Sam Dalrymple Profile picture
Jan 5 8 tweets 3 min read Read on X
The Hindu Kings of Vietnam

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Until just five hundred years ago, Vietnamese speakers were mostly limited to the Red River Basin of Northern Vietnam.

South Vietnam, meanwhile, was dominated by a constellation of Hindu states known as Champa, the eastern-most Hindu states in mainland Asia Image
The largest of the early centres was Mỹ Sơn, a complex built to identify King Bhadravarman with the Hindu god Shiva. Image
The tallest temples, meanwhile, would be built around the city of Vijaya, and rival the temples of the Cholas in their enormous height Image
Over a thousand years, Champa would produce a fascinating matrilineal society, constructing vast Hindu temples - not only to Shiva and Vishnu - but also to Allah and the Abrahamic first woman Eve. Image
As a matriarchal society, they would also produce their own remarkable spin on the Shiva lingam - the 'uroja' breast pedestal Image
From 1471 onwards, however, the Viet kingdom to the north would gradually begin encroaching upon its territory Image
Read my latest substack for the full story!

travelsofsamwise.substack.com/p/the-hindu-ki…Image

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More from @SamDalrymple123

Jul 8
The Endangered Tombs of Junagadh

By the mid 18th century the Mughal Empire was crumbling and when Nadir Shah sacked the imperial capital of Delhi, all hell broke loose Image
As the steel frame of the empire collapsed, the Mughal General of Gujarat, Bahadur Khan Babi, suddenly found himself struggling against an invasion by the Maratha Gaekwad Dynasty. Image
Realising that the Mughals were finished, in 1730, he declared independence and founded Junagadh State. Image
Read 9 tweets
Jun 28
Tucked away in a small corner of Tamil Nadu lies one of the greatest clusters of palatial mansions in all of India Image
For a hundred years, the Tamil Chettiar community were the single most important financiers in the whole of South East Asia, essentially setting the foundations of microfinance in the region. Image
As their wealth grew, mansions began to spring up across the Chettinad countryside, set around vast columns of Burmese teak. Each pillar had to be individually shipped from Rangoon to Madras. Image
Read 13 tweets
Jun 2
The Tomb of the Last Maharaja of Punjab

In a small churchyard in Suffolk, in Southeast England, lies the grave of the last Maharaja of Punjab. Image
Taken to England as a political hostage, Duleep Singh became Queen Victoria's godson, and converted to Christianity around the same time.

This is him top left at Queen Victoria's Osborne House. Image
In 1863, he bought Elveden Hall and decked it out with the finest Punjabi interiors in England. Here, for a brief decade, he raised a family with his wife Bamba.

But eventually Duleep fled England for Paris, disillusioned with British promises and imperial betrayal. Image
Read 11 tweets
Jun 1
The Last Maharaja of Punjab

In a quiet corner of Suffolk, just beyond the hedgerows and honey-stone cottages of Thetford Forest, stands a country house unlike any other in Britain. Image
From the outside, it looks like your rather standard 19th century Italianate country pile. Image
Walk through the door, however, and you come face to face with the greatest Punjabi interiors in the United Kingdom. Image
Read 8 tweets
Apr 20
The Hindu Gods of Ancient Syria

In the summer of 1913, archaeologists made a stunning discovery: a clay tablet from 1350 BC, bearing the earliest known written references to Hindu gods—Indra, Varuna, Agni, Mitra, and Nasatya—in Vedic Sanskrit. Image
With that one tablet, they proved the language and belief system of the Rig Veda were already well established by 1350 BC.

Indeed it confirmed Vedic Sanskrit as the oldest surviving Indo-European language. Image
But what shocked them most was where it was found: an archeological mound in Syria Image
Read 8 tweets
Apr 13
The Temples of Mughal Delhi

Delhi was once one of the great pilgrimage sites in the medeival world. A centre of pilgrimage for Muslims, it was also sacred to Hindus, who see it as the site of the legendary city Indraprastha, as well as Sikhs, who mourn their gurus here Image
The historic Hindu and Jain temples in the Indian capital are probably my favourite hidden gems in the city. Image
There are around 100 temples in the city dating from before colonial rule in the city, mostly dating from the period of Mughal rule. They have rarely been studied in the same way as the cities Islamic or Christian monuments, yet are crucial to the city's urban fabric. Image
Read 19 tweets

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