Suvarnabhumi
Suvarnabhumi, or Suvannabhumi, the ( Sanskrit for " Golden Land ": Suvarna or Pali: suvanna, golden ' and both languages: Bhumi, earth, land '; Ptolemy Chryse Chersonesos, the Romans Aurea Chersonesus, Thai: สุวรรณภูมิ, RTGS: Suwannaphum ) was the synonym for the peninsula behind India and the region that is now called South East Asia for centuries. Ever since the first century A.D. there was a busy ship traffic between Sri Lanka, the Ganges estuary and Malaya. Indian settlers from Gujarat and Kalinga (now Orissa ) colonized the island of Java, while others settled in Burma and Cambodia. In ancient Indian books of the region is known as the " Golden Land", islands such as Java Suvarnadvipa ( " Golden Island " ), probably stalling to impress the folks back home. In ancient Indian Kathakosa for example, is told by Nagadutta, the 500 ships could make a profitable trade with Suvarnabhumi. In the Arthasashtra is a special kind of sandalwood, Tailaparnika mentioned, which was produced in Suvarnabhumi. Even today you can discover throughout Southeast Asia ruins that bear witness of the Indian past.
Historically, the concept of the Golden State is polysemic. On the one hand, gold is of course a precious commodity, a means of payment, on the other hand, it may as a symbol but also get a religious significance.
Southeast Asia is not really known for a rich gold deposits. Nevertheless, it plays there today a very big role. Many people distrust banks and put their savings in gold jewelry rather of money that they can handle and show. Gold is also the color of royalty and it is used in religious ceremonies. The royal insignia made of gold, and the many gilded pagodas in Thailand and Burma are shining examples.
Its highest importance, however, gets the concept of the Golden State of the Theravada Buddhists. In Burmese and Thai chronicles is reported that Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC, after the third Buddhist Council ( Sangayana ) in Pataliputra (now Patna ) had convened Buddhist monks sent forth into all the world, to spread the Dhamma. So it happened that the two Thera ( Pali: " elder", honorific for monks who are ordained for at least ten years. ) Sent Sona and Uttara after Suvarnabhumi to spread Buddhism here.
Both Burma as well as Thailand today claim for themselves to be this Golden Land. The Burmese Glass Palace Chronicle relates that Ashoka Golden land of the coastal region corresponding to today's Thaton, capital of an ancient Mon kingdom.
The renowned Thai historian Prince Damrong Rajanubhab describes in an article in the "Journal of the Siam Society " that was impressed according to this Chronicle of the Burmese King Anawrahta of the great chedi and vihara in Thaton so that he could make plans of these buildings, around in his capital Bagan to rebuild it after taking Thaton in the 12th century. But was to be found in Thaton no trace of the mentioned chedi and vihara today. On the other hand, there are a large number of ruins from the time of King Anawrahta in Nagor Pathom near the present-day Nakhon Pathom, a province west of Bangkok city, which should be also been a port city right on the coast at that time. For Prince Damrong the old city of Thaton was in Thailand. But also talk finds of old silver coins that had imprinted on one side a shell icon. These coins have so far been otherwise found nowhere else in the world except in Bagan. Nagor Pathom was abandoned after the 12th century, so that no other historical evidence exist.
In fact, an old name for Thailand Laem Thong is ( "Golden Peninsula ").