Fan Shiman, the ‘Great King of Funan’, c. 205–225

Fan Shiman, the ‘Great King of Funan’

In the early 3rd century the general Fan Shiman, chosen king by the people of Funan, built a fleet and subdued more than ten states, probably around the Gulf of Thailand and on the Malay Peninsula, taking the title ‘Great King of Funan’. Under him Funan reached the height of its power on the sea route between India and China.

Date

c. 205 – c. 225year known, approximate · duration: ≈ 20 years

Place

Funan (capital probably near Angkor Borei)approximate locationtoday: Angkor Borei, Takeo Province, Cambodia · Southeast Asia and Oceania

Participants

Fan Shiman, Funan

Threads

Southeast Asia and Oceania (1st–10th c.)

Also known as

Fan Man; Fan Shih-man; Great King of Funan; Фаньшимань; Фань Мань; Великий царь Фунани

The Book of Liang tells that after the long-lived king Panhuang died, his son Panpan entrusted the government to his great general Fan Man — called Fan Shiman in the Book of Southern Qi. When Panpan died three years later, the people chose Fan Shiman as king. Brave and resourceful, he first subdued the neighbouring states by force and took the title ‘Great King of Funan’; then he had large ships built, sailed the open sea and attacked more than ten kingdoms, among them Qudukun, Jiuzhi and Diansun, extending his lands by five or six thousand li. Diansun is Tun Sun (Dunxun) on the Malay Peninsula, probably on the Isthmus of Kra, so his conquests reached the trade routes across the peninsula, although how far they actually extended is hard to say.

As he was about to attack Jinlin, the ‘Frontier of Gold’ — perhaps Suvarnabhumi, in Lower Burma or on the Malay Peninsula — he fell ill and sent his heir Jinsheng in his place (George Coedès writes that he died during the campaign). His sister’s son Fan Zhan, then a commander of 2,000 men, seized the throne and had Jinsheng murdered; some twenty years later Fan Shiman’s younger son Chang, a baby at his father’s death, killed Fan Zhan and was in turn killed by Fan Zhan’s general Fan Xun. Coedès placed these events roughly between 225 and 250; the dates of Fan Shiman’s reign, usually given as about 205–225, are only estimates. Coedès also identified him with Śrī Māra, the ancestor named in the Sanskrit inscription of Võ Cạnh near Nha Trang, but many scholars now reject this, and some link that king with Linyi instead.

Connections

Related events

Founding of Funan: Kaundinya and Queen Liuyebetween 1 and 100 · Southeast Asia and OceaniaFan Shiman followed the kings of the Hun line, descended by legend from Hùntián

Khu Liên founds the kingdom of Linyibetween 190 and 193 · Southeast Asia and OceaniaŚrī Māra of the Võ Cạnh inscription is identified by some with Fan Shiman, by others with Khu Liên

Funan’s embassy to India: Su Wu sails to the Gangesbetween 240 and 250 · South Asiathe embassy was sent by Fan Zhan, who seized the throne after Fan Shiman

Kang Tai and Zhu Ying, envoys of Wu, in Funanbetween 245 and 250 · Southeast Asia and Oceaniathe envoys came to Fan Xun, who took the throne in the struggles after Fan Shiman’s death

Óc Eo, the port of Funanbetween 1 and 100 – between 601 and 700 · Southeast Asia and OceaniaÓc Eo was Funan’s great port

Sources