Cham people

Quick Facts: Who was Cham people?

Subject:

Cham people

Known for:

Austronesian ethnic group in Southeast Asia, historically inhabiting central Vietnam and coastal Cambodia.

Died:

Living / None

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Chams (Cham: ꨌꩌ, چام, cam), or Champa people (ꨂꨣꩃ ꨌꩌꨛꨩ, اوراڠ چمڤا, Urang Campa; Vietnamese: Người Chăm or Người Chàm; Khmer: ជនជាតិចាម, Chônchéatĕ Cham), are an Austronesian ethnic group in Southeast Asia and are the original inhabitants of central Vietnam and coastal Cambodia before the arrival of the Cambodians and Vietnamese, during the expansion of the Khmer Empire (802–1431) and the Vietnamese conquest of Champa (11th–19th century). From the 2nd century, the Chams founded Champa, a collection of independent Hindu-Buddhist principalities in what is now central and southern Vietnam. By the 17th century, Champa became an Islamic sultanate. Today, the Cham people are largely Muslim, with a minority following Hinduism, both formed the indigenous Muslim and Hindu population in both Cambodia and Vietnam. Despite their adherence to Islam, the Cham people still retain their ancestral practice of matriarchy in family and inheritance.

Career & Major Achievements

The Cham people speak Cham and Tsat (the latter is spoken by the Utsuls, a Cham subgroup on China's Hainan Island), the two Chamic languages from the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian family. The Cham people were one among several ethnic groups that were primarily targeted by the Khmer Rouge's ethnic cleansing campaign during the Cambodian genocide (1975–1979). For a long time, researchers believed that the Chams had arrived by sea in the first millennium BC from Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, eventually settling in central modern Vietnam. The original Chams are therefore the likely heirs of Austronesian navigators from Taiwan and Borneo, whose main activities are commerce, transport and perhaps also piracy. Austronesian Chamic peoples might have migrated into present-day Central Vietnam around 3 kya to 2.5 kya (1,000 to 500 BC).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

With having formed a thalassocracy leaving traces in written sources, they invested the ports at the start of important trade routes linking India, China and Indonesian islands. Historians are now no longer disputing the association of Sa Huynh culture (1000 BC–200 AD) with the ancestors of the Cham people and other Chamic-speaking groups. Patterns and chronology of migration remain debated and it is assumed that the Cham people, the only Austronesian ethnic group originated from South Asia, arrived later in peninsular Southeast Asia via Borneo. Mainland Southeast Asia had been populated on land routes by members of the Austroasiatic language family, such as the Mon people and the Khmer people around 5,000 years ago. The Chams were accomplished Austronesian seafarers that from centuries populated and soon dominated maritime Southeast Asia.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1000: 1000 Milestone — Historians are now no longer disputing the association of Sa Huynh culture (1000 BC–200 AD) with the ancestors of the Cham people and other Chamic-speaking groups.
2. 1431: 1431 Milestone — The Chams (Cham: ꨌꩌ, چام, cam), or Champa people (ꨂꨣꩃ ꨌꩌꨛꨩ, اوراڠ چمڤا, Urang Campa; Vietnamese: Người Chăm or Người Chàm; Khmer: ជនជាតិចាម, Chônchéatĕ Cham), are an Austronesian ethnic group in Southeast Asia and are the original inhabitants of central Vietnam and coastal Cambodia before the arrival of the Cambodians and Vietnamese, during the expansion of the Khmer Empire (802–1431) and the Vietnamese conquest of Champa (11th–19th century).
3. 1975: 1975 Milestone — The Cham people were one among several ethnic groups that were primarily targeted by the Khmer Rouge's ethnic cleansing campaign during the Cambodian genocide (1975–1979).

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Cham people

True or False: “The Chams were the first people to inhabit the region of modern-day Central Vietnam before any other ethnic group arrived.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While they were original inhabitants, mainland Southeast Asia was populated by members of the Austroasiatic language family, such as the Mon and Khmer people, around 5,000 years ago.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Cham people