A proposed relationship between Champa and Chola dynasties during the 11th and 13th centuries

"Although the connection of artistic features of Champa with the characteristics of South Indian art that were first noticed by art historians such as Jean Boisselier, Cecelia Levin and Pierre Baptiste , there remains a huge gap in knowledge of whether the achievements of the imperial Cholas influenced the religious art of Champa. This essay is an initial study of the issue based on the materials of Cham artworks created during the 11th to 13th centuries as well as the accounts of Vietnamese and Chinese historical sources", note the authors in preamble of this important contribution.

We'll retain, in particular:

• "The bustle of Cham port-cities can be clues connected with the temple architectures and sculptures of Champa from the 11th to 13th centuries; the contemporary improvements in construction techniques as well as the new aesthetic trends in Cham art that will both prove the acquisition of Chola art; those things may have brought Cham art to a remarkable development during this period."

• "In the early 11th century, ca. 1025, Chola King Rajendra I carried out the naval expeditions and was noted through inscriptions, “despatched many ships in the midst of the rolling sea”; and he also took over many port-cities of the famous Southeast Asian kingdom of Srivijaya in Sumatra as well as on the Malay Peninsula (Coedès 1968: 142-143). It was the only warlike incident occurred in the long peaceful and cultural relationship between India and its neighboring kingdoms in Southeast Asia."
• "In Cham sculptural art, this type of offering - an altar ‘bali-pitha’ and the temple-base - represented a highly stylized lotus composition and appeared commonly during the 11th and 12th centuries. The typical sculptural works of this type including the well-known sandstone pedestal known as the ‘Dancer of Trà Kiệu’, measures in 270 cm wide x 110 cm high, created in the second half of 11th century, and is currently on display at the Danang Museum of Cham Sculpture now. Another square carved pedestal was engraved with four elephants and found at Triền Tranh site, Duy Trinh district, Quảng Nam province, which measures by 76 cm wide x 75 cm long x 63 cm high and now displayed at the Museum of Sa Huỳnh-Champa Culture in Trà Kiệu, Quảng Nam province. Besides, there are several temple-bases composed in stylized lotus shapes which are formed by a series of moldings beginning top and bottom with cyma which belonged to the Mỹ Sơn temple-complexes."
• "The Chola naval expeditions may have been considered as not only military assistance to recover peace for Champa but also to “establish trading rights for Tamil-speaking merchants in those areas, a trade from which the ruler, the merchants and the Chola bureaucracy could expect sizable profit” in the context of the crisis of politics and economics of the Cham people in the period from the end of 10th to middle of 11th century, as it was pointed out by historians. In order to continue to decipher the key historical events that caused the strong influences of Chola art to Champa as well as to the other contemporary arts of Southeast Asian during the 11th to 13th century, especially, from the view of Champa as mentioned above, it will require more elaborate research work in the future."