If it had not been for King Ashoka

The visit of cvltvre's colleagues to India prompted me to reread the few books I had about that great country, especially one written by John Keay, "India Discovered: The Recovery of a Lost Civilation".
My favorite chapters were "Thus Spake Ashoka" and "Black and Time-Stained Rocks", about how James Prinsep, a British official sent to work at the mint in Bengal in 1819, who was key to the deciphering of then unknown scripts found on impressive polished sandstone pillars and boundary stones scattered over an area so wide it was challenging to imagine who had done such a remarkable feat.

from flickr, photographer: Sunaina Suneja.

Nowadays, we know that these remarkable pillars and edicts were left by King Ashoka two thousand years ago, forgotten until it caught the intrigue of British enthusiasts in the early nineteenth century.

King Ashoka (304 BC-232BC), who had signed these edicts as "Devam Piya Priyadasi Raja", was grandson of Chandragupta (also known in ancient Greece as Sandracottus), founder of the Mauryan Empire.

Ashoka was a terrible warrior, and in his rage for the murder of his mother, he not only murdered his half-brothers who had schemed against him, but also killed some 100,000 people of Kalinga. However, once the war was over, the sight of such destruction sickened him to the heart and turned him to pursue ahimsa (non-violence) and thus became the greatest patron of then relatively new religion of Buddhism, building temples, hospitals, universities, irrigation systems, sending monks to many parts of the world to spread its teaching.

King Ashoka convened the Third Buddhist Council, led by his brother, an ordained monk, in 250-253 BC. He also sent his own son and daughter to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to spread the teachings of Buddha where it has never faded out as it had in India soon after his death. Historically significant for Thailand (where I am from) was sending of Sohn Uttar Sthavira, a royal monk and many other with sacred texts to Suvannabhumi (Burma and Thailand) around 228 BC.

The following entry in wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka_the_Great) explains how important King Asokha was for Thai culture:

"One of the more enduring legacies of Ashoka Maurya was the model that he provided for the relationship between Buddhism and the state. Throughout Theravada Southeastern Asia, the model of ruler ship embodied by Ashoka replaced the notion of divine kingship that had previously dominated (in the Angkhor kingdom, for instance). Under this model of 'Buddhist kingship', the king sought to legitimize his rule not through descent from a divine source, but by supporting and earning the approval of the Buddhist sangha. Following Ashoka's example, kings established monasteries, funded the construction of stupas, and supported the ordination of monks in their kingdom. Many rulers also took an active role in resolving disputes over the status and regulation of the sangha, as Ashoka had in calling a conclave to settle a number of contentious issues during his reign. This development ultimately lead to a close association in many Southeast Asian countries between the monarchy and the religious hierarchy, an association that can still be seen today in the state-supported Buddhism of Thailand and the traditional role of the Thai king as both a religious and secular leader."

Congratulations for 40 years volunteership: National Museum Volunteers

I was pleasantly surprised to rediscover the National Museum Volunteers through their website and receive the delightful news of their 40th anniversary which will be celebrated through a variety of activities and products which are announced through their website: http://www.museumvolunteersbkk.net/

Another favorite organization of mine that if I were living in Thailand, I would be a regular member of is The Siam Society.

Silpakorn's University Electronic Resources on Art in Thailand

Silpakorn University is the leading Thai university in the fine arts and archaeology.  It was founded in 1943 when the Italian art professor Corroda Ferroci (Silpa Bhirasri), who contracted under King Rama VI to work as sculpture for the Thai government started giving free sculpture classes for those interested. 

Searching for new information on prehistoric cave painting, I found this excellent website, a generous gift of images I can only hope to see.  Two sections are my favorites (text only in Thai, but the numerous images provided more than made up for the disappointing lack of English explanations):

• Mural Paintings in Thailand  (Three categories to choose from: by region, by period, and special projects)

• Cave Art (Click on the regions on the map and it will bring you to provinces of the region chosen, after which will be a list of caves that are located in that province.  Clicking further will lead you to a page with brief description, location of cave and sample images of the cave paintings/art.)

On the banks of Nong Harn Lake

I was born in Sakon Nakhon, a Northeastern province of Thailand some two hundred kilometers off the great Mekhong River close to important crossings to Laos.  I never really lived there since my father's job took us away when I was only two years old, but both my parents have extensive families and deep roots with this sleepy town on the banks of Nong Harn Lake.  During numerous visits over the years, I searched for stories of its history again and again, always finding something new to learn about this outpost where the Royal family deemed important enough to build their winter palace in the Phu Pan mountain range.

The present day city took its time in picking up a more urban life.  It had remained nearly unchanged over some twenty or more years as I was growing up.  It was only in the late nineties that some modernization and renovation works seem to have caught up a bit, changing Sakon Nakhon's once familiar landscape into something a bit more exciting than the sleepy town it once was.  However, anyone who visits Sakon Nakhon and gets to know its people soon discovers that its more interesting stories are hidden in its people's memories of historical events that have touched this surprising well visited place over centuries.

I've visited Wat That Choeng Chum with my mother several times to pay respects to the Buddha image in its main hall and as well as to receive blessings from its abbots.  Of course, my mother kept stressing how important it all was to me but that didn't sink in until I read Eye Witness's Thailand guide book. Isn't it strange how growing up with certain sights/monuments you don't really value its importance until something/someone forces you to look at it with new eyes?

Sakon Nakhon turns out to be a very ancient place with prehistoric ancient cave painting and its most prominent monuments dating back to the 11th century.  The 'living' evidence of this is the Phra That Narai Cheng Weng, built by the princess whose name was given to this Kmer style Hindu religious monument.  A lintel hangs over its entrance showing Vishnu dancing to the destruction of the universe as he tramples the head of a lion.

The main temple hall of another landmark in Sakon Nakhon is the Wat Pra That Choeng Chum.  It was built during the time of Ayudha but with a Lao styled chedi.  If you plan to visit this temple, make sure to look for the hidden door (behind the main Buddha image) which is occasionally open for you to enter the ancient prang where you may find an ancient Kmer inscription at the base of its entrance.  Within the prang are several Lao and Kmer Buddha images.

Sadly one evidence of the city's antiquity that has been altered by approaching urbanism is the square-shaped, double-layered Koo Muang (คูเมือง) or ancient moats that once encircled a city center, a very common characteristic of old cities in the Southeast Asian peninsula.  It is now just a common road.  It is also believed that the inland pond, Sra Pan Thong, just off the banks of the Nong Harn Lake was built around the same period.  Centuries later it still offers the surrounding residence a perfect place to spend a romantic afternoon with your date or just for a round of daily exercise.

There's much more to write about Sakon Nakhon's history and I'll be posting them in patches.

I just wanted to leave a note for anyone interested in visiting my hometown.  Planning to visit Thailand's provinces during their famous festival seasons is the best way to catch the lively vibe of many of these far away and usually sleepy places.  Sakon Nakhon's festivals are the Red Cross Fair, So Ram Luk Festival, Boon Bangfai or Rocket Festival (at Amphoe Phang Kone), Boat Race festival, and its famous Wax Parade Festival.  You can look out for the events with a fellow blogger passionate about the place: http://sakonnakhon-live.blogspot.com/

P.S: Don't go back home without some georgeous Madmee silk or village woven naturally dyed cotton, or some of Sakon's delicious isaan sausages.

Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica

ประวัติศาสตร์ของภูมิภาคเมโซอเมริกา ยุคก่อนการค้นพบของโคลัมบัส


เมื่อต้นเดือนสิงหาคม ข้าพเจ้าได้เริ่มเรียนหลักสูตรเกี่ยวกับประวัติศาสตร์ของประเทศเม็กซิโก อันมีชื่อว่า Diplomado: 'Recorrido por la Historia de Mexico" ของมหาวิทยาลัย UNAM

กลุ่มหน่วยกิตแรกซื่งมีระยะเวลาสองเดือน เป็นเรื่องเกี่ยวกับประวัติอันเก่าแก่ในพื้นที่ซึ่งได้มีการตั้งชื่อว่า "mesoamerica" โดยอาจารย์ผู้ศึกษาชาติพันธุ์ นาย Paul Kirchhoff เป็นเรื่องราวที่น่าสนใจมากเสียจนอดใจไม่ได้ ต้องนำมาเขียนบันทึก เล่าสู่กันฟัง เผื่อมีเพื่อนคนไทยคนอื่น ๆ อาจมีความสนใจด้านนี้ด้วยกัน

ในขั้นแรก ต้องบอกเล่าให้ผู้ที่อาจสนใจว่า ประวัติศาสตร์เมโซอเมริกายุคก่อนคริสโตเฟอร์ คอลัมบัสค้นพบอมเริกา มีระยะเวลาตั้งแต่ประมาณห้าพันปีมาแล้ว จากปี 2500 ก่อนคริสตศักราชจนดึงช่วงการบุกเบิกอาณานิคมของอาณาจักรสเปนในศตวรรษที่ 16 โดยมีการแบ่งเป็นช่วงเวลาที่มีลักษณะต่างกันสามช่วงใหญ่ ได้แก่ Preclassic, Classic และ Post-Classic ซึ่งในแต่ละช่วงสามารถแยกย่อยเป็น Early/Middle/Late Preclassic หรือ บางครั้งเรียกว่า Early/Middle/Late Formative และอีกสองเวลาย่อย Early/Late Classic และ Early/Late Classic ตามที่แสดงไว้ในตารางตอนท้ายข้อความ

ยุคเมโซอเมริกาก่อนโคลัมบัสนี้ มีกลุ่มอารยธรรมเก่าแก่ที่น่าสนใจหลากหลายกลุ่ม ที่ขึ้นชื่อเป็นที่รู้จักมากที่สุดได้แก่ อารยธรรม Teotihuacan ซึ่งเป็นที่ตั้งของปิรามิตที่ใคร ๆ ที่อุตสาห์่บุกเดินทางมาถึงเม็กซิโกต้องไปสักการะ และกลุ่มอารยธรรม Olmec และ Maya ในชายฝั่งตะวันออกด้านอ่าวเม็กซิโกดินแดนของพายุเฮอริเคนซึ่งดุกว่าพายุใต้ฝุ่นแถบบ้านเรา