Nager Cam & the priests of prowess: a history of resilience

Abstract

The dissertation argues that the Cham religious elite secured the social and cultural continuity of Cham society to the present day. They, and Cham society, survived the end of the Cham kingdom of Panduranga because the Nguyen emperor Minh Mang (reigned 1820 to 1841) did not remove them. The Vietnamese rulers who succeeded Minh Mang after his death in 1841 were not interested in assimilating the Cham because they faced many internal and external problems. The French colonial period brought great changes to Vietnam but the Cham, though protected by the French, were ultimately ignored in the colonial economy. The French instead devoted attention to Cham historical, anthropological and archeological research in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The Cham were able to continue their traditional way of life with the Cham religious elite taking center stage in Cham society. They built up their hierarchies with the teaching of anak saih or "students" to carry on the legacy and practice of important Cham ceremonies and rituals to the present day. Nager Cam (Champa) lived on through the activities and efforts of the Cham religious elite.