Queen Soma
Queen Soma (Khmer: សោមា) was the ruler of the Funan Kingdom but widely claimed as the first monarch of Cambodia (reigned c. 1st century) .[1] She was also the first female leader of Cambodia.[2] She was the consort of Kaundinya I (also known as "Huntien" and "Preah Thong"). She is known as Soma (Indian), Liǔyè (Chinese) and Neang Neak (Khmer).
| Queen Soma | |
|---|---|
| Queen of Funan | |
| Reign | 1st century CE |
| Predecessor | Inaugural holder |
| Successor | Kaundinya I |
| Spouse | Kaundinya I |
| Religion | Buddhism |
According to Cambodian legend, Queen Soma and her husband, Kaundinya I, are known in Khmer legend as "Preah Thong (Kaundinya) and Neang Neak (Soma)". According to reports by two Chinese envoys, Kang Tai and Zhu Ying, the state of Funan was established by an Indian Brahmin named Kaundinya. In the 1st century CE, Kaundinya was given instruction in a dream to take a magic bow from a temple and defeat a Khmer queen named Soma (Chinese: Liuye, “pasture sheet”), the daughter of the king of the Nagas.[3]
She later married Kaundinya (Chinese: Huntien) and their lineage became the royal dynasty of Funan. Kaundinya later built a capital, and changed the name of the country to 'Kambuja'.[4]
References
- "The women who made Cambodia". The Phnom Penh Post. 19 May 2010.
- "C. 87 Stela from Mỹ Sơn B6". Corpus of the Inscriptions of Campā.
- Bihar Research Society, 1968 - Indo-Aryan philology.
- Some aspects of ancient Indian history and culture.
Upendra Thakur, Abhinav Publications, 1974 - History - 322 pages