Lost Kingdom of Champa (192 - 1832) in Mee Champa · Halal Pho · Sejarah Melayu Chapter 19

Eighth century Cham temple dedicated to Lord Shiva

Chapter 19 of the Malay Annals contains the genealogy of the kingdom of Champa which existed for 1,640 years (from 192 - 1832) in today's central and part of southern Vietnam. The Malay Annals also recorded the diaspora of Cham royalty following Champa's defeat by the Vietnamese in the 1400s (during the heyday of the Malacca sultanate).

*I am studying the Malay Annals for insights into the roots of Malay cuisine.

Today, Cham people have neither their old country nor kingdom, but there is still Cham culture, monuments and cuisine such as mee Champa and Saraman curry.

Champa territory at its height 1360 - 1390

The Chams were Hindus with close trade, cultural and familial ties with their contemporaries in southern India (Chola empire) and in Indonesia (Srivijaya and Majapahit empire).

Indochina in 1100

The kingdom of Champa was invaded and defeated by the kingdom of Cochi (Malay for Đại Việt) in 1471 forcing its people to flee across the seas to the Malay peninsula and archipelago. The Champa king was killed.

One of Champa's princes fled to north Sumatra while another to the Malacca sultanate. Sultan Mansur Shah (reign 1459 to 1477) granted asylum to the Champa prince Shah Indra Brama and appointed him one of Malacca's ministers. The Cham people embraced Islam after fleeing to the Malay world.

Remains of Cham temple in Phan Rang

Champa's last holdout Panduranja (today's Phan Rang - Tháp Chàm in Central Vietnam) held out till 1832 when it was annexed by the Vietnamese Nguyễn dynasty and the Champa kingdom ceased to exist completely.

The Chams remained a community despite not having a country or kingdom. Many left their homeland in different waves through the centuries since the fall of Champa. The Cham diaspora live in Cambodia, Malaysia and even the USA (mainly in Seattle). The 500,000 strong Cham minority remaining in Vietnam is one of 53 minority groups in Vietnam today. Today, most Chams are Muslim.

Mee Champa can be found in street food stalls in Vietnam, Cambodia and also in Malaysia (especially in Kelantan and Terengganu states on the east coast of the Peninsula). Where there are Chams, there is mee Champa. 

Mee Champa and the Vietnamese national dish pho share many common features. Mee Champa probably emerged after the fall of Champa to the Vietnamese and the Chams' conversion to Islam (in the late 1400s). The Chams were previously Hindus who do not take beef. 

Mee Champa is served in bowls of rice noodles (same as those used in Vietnam's pho) in a broth made with beef, onion, shallot, lengkuas, coriander root, galangal, roasted dried squid, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and spices such as black pepper, star anise and cinnamon. The rice noodle soup is topped with boiled beef slices and garnished with fried garlic, bean sprout, chopped coriander, parsley, spring onion, lime and optional chili paste. 

The rice noodles are slurpy smooth, soaking in and infusing the beefy umami savoury sweet flavours of the soup. The toppings and garnishing add textures, aromatics and flavours to the beefy dish.

Mee Champa in Terengganu, Malaysia

If you come across mee Champa (in Cambodia, Vietnam or Malaysia), don't miss it. It is delicious and you are tasting an artefact of a lost kingdom!

Sejarah Melayu compiled in Jawi by regent of Johor, Yang di-Pertuan Di Hilir Raja Abdullah in 1612, translated into English by Dr. John Leyden in 1821. The Malay Annals has 30 chapters.

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 📗

Original translation of Sejarah Melayu by Dr John Leyden

Chapter 19 of 30 

THERE was a betel-nut tree near the palace of the Champa Raja, which blossomed and exhibited a large receptacle for fruit, but the fruit never seemed to ripen. The raja then ordered one of his servants to climb up and see what was in the pod. He ascended accordingly, and brought down the pod, which the raja caused to be opened, and saw in it a male child extremely handsome and beautiful. Of this pod's envelope was formed the gong, named jubang; while a sword was formed of its sharp ridge.   

The Champa Raja was greatly pleased at the circumstance, and named the child Raja Pogalang, and ordered him to be suckled by all the wives of the raja-rajas, and para-mantris; but the child would not suck. The Champa Raja had a cow whose hair was of the five colours, and which had lately calved, and they suckled the child with the milk of this cow. This is the reason that Champa never eats the cow, nor kills it. Raja Pogalang grew up, and the raja of Champa gave him his daughter Pobea to wife.   

After a short time, the Champa Raja died, and Pogalang succeeded to the throne. After he had reigned for a considerable time, he founded a great city, which included seven hills within its bounds. The extent  of the fort was a day's sail in each of its four sides, with sails full distended with the breeze. The name of this city was Bal, which, in a certain Cheritra, is named Metakat, the city of Raja Subal, the son of Raja Kadail. After some time Pobea bore to Pogalang a son named Potri. When he was grown up Pogalang died, and Potri succeeded to the throne, and married the daughter of the raja of Cochi, named Bea Suri, who bore him a son named Pogama; and Potri died.   

After this Pogama prepared to visit Majapahit. He went accordingly thither, and information was brought that the raja of Champa had come to visit the paduca bitara. The bitara ordered his great men to go out and meet him, and they accordingly received him with the greatest respect, and the bitara gave him in marriage his daughter, named Radin Galu Ajong. After some time she became pregnant, and Pogama asked permission to return to his own country; but the bitara, while he assented to his return, would not suffer him to carry his daughter with him. Pogama said, "I will not stay long away, but I will quickly return to present myself before Your Majesty."   

Then Pogama went and asked of his spouse, Radin Galu, permission to take his departure. Radin Galu said, "if my child should be a boy, what shall be his name?" Pogama said, "If it is a boy, name him Raja Jignak; and when he grows up, send him to me at Champa." Raja Jignak grew up, and he asked his mother "who is my father?" She said, " Pogama, the raja of  Champa; he has returned to Champa." She then told him the whole account of his birth. When he heard this, he prepared a prahu to go to Champa.   

When he arrived at Champa, he went to meet his father, who received him gladly, and gave him the government of Bal. Pogama died, and Raja Jignak succeeded him. He married the Princess Putri Pochi Banchi, and begot a son named Pogopoh. When Pogopoh grew up Raja Jignak died. Pogopoh begot a daughter, who was asked in marriage by the raja of Cochi, but Pogopoh would not give her in marriage to him. The raja of Cochi then attacked him, and Cochi fought with Champa a terrible battle.   

How long was it before victory declared for either! On a day the raja of Cochi offered the bandahara of Champa, an immense sum to commit treason, to which the bandahara of Champa agreed, and received it; and towards evening he opened the gate of the fortress, and all the champions of Cochi entered into the fort of Bal, and run amok on the people of Champa. The half of them continued the fight, and the half of them guarded the women and children. The fortress of Bal was taken, and Pogopoh was slain, and all the young nobles of Champa fled nobody knew where. 

There were two sons of the raja of Champa, the one named Indra Brama, and the other Poling, both of whom fled with their wives and dependents. Poling passed to Achi, of which he became the original raja. The other, Shah Indra Brama, arrived at Malaca, where he was gladly received by Sultan Mansur, who had him converted to Islam, and made him a mantri; but he was an original Champa man.

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Written by Tony Boey on 22 Jun 2021 | Reviewed 1 Aug 2022

Image of Thap Poshaknu Cham Towers in south Central Vietnam courtesy of Wikipedia. Map of Champa courtesy of Wikipedia. Image of Cham temple in Phan Rang courtesy of Wikipedia. Image of mee Champa courtesy of Mok Jaroh Mee Champa. Image of mee Champa courtesy of Mak Wan Mee Sup Malayu Champa Dungun. Image of Malay Annals courtesy of Wikipedia. Map of Indochina 1100 courtesy of Wikipedia.

References:

National Geographic

Serat Selarasa