Tavaravadi Period - Haripunchai Kingdom (Dvaravati). 629-1292 A.D. (B.E. 1172 -1835)
In 629 A.D. a hermit named Suthep found the city of “Jinkamali” in the north of present day Thailand, and the Hmong ruler of the Lavo Kingdom (present day Lopburi) sent his daughter “Jamadevi” (also spelled Cham Thewi) to become it’s first Queen. The actual beginning is around 750 A.D (Be 1293). At that time, most of what is now central Thailand was under the rule of various Hmong city states known collectively as the Tavaravadi Kingdom. Queen Jamadevi gave birth to twin sons, the older succeeding her as the ruler of Lumpoon, and the younger was the ruler of neighboring Lampang.
The Kingdoms under King Adityaraja came into conflict with the Khemers (present day Cambodia) in the12th century, and the khemeres unsuccessfully besieged Haripunchai, as ruled by Queen Jamadevi, several times, however other Hmong Kingdoms in the region did indeed fall to the Khemers between the 11th and 12th centuries.
The early 13th century was a golden time for the Haripunchai as the chronicles talk only talk about religious activities and construction but not about wars. Haripunchai was besieged in 1292 AD by the Lan Na king Mamgrai who incorporated it into his Lan Na Kingdom (A name meaning “A Million Rice Field Kingdom”), which later became rich in Art and Architecture.
As Queen Jamadevi the 1st of her name, Ruler of the Haripunchai Kingdom, was a devout religious Buddhist who had faith in her hermit gurus and held them in high regard she had built a number of temples and pagodas where she made the amulets her self and by others. Eventually she ordered them to be housed under these buildings for protection. There are a large variety of her incantation amulets each named after the spells imbued within and the print and pagoda where they were crafted. Amulets were gifted to her people for personal worship, carried as relics for well being, protection, respect, resilience against suffering in all forms.
Being a brave Queen of Harinpunchai, she had commanded troops in battle many times finding victory every time. Queen Jamadevi was almost always seen with her sword at her side marking her as one of the first, if not the first in a long history of Warrior Queens of the region. When her amulets were distributed her soldiers received first priority for amulets specifically hand crafted and imbued with powers of protection, safety, survival, and general well being.
The following are examples some of the most popular types and their associated blessings:
Phra Rod : The smallest in the series which is one of the top five amulets ranking from the past with height of not more than 25mm. Phra Rod in the figure of the Buddha in the seated position (Pang Marvichai). Sitting cross legged with the right hand on the right knee and the left hand on his lap, has a meaning of the evil spirits capturing as recorded in the history of Buddhism. Phra Rod has a meaning for surviving through all dangers or being safe from all dangerous encounters. The materials for making Phra Rod were selected by spiritual hermits and Queen Jamadevi and composed into the mix such as the earth from the high plain of respect, the pollen of particular flowers used for worship and other holy powder conducted for the mix. Other amulets made and conducted by Queen Jamadevi shared similar characteristics but differed in sizes and are bigger than Phra Rod.
Tavaravadi Period Amulets cont…
2. Phra Liang
To evade all forms of danger.
3. Phra Kong
To be stable and withstand harm.
4. Phra Bang
To be attractive and draw positive attention.
Tavaravadi Period Hermit Amulets for power and prestige
Phra Lue
To become famous and well respected.
Phra Perm
To become the leader, to gain power, or to obtain an auspicious position within your career or society.
Phra Rod Luesi
Spiritual Hermit figure amulets for well being and protection, the most famous of which are Narai Hermit, Narod Hermit, Ta Fai (Fire Eyes), and NaWoa (Oxfaced)
Queen Jamadevi Amulets
Jamadevi, a Queen who handcrafted blessings for her faithful..
The rare figures of queen Jamadevi can be found either in a standing pose with her sword, or show her in a seated position under a decorated house or palace.
It was a great honor to receive them
The materials used for making amulets at this early stage were sun dried after being molded and then touch finished into shape. The later stage s included baking in small purpose built kilns blessed for amulet making.
Tiger Cave Amulets
Another important amulet in the Tavaravadi Period is the Phra Tamsua or “The Amulets of Tiger Cave” of Supanburi. Phra Tumsua is an unbaked clay amulet mainly found in the cave of Khao Kog mountain in the U-Thong District of Thailand. This cave used to be a tiger domain, that’s why they call it “Phra Tamsua” as for the name of the amulets.
The finding occurred in 2487 BE (1943 AD) and later found the same type of Amulets in different sizes in the cave on the mountain ridge spreading south to the north of U-Thong District.
Phra Tumsua were supposed to be created in the early or slightly before the Tavaravadi Era, approx 1,200 – 1,800yrs ago. Town community during that period worshipped both Mahayan Buddhism and Hinduisim. Priests and holy hermits were the ones who created the Phra Tamsua to represent the holy images for boosting charisma for leaders or kings in appropriate occasions by various ceremonies seeking blessing from respectful holy gods, Buddha, angels and hermits to stay within these amulets and keeping them in many caves for those who later found them for veneration, thus enhancing charisma and blessing the wearer.