial alliance with the Cham king, Che ManBut after Che Man, the Cham king did not recognize the treaty between Dai Viet and led an expeditionInvasion of the MongolsThe Mongols took revenge in Burma to make up for their defeat against Dai Viet in 1287Kublai sent ambassadors to the Burmese king but they were killedKublai avenged by killing the Burmese army occupying a Mongol territory There were several attempts by the Mongols but it posed no significance in their political campaignsInvasion of the MongolsTheir attacks led to the independence of the TaisIt was during this time when several principalities of Tai were founded and later became Shan StatesWhen the Mongols captured Pagan, it resulted to the disappearance of Burmese kingship and partition of territoriesMangrai, Ngam Muong and Rama Khamheng concluded their pact of friendshipConclusion and aftermathOf the 13th centuryBrought decline to of the Indianized kingdomsGrowth of a number of petty principalities and kingdoms ruled by TaisChange in membership of the ruling classesThe political upheaval was accompanied by cultural changesSanskrit was falling out of useThe last Sanskrit inscriptions date from 1253 in Champa and 1330 in CambodiaThe Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism gave way to a reformed type of Buddhism: Sinhalese BuddhismBuildings, statues and sculptures began to take contorted forms and were far from the Indian modelsIn Cambodia, only mere copies of Buddhist terraces and pagodas were erectedIn Burma, the art of Pagan cease to flourish when the capital fellThe Siamese style of Sukhodaya arose from the ruins of the 12th and 13th century artKing Lu Tai wrote in 1357One hundred and thirty nine years before this date, the age of men, which used to reach to a hundred years, fell below this figure. From that year, the nobles and the high dignitaries, the Brahmans and the wealthy merchants gradually ceased to occupy the first place in society; also from that time, astrologers and physicians lost their prestige; from that time on they were no longer respected.The year 1218 marked the closing date of the reign of Jayavarman VIIIIt marked the beginning of the emergence of Tai principalitiesIt was also when the Sinhalese Buddhism was introduced among the Tais