Sri Mara (Cham: ꨦꨴꨫ ꨠꨩꨣ, Khmer: ឝ្រី មារ, Thai: ศรีมาระ fl. 137 or 192 AD), also known as Khu Liên or Ou Lian (Chinese: 甌連), was the founder of the kingdom of Champa.[1][2]: 43 He was originally a local official of Xianglin (Tượng Lâm), then under the rule of the Chinese Eastern Han dynasty.
| Sri Mara | |
|---|---|
| King of Champa (Lâm Ấp) | |
| Reign | 192 CE |
| Predecessor | Inaugural holder |
| Successor | Phạm Hùng? |
| Born | Xianglin, Rinan Commandery, Han China |
Biography
He is known in Chinese records as Ōu Lián (甌連), or Zhulian, which in Vietnamese pronunciation is Khu Liên (also 甌連). Attempts have also been made to identify Sri Mara with Fan Shiman (范師蔓) of Funan (circa 230 CE).[3][4][5] on a stele recorded as Sri Mara (Chinese 释利摩罗).[6]
He was born in Tượng Lâm (Vietnamese pronunciation of Chinese 象林, in what is today Thừa Thiên Huế province in Central Vietnam) an area of tension between the Han dynasty and the natives of Lâm Ấp (Vietnamese pronunciation of Chinese Lin Yi 林邑, the precursor to Champa). In 137 or 192 AD,[7] he defeated the Chinese prefect and declared himself king of Lin-yi.[8]: 323 This is considered the official founding of Champa, though Cham legend dates the founding to be much earlier.[9]
In 248, he led the Cham in looting and razing Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen. The Cham then defeated the fleet sent to repulse them, at Bay of the Battle.[10]: 26–27