History of queen Chamadevi

Queen Chamathevi

According to the Jinakalamalini, a 16th century chronicle, written in the Pali language, Haripunjaya was founded by the rishi (hermit) Vasudeva, known in Thai as "Suthep", who gave his name to the famous hilltop shrine of Doi Suthep: 
In the Year 1204 of the Buddhist era, at the full moon of the month of Pagguna, the hermit Vasudeva founded the city of Haripunjaya. Two years later, Cammadevi came from Lawapura and reigned at Haripunjaya.

The year 1204 B.E. corresponds to 661 C.E. (i.e. B.E. + 543 years), though modern scholars suggest 750 C.E. as a more likely date for the foundation of the city. "Cammadevi" is the Mon form of Chammathevi. Lawapura (city of the Lawa) was the Mon name for modern Lopburi, once part of the Mon kingdom of Dvaravati. Curiously, another early Pali chronicle, the Cammadevivamsa, uses the modern name Lamphun for the city. 
Queen Chamathevi
Her memory is still much revered in Lamphun with references to her all over the city, from the Chamathevi memorial (pictured right) to Wat Chamathevi - one of the oldest temples in northern Thailand. 

Legends of Chamathevi

In the Wiharn of Wat Chamathevi is a mural which depicts a princely gentleman in a turban, throwing a spear from a mountain top towards a distant walled town. The mountain is Doi Suthep west of Chiang Mai, the town is Lamphun, the prince is the Lawa Chieftain Khun Luang Wilanga and the hat is the subject of the story.

The Three Spears

The legend tells that King Wilanga wooed Queen Chamathevi for many years without success. Eventually she was compelled to promise marriage, but only on the condition that he prove himself by throwing three spears into the center of Lamphun from the top of Doi Suthep. 

When his first spear reached the target, the queen, fearing he might win the challenge, made him a turban from her own sarong, claiming it would give him strength for the next attempts. Weakened by traces of menstrual blood in the fabric, the prince threw the second spear short and lost the contest. 

One version of the story says that he threw the third spear straight up in the air and was killed by it as it returned to earth. In any case the queen retained her city. 

The It was then that the barbarian king Bilanka approached with 80,000 soldiers, in the hope of taking Haripunjaya. Then Mahayasa mounted on the elephant's shoulders, and Indaravara on the middle of the back, with the Mahout behind. Surrounded by a multitude of soldiers they made a sortie from the western gate of the city. The barbarian king, seeing the tusks of this white elephant as if lit up by a red glow, feared for his life and fled the field of battle, his comrades dispersing in all directions." (translation from the French version of George Coedes by current author)

The unfortunate King Wilanga is still remembered by the Lawa as the last king of their people. As late as the 1990's, Dr. Christian Goodden heard stories of him in a Lawa village near Mae Sariang, on the Burma border (see his book Three Pagodas). The Lawa Guardian Spirits of Chiang Mai are still honored every year in a buffalo slaughter at Bahn Pa Chi, near Doi Suthep. 

End of Haripunjaya

Haripunjaya flourished as a political and cultural center until 1275 when it was conquered by King Mengrai, ruler of the northern Tai kingdom of Lan Na and founder of Chiang Mai. Lan Na itself, however, acquired much of its Buddhist culture from the Mon peoples of the conquered city.