Champas

Champas refers to the Champa people, inhabitants of the historic Champa kingdoms along the central and southern coast of what is now Vietnam. In English, the term Champa or Chăm Pa is used for the realm, while the Cham people self-identify as Chăm. The form Champas appears in some historical or scholarly texts as a plural or exonym for the Champa realm and its inhabitants.

The Champa states developed from the 2nd century CE and occupied a coastline stretching from present-day central Vietnam to the southern coast. They maintained a maritime, sea-power economy and engaged in trade across the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. Over time they were repeatedly pressed by Đại Việt to the north and by the Khmer to the west. The southern polity of Panduranga persisted for centuries, but Champa gradually declined as Vietnamese influence grew, with administrative absorption occurring in the 19th century under Vietnamese rule.

Culture and religion: Early Champa rulers adhered to Hinduism, especially Shaivism, and built monumental temple complexes such as Mỹ Sơn. From the 14th to the 16th centuries, Islam spread among coastal Cham communities, and today Muslim Cham populations are found in Vietnam and Cambodia, alongside a smaller Hindu Cham presence. The Chams contributed to Southeast Asian religious and artistic traditions through sculpture, temple architecture, and ritual practices.

Language and writing: The Cham language, a branch of the Chamic group within the Austronesian family, was historically written in Cham script, an Indic-derived writing system. Modern Cham communities maintain language and cultural practices, with varying degrees of language maintenance and assimilation.

Modern legacy: The Cham people retain a distinct identity and continue to inhabit parts of central and southern Vietnam, Cambodia, and diasporas worldwide. The Mỹ Sơn temple complex remains a major archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage listing.