Yamanadvipa

Yamanadvipa or Yavanadvipa was an ancient kingdom in Mainland Southeast Asia mentioned as Yen-nio-na-cheu in the journey of a Chinese Buddhist monk, Xuanzang, during his journey in India.^{: 200 : 128–9} It was said to be located to the west of Mo-ho-chan-po (Mahacampa), which is the same as Lin-i,^: 128–9 and was one of the six kingdoms situated beyond the deep seas, hemmed in by high mountains and rivers that were inaccessible (from the Gulf of Martaban).^: 200

The other kingdoms in Mainland Southeast Asia mentioned by Xuanzang, including Sri Ksetra, Kamalanka, Dvaravati, Chenla, and Champa.^: 128–9 These six kingdoms were within the Jumukote or Yamakote (यमकोटि; यमकोटी, Eastern Boundary) of Ptolemy's map of Jambudvipa.

The identification of Yamanadvipa is currently uncertain.^: 14 Still, according to its suffix "dvipa" (Sanskrit: द्वीप), which means "island" or "continent", it is probably located on an island or surrounded by water. Meanwhile, "yamana" (Sanskrit: यमन) means "restraining", "curbing", or "governing". Some equated Yamanadvipa with Yavanadvipa (Sanskrit: यवनद्वीप),^: 14 in which the king of "Yavana" appears in the Preah Khan Inscription (K.908) of Jayavarman VII, together with king of Java and two kings of Champa.^{: 62 : 98} However, previous scholars identified "Yavana" with Annam,^{: 62 : 98} and this assumption as well as the Khmer's claim of supremacy over neighboring kingdoms have recently been challenged.^: 62–3

In northern Champa, there were records (Inscription C.149) of two groups of high officials of the Indrapura dynasty who were sent to Yavadvīpapura, the capital of the nearly identical kingdom of Yavadvīpa for diplomatic tasks in 833 Śaka.^: 66, 75 Yavadvīpa occurs again in the C.22 Inscription, dating to 1228 Śaka, says a prince of the great king of Yavadvīpa became a chief queen of Champa. Some have linked Yavadvīpa with Java;^: 71, 75 nevertheless, numerous Champa inscriptions explicitly mention Java as "Javā".^: 67 The identification of Yavadvīpa is also currently uncertain.^: 71

There was also a kingdom with an almost identical name, Chawa or Sawa (Lao: ຊວາ, pronounced [súa]) of Khmu people, located west of Champa, and bordered Gotapura, centered at Thakhek, to the south.^: 13 These two polities may have been influenced by the culture of Dvaravati in central Thailand.^: 13 Chawa was later conquered by the legendary Khun Lo of Lao people in 698. The polity was then Taificated and historically known as Muang Sua. It later evolved to Luang Prabang of the Lan Xang kingdom in the 14th century.