Hindu Kingdom of Champa was a medieval state in what is now Vietnam. Temple inscriptions from Champa indicate that Ramayan epic already was known there by the 7th century CE. However, the tradition disappeared there and has only resurfaced recently. The Chams, a seafaring people of Indonesian stock, occupied the central and southern coast of Vietnam from Neolithic times. In the 2nd century AD they adopted Indian culture and religion and established the kingdom of Champa. Over the next few hundred years, they repeatedly fought off Chinese attempts to subjugate them. From the 7th to the 9th century, their capital was at Indrapura (Tra Kieu), near Ðà Nang. Here we find Rama and Krishna in the temples that are predominantly dedicated to Shiva or Uma Maheswari. In response to pressure from the expanding Vietnamese in the north, it was moved south to Vijaya, near Qui Nhon, in the 11th century. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Champa fought a series of wars with the Khmers of Cambodia.
