Panduranga

Panduranga was the southernmost of the great Cham regions, with a royal centre at Phan Rang. Its dry coastal plain is overlooked by the brick towers of Po Klong Garai, a sanctuary dedicated to a revered Cham king. Inscriptions and temples bear witness to a long religious and political history, while the Cham communities of the region maintained traditions distinct from those of their Vietnamese neighbours.

In 1471 the Vietnamese captured Vijaya, the principal Cham capital to the north. A Cham leader established himself at Phan Rang and acknowledged the Vietnamese king, preserving a reduced principality in the south. The Nguyễn lords later extended their authority over Panduranga, but local Cham rulers continued to govern under their supervision. The principality survived until 1832, when the Nguyễn emperor Minh Mạng abolished its remaining authority. Its temples and the memory of its kings remained central to Cham religious life.