Wen Dan

Part of a series on the
History of Thailand
Timeline Prehistory Spirit Cave 9000 BCE–5500 BCE Ban Chiang 2,100 BCE–200 CE Initial states Suvarnabhumi Legendary Singhanavati 691 BCE–638 CE Tun Sun 52 CE–600 CE Tambralinga 100 CE–1277 CE Dvaravati 500 CE–1200 CE Wen Dan 600 CE–800 CE Lavo 648 CE–1388 CE Ngoenyang 638 CE–1292 CE Haripuñjaya 745 CE–1292 CE Canasapura 790 CE–974 CE Pan Pan 300 CE–700 CE Raktamaritika 200 CE–700 CE Langkasuka 200 CE–1500 CE Srivijaya 671 CE–1025 CE Regional kingdoms Lan Na 1292–1775 Phayao 1094–1338 Nakhon Si Thammarat 1278–1782 Singora 1605–1680 Pattani 1457–1902 Satun 1808–1916 Reman 1810–1902 Main history Sukhothai Kingdom 1238–1438 Ayutthaya Kingdom 1351–1767 Thonburi Kingdom 1767–1782 Rattanakosin Kingdom 1782–present 1782–1932 1932–1973 1973–2001 2001–present
Topics Peopling of Thailand Constitutional Military Economic LGBT Isan Phitsanulok Bangkok
Thailand portal
v t e

Wén Dān (Chinese: 文單; Thai: เหวินตัน) was a group of ancient Mon political entities that existed around the 7th–8th centuries CE in the interior of mainland Southeast Asia scattered around the central Mekong Valley in the present-day northeast Thailand.^[1][2][3] It was mentioned in the Chinese annals of the Tang period (618-907 AD) as a dependency on the trans-Mekong trade route from the ancient city of Chiaochih (jiāo zhǐ 交趾; Giao chỉ; near the present-day Vinh of Vietnam) to India.^{[1]: 25–72} Wen Dan sent representatives to China in 656 – 661, 717, 753, 771, and 798.^[1][4]

Initially, Wen Dan was believed to be either Vientiane,^[1][2] or the capital of the Land Chenla (Po-Lou),^[5]: 16 but according to the location given in the annals as well as archaeological evidence, it is supposed to be in Chi River basin,^[1][2] centered in Kantharawichai, with Mueang Fa Daet Song Yang as outer center and Champasri (จัมปาศรี; in present Na Dun district) as the vassal.^[1] Several historical evidences supports the connection between Wen Dan and Si Thep in central Thailand.^{[4]: 91–92}

According to the Dvaravati Buddhist boundary stones (Bai sema) dated the 8th century found on Mt. Kulen, Woodward (2003) proposes that Wen Dan once controlled the Angkor region before Jayavarman II proclaimed the independence of the Kambujadesa from Java in 802.^{[4]: 87–88} Jayavarman II probably either defeated Wen Dan and then moved the capital from Indrapura to Yaśodharapura in the north,^[4]: 87 or formed ally with the communities in Mun and Chi watersheds to against Si Thep in the west.^[4]: 93