Kambojas facts for kids
The Kambojas were an ancient Iranian people. They lived in the northeastern part of the land where Iranian tribes settled, right next to the Indian lands. We learn about them mostly from old Indian writings and inscriptions. They first appeared in records during the later part of the Vedic period, a very old time in Indian history.
They spoke a language similar to Younger Avestan, which is an old Iranian language. Some words from their language are believed to be in the Kandahar Bilingual Rock Inscription. This inscription was put up by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (who ruled from 268 to 232 BCE). The Kambojas followed Zoroastrianism, an ancient religion. Their beliefs included killing insects, snakes, worms, frogs, and other small animals. This practice is mentioned in the Avestan text called the Vendidad.
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What Does "Kamboja" Mean?
The name Kamboja- (and later Kāmboja-) was the name of their land. It was similar to the Old Iranian name *Kambauǰa-, but we don't know exactly what it means.
One idea from 1923, suggested by J. Charpentier, links the name to Cambyses I and Cambyses II. These were kings from the Achaemenid dynasty in ancient Persia. Their names were Kambū̌jiya or Kambauj in Old Persian. People have discussed this idea many times, but it's still not fully proven.
In the same year, Sylvain Lévi thought the name might come from Austroasiatic languages. However, most experts don't agree with this idea.
The History of the Kambojas
The Kambojas are first mentioned in old Indian writings and inscriptions. This was during the later part of the Vedic period. The Naighaṇṭukas, an ancient Indian glossary, is the first source to talk about them.
Kambojas in Ancient Indian Texts
Yaska, an ancient Indian writer, commented on the Naighaṇṭukas in his book Nirukta. He wrote that "the word śavati as a verb of motion is used only by the Kambojas." This means the Kambojas used this specific word for "motion" in their language. Later writers, like the grammarian Patanjali (in the 2nd century BCE), repeated this same observation.
The word śavati is like š́iiauua- in Younger Avestan. This shows that the Kambojas spoke an Iranian language that was very similar to Younger Avestan. Modern historian M. Witzel believes that grammarians and language experts knew about this word around 500 BCE or even earlier.
According to the Arthashastra by Kautilya, the Kambojas were known as vartta-sastropajivinah. This means they were a group of Kshatriya (warrior class) guilds. They made their living from both trade and war.
Kambojas and the Mauryan Empire
The first clear dates for the Kambojas come from the Major Rock Edicts of Emperor Ashoka (268–232 BCE). Ashoka was a powerful ruler of the Maurya Empire. His thirteenth edict mentions "among Greeks and Kambojas." The fifth edict says "of Greeks, Kambojas and Gandharians."
It's not clear if Ashoka was talking only about the Kambojas or all the Iranian tribes in his empire. But these groups were part of the Maurya Empire. They were influenced by its politics, culture, and religious ideas. They also followed Ashoka's idea of "righteousness" or good conduct.
Kambojas in Epics and Kingdoms
The major Indian epic Mahabharata also mentions the Kambojas. They are listed alongside the Greeks, Gandharas, Bactrians, and Indo-Scythians. Old Sanskrit geographical texts and the Aṅguttara Nikāya also include the Kambojas. They were one of the sixteen major kingdoms in the Indian subcontinent during the time of the Buddha.
Different Sanskrit and Pali writings describe the Kambojas. They were known for shaving their heads bald. They had a king, and their capital city was called Rāja-pura- (meaning "King's town"). However, we don't know where this city was located.
Like other Iranians, the Kambojas were famous for their excellent skills in breeding horses. It's believed that the horses they raised were the best for battle. Many of these horses were brought into India and also given as gifts or tribute. Indologist Etienne Lamotte suggests that the Kambojas' reputation for horses might be why horse-breeders called Aspasioi (from Old Persian aspa meaning "horse") and Assakenoi (from Sanskrit aśva meaning "horse") got their names.
After Ashoka's Rule
After Ashoka died, the Maurya Empire became weaker. In the early 2nd century BCE, they lost their lands on the border of India and Iran. These lands included Gandhara and Arachosia. They were taken by the forces of Demetrius I (who ruled from 200 to 180 BCE). He was the king of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom.
Because of this, the Greek people in those areas were again ruled by other Greeks. The Kambojas met other Iranians, as the Bactrians were likely a big part of the conquering army.
Some historians think the Kambojas might have started the Kamboja Pala dynasty in Bengal, but this is not certain. Some believe it was founded by Kambojas who had settled in Bengal. A Tibetan book called Pag Sam Jon Zang mentions a Kambojadeśa in the Lushai Hills. This might support the idea. Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri suggested that the Kambojas may have moved to Bengal from the northwest. This could have happened after the Gurjara-Pratihara conquests during the time of Narayanapala. He adds that these Kambojas might have gained important positions and later taken power.
Richard Strand believes that the Nuristani Kom people (also called Kamôzî or Kamôǰî) are descendants of the Kamboja people.
Where the Kambojas Lived and Their Language
The Kambojas lived in the most northeastern part of the lands settled by Iranian tribes. This area was right next to Indian territories. In 1918, Lévi suggested they lived in Kafiristan, but he changed his mind in 1923. B. Liebich thought they lived in the Kabul Valley. J. Bloch suggested they were northeast of Kabul. Lamotte believed they lived from Kafiristan to the southwestern part of Kashmir.
The Language of Ashoka's Edicts
In 1958, a new idea came from the French linguist Émile Benveniste. He compared the Kambojas and Greeks mentioned in Ashoka's edicts in Kandahar. This inscription was written in two languages: Greek and "Aramao-Iranian." "Aramao-Iranian" refers to an Iranian language hidden within the Aramaic alphabet text.
Ashoka wanted to share his religious message with people in what is now eastern Afghanistan, around the Gandhara area (between Kabul and Kandahar). Because of this, Benveniste thought the Iranian language in Ashoka's inscriptions was spoken by the Kambojas. Iranologists Mary Boyce and Frantz Grenet agree with this view. They say that the Aramaic versions show the Kambojas had some freedom. They kept their Iranian identity and were partly governed by their own people. These local leaders were responsible for sharing the king's words and having them carved into stone.
Gérard Fussman suggested that the unknown Iranian language of two rock inscriptions (IDN 3 and 5) in Dasht-e Nawar was spoken by the Kambojas. This might have been an early form of the Ormuri language. According to Rüdiger Schmitt, if this is true, we could place the Kambojas more precisely. They would have lived in the mountains around Ghazni and on the Upper Arghandab.
What the Kambojas Believed
The Indo-Aryans saw the Kambojas as "non-Aryan" or foreign people with their own special traditions. This is shown in some Buddhist Jataka tales.
The Kambojas' religious beliefs included killing insects, snakes, worms, frogs, and other small animals. For a long time, experts have linked this practice to the Avestan text called the Vendidad. This led them to believe that the Kambojas followed Zoroastrianism.
These beliefs come from Zoroastrian dualism. This idea says that an Evil Spirit created creatures like these, which are poisonous or unpleasant to humans. So, Zoroastrians were told to destroy them. People from outside their culture have observed them doing this since the 5th century BCE until today.
See also
- Kamboj
- Cambodia
- Kambojan
- Parama Kambojas
- Komedes
- Arta (Kamuia)
- Kingdom of Kapisa
- Parachi
- Saptarishi Tila statue
- Rishikas
Sources
- Emmerick, R. E. (1983). [Kambojas at Google Books "Buddhism among Iranians"]. The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 3(2): The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian Periods. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 949–964. ISBN 0-521-24693-8. Kambojas at Google Books.
