The Dvaravati kingdom of the Mon people existed from the 6th to the 11th centuries, when it was conquered by the Khmer Empire. It was centred on the Chao Phraya River valley in modern-day Thailand, with Nakhon Pathom as the capital. The Mon are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... The Khmer empire was a powerful kingdom based in what is now Cambodia. ... A view of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok The Chao Phraya (Thai แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา) is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial river plain marking the mainland of the country. ... Phra Pathom Chedi Nakhon Pathom is a town in central Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Pathom Province. ...

Mon Wheel of the Law (Dharmachakra), art of Dvaravati period, c.8th century.

The term Dvaravati was created by Thai art historians referring to the destinct style of Buddhist art of that time. The name is derived from coins which were inscribed in sanskrit with śrīdvāravaṯī. The sanskrit word Dvaravati means being a gateway to the port, thus it refers to a coastal city. (The Gulf of Thailand extended much farther north in the past, and legend tells that Nakhon Pathom was once on the seacoast.) Download high resolution version (1165x1149, 391 KB)Mon Buddhist wheel. ... Download high resolution version (1165x1149, 391 KB)Mon Buddhist wheel. ... The Mon are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. ... The eight-spoked dharma wheel is a common symbol in Buddhist iconography, representing the collective teachings of Buddha, known as the dharma. ... (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... Art history usually refers to the history of the visual arts. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ...

Little is known about the administration of the kingdom, or even whether it was technically a kingdom at all. It may simply have been a loose gathering of principalities rather than a centralised state. The main settlements appear to have been at Nakhon Pathom, U Thong and Khu Bua west of the Chao Phraya. Other towns like Lavo (modern-day Lopburi) or Si Thep were also clearly influenced by the Dvaravati culture, but probably were not part of the kingdom. Nakhon Pathom (Thai นครปฐม) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ... Lopburi is a city in Thailand, capital of the Lopburi province. ...

Dvaravati itself was heavily influenced by Indian culture, and played an important role in introducing Buddhism and particularly Buddhist art to the region. A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found from Sarnath, near Varanasi. ... Buddhist art originated in the Indian subcontinent in the centuries following the life of the historical Gautama Buddha in the 6th to 5th century BCE, before evolving through its contact with other cultures and its diffusion through the rest of Asia and the world. ...

Further reading

• (Sri) Dvaravati, Dhida Saraya, ISBN 9747381346

External links

• http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/7153/p7153/buddhart_s.htm
• http://www.thailand.com/travel/arts/art_central_sculpture.htm