Haripuñjaya facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Haripuñjaya (Pali)
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| 629–1292 | |||||||||
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Mainland Southeast Asia in 1100 CE
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| Capital | Haripuñjaya (Lamphun) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Northern Thai Pali Mon Lawa |
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| Religion | Theravada/Mahayana Buddhism | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
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• 662-669, or 662-679, or 659-688
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Camadevi (Jamadevi) (first) | ||||||||
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• c. 1292
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(Phraya) Yi Ba (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
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• Legendary founding by Suthep
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629 | ||||||||
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• More probable, supposed founding
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c. 750 A.D. | ||||||||
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• Besieged and captured by Kingdom of Lan Na
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1292 | ||||||||
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Haripuñjaya was an ancient kingdom in what is now Northern Thailand. It was ruled by the Mon people and existed for many centuries, from around the 7th or 8th century to the 13th century CE. The capital city was also called Haripuñjaya, which is known today as Lamphun. In 1292, the kingdom was taken over by Mangrai, the king of the Tai kingdom of Lan Na.
How Haripuñjaya Began
Ancient stories say that a wise hermit named Suthep founded the city of Haripuñjaya in 629 AD. The ruler of the Lavo Kingdom (which is now Lopburi) then sent his daughter, Jamadevi, to be the first queen of this new kingdom.
However, many historians now believe that Haripuñjaya actually started a bit later, around 750 AD. At that time, much of central Thailand was controlled by different Mon city-states, which together were known as the Dvaravati kingdom.
Queen Jamadevi had twin sons. Her older son became the next ruler of Haripuñjaya (Lamphun), and her younger son became the ruler of the nearby city of Lampang.
Growth and End of the Kingdom
During the 12th century, the kingdom, under King Adityaraja, had some conflicts with the Khmers. Inscriptions found in Lamphun from the early 1200s mention King Sabbadhisiddhi. These writings tell us that he supported Buddhist temples and buildings.
The old stories also say that the Khmer Empire tried to attack Haripuñjaya many times during the 11th century, but they were not successful. It's not completely clear if these stories are fully true or partly legendary. However, other Mon kingdoms in the Dvaravati region did fall to the Khmers around this time.
The early 13th century was a very peaceful and successful time for Haripuñjaya. The historical records from this period mostly talk about religious events and the construction of new buildings, not about wars.
However, this peace did not last forever. In 1292, King Mangrai of the Tai Yuan people attacked Haripuñjaya. He wanted to add it to his own kingdom, Lan Na, which means "One Million Rice Fields."
King Mangrai had a clever plan to take over Haripuñjaya. He sent a spy named Ai Fa to cause trouble within the kingdom. Ai Fa successfully made people unhappy and created disorder. This made Haripuñjaya weaker and easier for Mangrai to conquer.
Phraya Yi Ba, who was the last king of Haripuñjaya, had to escape south to Lampang when Mangrai's forces took control.
Images for kids
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Mainland Southeast Asia in 1100 CE, showing the location of Haripuñjaya.
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A Haripuñjaya statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni from the 12th-13th century CE.
