VikrÃÂntavarman I or PrakÃÂà Âadharma (?âÂÂ686 AD), was a king of Champa from the Gangaraja (Simhapura) dynasty, modern-day Central Vietnam, reigning from 653 to 686. His original name was PrakÃÂà Âadharma but he took the appellation VikrÃÂntavarman when he was crowned in 653. He was the son of Prince Jagaddharma, the grandson of Kandarpadharma, and Princess Sarväpi, daughter of king Isanavarman I of Zhenla. He sent embassies to the court of Emperor Gaozong of Tang in 653, 654, 669, and 670, which he was known as Zhu Ghedi (諸èÂÂå°) and Bojiashebamo (é¢伽èÂÂè·Âæ©, Late Middle Chinese: pÃÂt-kaè/kÃÂ:-ÃÂiaâÂÂ/ÃÂiað-bÃÂt-mÃÂ), as recorded in the New Book of Tang. He was known for expanding the Champa kingdom to the south, uniting the realm under one dynasty.
During the reign of Vikrantavarman I, also known as PrakÃÂÃ ÂÃÂdharma, the title of the king of Champa changed from "great king" (maharaja) to "king of kings" (raja-di-raja).
PrakÃÂà Âadharma conducted a series of military campaigns against other chiefdoms in the south. By 658 AD it is apparent that Champa's territory had already established to near modern-day Ninh Hòa city in Khánh Hòa. Notes that Champa's territorial extent was neither fixed or only one dynasty ruling entire the realm.
PrakÃÂà Âadharma introduced and implemented the territorial division unit of viá¹£ayas (district) for the first time. There were at least two known viá¹£ayas: Caum and Midit.
It was highly likely that PrakÃÂà Âadharma had spent some of his courtier and vacational times in the city of Viá¹£á¹Âupura (at present day Cá» Thành, Quảng Trá»Â, east of the Thạch Hãn River). Vaishnavism in Champa can only be found in Quang Tri.
The New Book of Tang recorded a king of Lam Ap named Zhu Ghede (Chinese: 諸èÂÂå°, pinyin: Zhà « GÃÂde), while in the Tang Huiyao, Zhu Ghede's actual name was transcribed as Bojiashebamo (Chinese: é¢伽èÂÂè·Âæ©; Late Middle Chinese: *pÃÂt-kaè/kÃÂ:-ÃÂiaâÂÂ/ÃÂiað-bÃÂt-mÃÂ) reigning from 653 to 687, which is often attributed to the profile of PrakÃÂà Âadharma. PrakÃÂà Âadharma offered the Tang court an elephant on May 9, 653. He sent four more times envoys to the Tang court in May 654, February 657, August 669, and 670.
Palaeographists however keep a skeptic that a straightforward identification of the data of medieval Chinese sources about the kingdom of Lam Ap/Linyi with epigraphic evidence of the Thu Bon River Valley is hardly plausible.
During his reign Vikrantavarman built numerous temples at Mỹ Sán, dedicating particularly to à Âiva. Those temples he desired the worships of Kandarpadharma (the father of his grandfather's mother), for à Âiva's friend EkÃÂká¹£apiá¹ galÃÂ? Kuvera at Mỹ Sán, dedicating for Amareà Âa; and a golden portrait of à Âiva.
He named for his beloved deity Kandarpapureà Âvara after his great-grandfather and king Kandarpadharma. Kandarpadharma was the father of PrakÃÂà Âadharma's paternal grandmother. Jagaddharma was likely an alternative name for hitherto Bhadreà Âvaravarman (r. 650?-?). When Prabhasadharma's male descendants were put to death by a minister, Jagaddharma, one of his nephew who had escaped, traveling to the Khmer city Bhavapura (Sambor Prei Kuk) and then got married with Queen à ÂarvÃÂnë, daughter of Zhenla king Isanavarman, and gave birth to PrakÃÂà Âadharma.
Many pedestals, or kosas, were erected for his devotions to à Âiva and Vishnu. PrakÃÂà Âadharma's words proved himself a sophisticated, well-educated monarch in cosmopolitan Sanskrit learning and Indian philosophy.
Initially, scholars thought that there was a single Vikrantavarman ruled over Champa from 658 to 741, an impossible straight 83-years-reign. The existence of two kings named Vikrantavarman were figured out shortly after. Chinese documents reported that PrakÃÂÃ Âadharma (Vikrantavarman I) had died in 686 and was succeeded by a son and namesake, Vikrantavarman II (r. ?-741, Jianduodamo). The second problem is as reported by Chinese annals, PrakÃÂÃ Âadharma traditionally is believed to be succeeded by Vikrantavarman II. However, recent research shows indications that there is a king NaravÃÂhanavarman ruled briefly between PrakÃÂÃ Âadharma and Vikrantavarman II.