THE WORLD CIVILIZATIONS AND INDIA , PART- 50

ARBIND KUMAR BLOG

THE MIGRATION OF TAI-SPEAKING TRIBES

Different theories are there about the migration of TIA-SPEAKING TRIBES . The most recent one about the origin of the TAI people states that GUANGXI in CHINA was the motherland of the TAI TRIBES as they , locally known as ZHUANG , still live in GUANGXI even today . According to KHUN BOROM ( KHOUN BOUROM , a legendary progenitor of the Southwestern TIA-SPEAKING people ) legend and myth , however , a different theory emerges which states that since in the ancient times people were wicked and crude , a great deity destroyed them all with a flood , leaving only three worthy chiefs who were preserved in the heaven to be the founder of the new race of the people i.e TIA-SPEAKING people . Later on , the deity sent all the three chiefs back on the earth with a Buffalo to help the TAI people to till their land . The myth further holds that the chiefs with Buffalo arrived in the land of MUANG THEN , perhaps located today in DIEN BIEN PHU in VIETNAM . But when the land was prepared for the rice cultivation , that legendary Buffalo died . And as per the legend a bitter gourd vine grew from his nostril and from that gourd emerged the new human race called TAI people . Then the God taught them how to build houses and cultivate rice . PHAGNA THEN , the King of the Gods , sent his son KHOUN BOROM to be the ruler of the TAI people who ruled over them for twenty five years teaching them how to use different new tools and arts . After that ( 25 years ) he divided the Kingdom among his seven sons , giving each one of them a portion of his Kingdom to rule over there as such .

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Historically speaking , the TAI people migrated between 8th to 10th century AD southwestward along the rivers and over the lower passes into south-east ASIA perhaps due to CHINESE expansion and suppression . The CHINESE Historical records say that in about 722 AD , more than 400,000 LAO rose in revolt whose leader declared himself the King of NANYUE ( The moder Subdivision of GUANGDONG ) . It is said that after the revolt of 722 AD , more than 60,000 people were beheaded . In 726 AD , the rebellion was suppressed but again more than 30,000 rebels were captured and beheaded in GUANGXI . In 756 AD , another revolt took place in which more than 200,000 people took part and which lasted for more than four years . Again in 860 AD , many local people of VIETNAM sided with the Rebellion which broke out in NANCHAO ( in the present day YUNNAN region of CHINA ) . And in the aftermath about 30,000 of them were beheaded . A NONG , a ZHUANG shamaness , matriarch and warrior with her husband and son named as NONG ZHIGAO , revolted and captured NANNING and besieged GHUANGZHOU for atleast fifty seven days and slew the Commanders of five CHINESE armies which was sent against them before they were defeated . All these above mentioned incidents compelled TAI-TRIBES to migrate southwards from GUANGXI region of CHINA .

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THE SIMHANAVATI LEGEND & THAILAND

The SIMHANAVATI legend states that in 800 AD , SIMHANAVATI , a TAI chief drove out the local WA people and founded the city of CHIANG SAEN . And in this way the TAI people for the first time made a contact with the INDIANISED civilization . THERAVADA BUDDHISM came to CHIANG SAEN through HARIPHUNCHAI . WAT PHRA THAT DOI TUNG is located on the hill-top where BUDDHIST place of worship dated back to 911 AD . Population of DOI TUNG presently is about 11,000 and tribes like AKHA , LAHU , TAI LUE and LAWA live there . In around 900 AD , a major war was fought between CHIANG SAEN and HARIPHUNCHAI and MON forces captured CHIANG SAEN and its King fled away . But in 937 AD , Prince PROM , the great won CHIANG SAEN back from the MON and inflicted severe defeats on HARIPHUNCHAI. However , CHIANG SAEN was destroyed in 1000 AD due to an earthquake killing many of its inhabitants . For the time being a Council was established to govern the Kingdom of CHIANG SAEN for a while . But later local WA people elected LAVACHAKKARAJ as the King of the new city of CHIANG SAEN or NGOENYANG ( The kingdom of Northern Thai people from 7th to 13th centuries AD ) . And LAVACHAKKARAJ Dynasty ruled over the entire region for more than 500 years as such . In the days to come , overpopulation compelled the TAI people to move further southwards . And by 1100 AD , the TAI people had established themselves as PO KHUNS ( THE RULING FATHERS ) at NAN , PHRAE , SONGKWAE , SAWANKHALOK and CHAKANGRAO on the upper PHRAYA River . But the southern TAI princes could not keep themselves aloof from the KHMER influences of LAVO Kingdom and a few of them became subordinate to it later on .

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NOTE : THE SOURCES OF THE BLOG ARE TEXT BOOKS AND OTHER WRITTEN MATERIALS ON THE SUBJECT .

TO BE CONTINUED …………………….

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