Singhala Dvipa, 470 AD.
The sea bathed in the reddish orange glow of an emerging sun. Ardavaz surveyed the goings on around the port. His father's ship, loaded with figs, olives, lapis lazuli and silver and gold coins, had been completely unloaded, the goods bought by merchants from Bhangala, Pallava, Kerala and Singhala Dvipa itself. Now he would be seeking cloves, nutmeg, pepper, sandalwood and frankincense, to buy and send back to Siraf. Some of them would find ready buyers from among the Persians. The rest would be resold by his father, at a lucrative profit, to merchants from Rome, Egypt, Syria and Byzantium.
He had also found out, very recently, that what had for a long time been sold in the markets of Persia and the nearby regions by Arab traders as Saif-ul-Hind, so called Swords of India, actually came from a land much farther in the east, a land named Langkasuka, he had heard. If only he could get hold of a Langkasukan seller, he could buy those finely crafted blades direct from him at a much better price, then send them onward to Persia for his father to resell them there.
Then he saw a ship. A big one. It was built like nothing he had ever seen before. Tall and proud, it had many masts and sails, but no outrigger.
The sea bathed in the reddish orange glow of an emerging sun. Ardavaz surveyed the goings on around the port. His father's ship, loaded with figs, olives, lapis lazuli and silver and gold coins, had been completely unloaded, the goods bought by merchants from Bhangala, Pallava, Kerala and Singhala Dvipa itself. Now he would be seeking cloves, nutmeg, pepper, sandalwood and frankincense, to buy and send back to Siraf. Some of them would find ready buyers from among the Persians. The rest would be resold by his father, at a lucrative profit, to merchants from Rome, Egypt, Syria and Byzantium.
He had also found out, very recently, that what had for a long time been sold in the markets of Persia and the nearby regions by Arab traders as Saif-ul-Hind, so called Swords of India, actually came from a land much farther in the east, a land named Langkasuka, he had heard. If only he could get hold of a Langkasukan seller, he could buy those finely crafted blades direct from him at a much better price, then send them onward to Persia for his father to resell them there.
Then he saw a ship. A big one. It was built like nothing he had ever seen before. Tall and proud, it had many masts and sails, but no outrigger.
§
"A fine ship, isn't it?" a crackling voice broke the train of Ardavaz' thoughts. Ardavaz turned around. It was an old sailor.
"Certainly is," responded Ardavaz. "Big … powerful … and elegant."
"The handiwork of shipbuilders of the land of Langkasuka. Put together without the use of a single nail. Obviously, the shipbuilders over there are much more skilful, and much more superstitious too, than the ones we have here in Singhala Dvipa."
"And the ones we have back home in my country too. Somehow, its style and shape reminds one of a brave warrior.”
"That's just appropriate. Because the man who's going to sail it is one indeed."
"And who might he be, if I may?"
"Buddha Gupta. Prince Buddha Gupta of the mighty Gupta Federation. He was adhipati of Gauda, a province of the Gupta Federation. But he had received instructions from his elder brother, Kumara Gupta II, the current high king of Gupta Federation, to set sail to Suvarna Bhumi, to visit kingdoms there on the king's behalf and make friends with their rulers."
"Just like that? I wonder for what."
"So do I. Only he would know the right answer, I suppose. All we can do is speculate."
"Just like that? I wonder for what."
"So do I. Only he would know the right answer, I suppose. All we can do is speculate."
"Hmm. Interesting."
"And I heard that before leaving Gauda, Buddha Gupta had also spent some time in Raktam Rttika Maha Vihara, the Great Temple of Red Earth, in Rajbadi Danga, in Karna Suvarna, the capital of Gauda. To contemplate, meditate and pray for safe passage for himself and his crew during their journey to Suvarna Bhumi."
"Not a bad idea. So, this Suvarna Bhumi, is it another continent then?"
"Something like that. A bit like Hindustan, I reckon. I hear one could also go there by land, but that would be an arduous task, through thick jungles, tall mountains and all. There're also the islands of Suvarna Dvipa nearby there, where folks are said to farm plants whose fruits and flowers sell for as much as gold."
"Sounds like a most blessed place," Ardavaz listened earnestly. "But can he sail? I understand vast oceans lie to the east of here."
"Oh yes, Indeed he can. They call him Maha Navika, the Great Mariner."
"Isn't he going back to Gauda first?"
"No. He'll be leaving from right here. The distance by sea would be shorter."
"But then, isn't Suvarna Dvipa the moniker for this island?"
"That is true. But the fact is, there are still a few other Suvarna Dvipa, a few other Islands of Gold, besides this one, lying far yonder in the east."
"I see. Would he be requiring any shipmen, by any chance? I would love to sail along with him."
“Lord prince!” the old sailor turned around. "I'm sorry, Lord. I did not notice you approaching. I was deep in conversation with my new friend here."
"Young man," the old man turned again to the young adventurer he had just met. "Let me introduce to you, Prince Buddha Gupta, the man whom we were talking about just now."
“Lord prince,” Ardavaz bowed his head slightly toward Buddha Gupta. "I'm pleased to meet you."
"Me too."
"I'm sorry I did not recognise you. I'm rather new around these parts."
"That's all right," Buddha Gupta responded. "You look to me like ... a Persian."
"You're right. I am."
“You also have that bearing. Like a nobleman. You're a prince yourself, aren't you?"
"I, err ..."
"Of course you are. I should have known. Your name?"
"Ardavaz. And I'm also called … Sudakh Shina. Just a nickname. Only among family and friends."
"That's an illustrious name. You might just be from the court of Yazdegerd II, the shah-an-shah of all Parsistan. Indeed, I think you are."
"You are right, Prince. I am a grandson of Narsis, half-brother of Bahram Gur who was Yazdegerd's father and the shah-an-shah before him."
"Prince Narsis, of course. He was the chief escort to Prince Bahram Gur during his visit as head of a Sassanian embassy to Patali Putra. I still remember them both. Vividly."
"You met them?"
"Yes, I did, actually. They were two distinguished looking gentlemen from Parsistan who turned up one day with a big entourage in the Gupta court. I was seven years old at the time."
"And they both ended up falling in love with princesses of Gupta and marrying them."
"My grandaunts. One of them your grandmother then?"
"That's right. She's told me her side of the story so many times."
"I'm sure she has. Bahram Gur and Narsis came as envoys, then decided to stay longer, well past their intended schedule. The double courtship between them and the Gupta princesses went a long way toward revitalising the friendship and alliance between Gupta and Sassan. After they went back to Parsistan, there came a flurry of exchanges and delegations shuttling back and forth between Patali Putra and Tespon. I was too small to understand anything then. But still I could sense that something important was going on."
"A beautiful story. Yep, Sassan and Gupta should always be friends. Our enemies are not each other, but those wild tribes from the distant steppes, the Huna. We should cooperate to hold them at bay."
"I agree. Absolutely. Well, what can I say? It's such a small world. We're cousins then."
"Indeed we are. It's amazing, isn't it?"
"Are you from the line of Sudakh Shina? The great Sudakh Shina of ancient legend?"
"That was what my grandfather always liked to say. But then Sudakh Shina's time was more than sixteen centuries ago. If he had any offspring then, so many would indeed have sprung from his seed by now. You know about him?"
"Of course. Sudakh Shina Kambhoja Raja. Bravest prince and commander of the Kambhoja. He had walloped Arjuna, prince of the Pandava, and made him swoon at the Battle of Kuru Kshetra, only to be shot from the back by Arjuna, with his divine bow Gandhiva. At least that was the version of the story I knew."
"I hear that you're a proficient sailor. And that they call you Maha Navika, the Great Mariner."
§
"This Langkasuka, where is it located, if I may?" asked Ardavaz.
"About northeast from this Singhala Dvipa," answered Buddha Gupta. "So if we sail with the northeast monsoon, touch wood for fair winds, we'll reach the western port of Langkasuka, in the land of Kedah Negara, after about one and a half months of sailing. Well, that was what my captain said."
“I wonder what life is like in this Langkasuka."
"I hear the climate there is mostly hot, except during the rainy season. But then it still rains often, even during the hot season. Perhaps it's almost the same as in this island."
"About northeast from this Singhala Dvipa," answered Buddha Gupta. "So if we sail with the northeast monsoon, touch wood for fair winds, we'll reach the western port of Langkasuka, in the land of Kedah Negara, after about one and a half months of sailing. Well, that was what my captain said."
“I wonder what life is like in this Langkasuka."
"I hear the climate there is mostly hot, except during the rainy season. But then it still rains often, even during the hot season. Perhaps it's almost the same as in this island."
“What about the people's dress?"
“They're said to wear cotton clothing, mostly. When the weather gets too hot, they just go around without a shirt, with only a sarong wrapped around their lower body."
"We could sell cotton to them then."
"Good idea! I hadn't thought of that. You have a merchant's mind."
"Must've got it from my father. And who do they worship?"
"My advisers tell me that the kings and aristocrats among them have taken to the ways of Brahma and the Veda, and they worship Vishnu or Shiva, mixed also with the teachings of Gautama. But the common people still mostly keep to the ways of their ancestors, believing in and worshipping the spirits of nature."
“Do their kings look anything like the kings of Singhala Dvipa?"
“They say that he wears silk over his whole body. On his head, he wears a crown of gold, shaped like a stupa, almost a cubit in height, inlaid with precious stones of nine varieties. He carries a sword engraved with gold, sits on a throne of gold, with his feet resting on a stool of silver."
"He sounds like someone of great elegance."
"Not bad, according to what I have gathered. His court maidens are decorated with flowers of gold and other expensive accessories. Some of them carry a duster of white bird feathers, or a fan made from peacock feathers. And his city, they say it's surrounded by walls with double gates, towers and pavilions."
§
Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz finally landed at the mouth of a river, upstream of which stood an imposing mountain, a happy landmark for every sailor approaching from the distance. The river was named Merbuk, the mountain was called Jerai, while the kingdom was known as Kedah Negara. Buddha Gupta was rather excited, especially after an invitation to the palace came rather quickly from the king, Rama Unibha, whose queen was another aunt of his.
The tale of Rama Unibha's rise to the throne was still the talk of the kingdom. He was a nephew of the previous king, who did not have a son, and who had descended into severe unpopularity with his people from his cruel unjust rule and his uncontrollably immoral conduct. The generals had tried to engineer his ouster with the plan to replace him with Rama Unibha, but a traitor from within the rebel group had revealed the plan to the old king, who had Rama Unibha arrested and manacled in chains, although Rama Unibha himself had no knowledge at all about the conspiracy.
By some miracle, Rama Unibha had managed to escape, and he fled to Hindustan, where he found refuge in the Gupta court at Patali Putra. His exile to a foreign land turned out to be a blessing in disguise, for Rama Unibha found favour with the then Gupta high king, Skanda Gupta, and eventually married a daughter of his. When the old king of Kedah Negara finally passed away, Rama Unibha was recalled to Kedah Negara to take the throne.
After a month of luxurious living in Kedah Negara as celebrated guests of King Rama Unibha, Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz continued by land across to the eastern coast, to another kingdom named Patani Seri Negara. The two kingdoms, Kedah Negara and Patani Seri Negara, were allied kingdoms, federated into a larger realm called Langkasuka Adhi Negara as a defensive strategy against potential enemies. Their two kings then took turns to reign as high king of the combined federation.
The arrival of Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz in Patani Seri Negara was well received by its king, whose lineage stretched back to Ashoka of Magadha and Wan Sri Mara and Huen Tien, two of the earliest kings of Funan. It so happened that this king was also then reigning in his turn as high king of Langkasuka Adhi Negara, while his son the crown prince had married a daughter of Rama Unibha.
The dynamism of the two men did not escape the king's keen observation. He proposed to them to continue their journey, this time southward, to a land just beyond the fringe of his kingdom, with a view to establishing a new kingdom if a suitable site for it was found. A ship was given to them specifically for that purpose, fully staffed by able seamen and properly fitted, all courtesy of the king.
Their destiny thus unfolded, Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz eventually landed by another rivermouth, at a place named Kuala Besar, near a port town called Tumpat. They sailed further upriver until they reached a place named Bukit Panau, about seven prasanga distance from the rivermouth.
To cut a long story short, Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz were both taken in by a local chieftain named Awang into his home. Awang was called the Black Panther by his loyal followers, for his fierce demeanour as well as his penchant for black clothing. It so happened that at the time the area encompassing the entire river valley all the way to the river mouth and the nearby coast had become infested with robbers, brigands and pirates.
Awang had once served as a general with the army of Patani Seri Negara during the time of the king's father. He had subsequently become a close friend of the king, and eventually married a cousin of the king.
As fate would have it several years later, Buddha Gupta found love and marriage with Mawar Sekembang Murni (Pristine Rose Blossom), Awang's eldest daughter. Another nine years on, it was the same story all over again, this time it was Ardavaz and Anggerik Semarak Ayu (Lively Orchid Bloom), younger sister of Mawar.
The two adventurers helped their father in law build a new kingdom centred at Bukit Panau. The kingdom grew, thrived and prospered, especially after Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz together managed to crush the bands of robbers, brigands and pirates marauding over the land and the seas.
With the blessing of Chieftain Awang, his followers and all the people, Buddha Gupta was duly installed the king of the new kingdom. It was named Raktam Rttika, Red Earth, by Buddha Gupta, in remembrance of the great vihara in Karna Suvarna, in Gauda, where he had once served. The Chinese travellers and merchants who passed by the kingdom in later years then took to calling it Chi Tu. While the local people called it Bumi Merah.
Buddha Gupta had achieved much more than he had hoped for. The initial instruction from his elder brother had been for him mainly to renew alliances and reinvigorate trading partnerships between Gupta and the kingdoms of the Langkasukan Federation. The wars Gupta had had to fight in Hindustan against the Pusyamitra tribe and the Huna had severely drained Gupta's resources. Now Gupta had to contend with new rapidly emerging rivals in the south, the Pallava and the Chalukya. That Buddha Gupta was now sovereign of his own kingdom in the Golden Peninsula was indeed something beyond anybody's expectations.
Noting the bravery and prowess of Ardavaz as a warrior, King Buddha Gupta immediately appointed his Parsi cousin, brother in law and long time close friend as senapati, commander of the army. The two maintained close and cordial relations with their friend the high king of Langkasuka Adhi Negara, and a while later Bumi Merah was admitted into the Federation of Langkasuka Adhi Negara as its newest member kingdom.
One day, Buddha Gupta received news from Patali Putra, capital of the Gupta Federation. He had to return to Hindustan with the utmost speed, to ascend the throne as the new high king of the Gupta Federation, on the demise of his brother, King Kumara Gupta II, before a struggle for power could erupt and spin out of control, which would cause much chaos and anarchy. Mawar Sekembang Murni would rule as reigning queen in Bumi Merah in his absence.
Buddha Gupta was immediately tied down by the daunting tasks facing him as the new high king of the Gupta Federation. The family dynasty was wracked with great discord. Internal dissent threatened the integrity of the federation. Rebellion festered in the western provinces. Feudatories in Kathiawar and Bundelkhand were demanding autonomy.
The chief of the Maitraka clan in Vallabhi, who had long submitted to Gupta and used the title senapati, was threatening to declare independence and revert to his former ancestral title of maharaja. Brahma Datta, narapati of Pundra Vardhana province in northern Bhangala had in fact proclaimed himself Uparika Maharaja. While the borders of the Gupta realm faced renewed threats from the Huna and Pusyamitra tribes. Gupta was facing the spectre of total disintegration.
Buddha Gupta never got around to returning to Bumi Merah. One day Queen Mawar Sekembang Murni fell sick. It was a strange illness. The best healers from the entire kingdom were brought to Bukit Panau to treat her condition, but it was all to no avail. When she became too ill to rule, she appointed her brother in law, Ardavaz the senapati, as the regent to rule Bumi Merah on her behalf.
When the queen passed away, Ardavaz ascended the throne as the new king, in accordance with the queen's dying wish. She had also placed young Simha Gupta, her son with Buddha Gupta, under the trust and guardianship of Ardavaz, to be groomed as the next king. Simha Gupta later married his cousin Shirin, a daughter of Ardavaz and Anggerik Semarak Ayu. Thus the lineages of Maurya, Kaundinya, Sassan and Gupta converged in a family that was soon to found a new dynasty, who would be the future rulers of Bumi Merah and its later descendant kingdoms.
The tale of Rama Unibha's rise to the throne was still the talk of the kingdom. He was a nephew of the previous king, who did not have a son, and who had descended into severe unpopularity with his people from his cruel unjust rule and his uncontrollably immoral conduct. The generals had tried to engineer his ouster with the plan to replace him with Rama Unibha, but a traitor from within the rebel group had revealed the plan to the old king, who had Rama Unibha arrested and manacled in chains, although Rama Unibha himself had no knowledge at all about the conspiracy.
By some miracle, Rama Unibha had managed to escape, and he fled to Hindustan, where he found refuge in the Gupta court at Patali Putra. His exile to a foreign land turned out to be a blessing in disguise, for Rama Unibha found favour with the then Gupta high king, Skanda Gupta, and eventually married a daughter of his. When the old king of Kedah Negara finally passed away, Rama Unibha was recalled to Kedah Negara to take the throne.
After a month of luxurious living in Kedah Negara as celebrated guests of King Rama Unibha, Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz continued by land across to the eastern coast, to another kingdom named Patani Seri Negara. The two kingdoms, Kedah Negara and Patani Seri Negara, were allied kingdoms, federated into a larger realm called Langkasuka Adhi Negara as a defensive strategy against potential enemies. Their two kings then took turns to reign as high king of the combined federation.
The arrival of Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz in Patani Seri Negara was well received by its king, whose lineage stretched back to Ashoka of Magadha and Wan Sri Mara and Huen Tien, two of the earliest kings of Funan. It so happened that this king was also then reigning in his turn as high king of Langkasuka Adhi Negara, while his son the crown prince had married a daughter of Rama Unibha.
The dynamism of the two men did not escape the king's keen observation. He proposed to them to continue their journey, this time southward, to a land just beyond the fringe of his kingdom, with a view to establishing a new kingdom if a suitable site for it was found. A ship was given to them specifically for that purpose, fully staffed by able seamen and properly fitted, all courtesy of the king.
Their destiny thus unfolded, Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz eventually landed by another rivermouth, at a place named Kuala Besar, near a port town called Tumpat. They sailed further upriver until they reached a place named Bukit Panau, about seven prasanga distance from the rivermouth.
To cut a long story short, Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz were both taken in by a local chieftain named Awang into his home. Awang was called the Black Panther by his loyal followers, for his fierce demeanour as well as his penchant for black clothing. It so happened that at the time the area encompassing the entire river valley all the way to the river mouth and the nearby coast had become infested with robbers, brigands and pirates.
As fate would have it several years later, Buddha Gupta found love and marriage with Mawar Sekembang Murni (Pristine Rose Blossom), Awang's eldest daughter. Another nine years on, it was the same story all over again, this time it was Ardavaz and Anggerik Semarak Ayu (Lively Orchid Bloom), younger sister of Mawar.
The two adventurers helped their father in law build a new kingdom centred at Bukit Panau. The kingdom grew, thrived and prospered, especially after Buddha Gupta and Ardavaz together managed to crush the bands of robbers, brigands and pirates marauding over the land and the seas.
Buddha Gupta had achieved much more than he had hoped for. The initial instruction from his elder brother had been for him mainly to renew alliances and reinvigorate trading partnerships between Gupta and the kingdoms of the Langkasukan Federation. The wars Gupta had had to fight in Hindustan against the Pusyamitra tribe and the Huna had severely drained Gupta's resources. Now Gupta had to contend with new rapidly emerging rivals in the south, the Pallava and the Chalukya. That Buddha Gupta was now sovereign of his own kingdom in the Golden Peninsula was indeed something beyond anybody's expectations.
Noting the bravery and prowess of Ardavaz as a warrior, King Buddha Gupta immediately appointed his Parsi cousin, brother in law and long time close friend as senapati, commander of the army. The two maintained close and cordial relations with their friend the high king of Langkasuka Adhi Negara, and a while later Bumi Merah was admitted into the Federation of Langkasuka Adhi Negara as its newest member kingdom.
One day, Buddha Gupta received news from Patali Putra, capital of the Gupta Federation. He had to return to Hindustan with the utmost speed, to ascend the throne as the new high king of the Gupta Federation, on the demise of his brother, King Kumara Gupta II, before a struggle for power could erupt and spin out of control, which would cause much chaos and anarchy. Mawar Sekembang Murni would rule as reigning queen in Bumi Merah in his absence.
Buddha Gupta was immediately tied down by the daunting tasks facing him as the new high king of the Gupta Federation. The family dynasty was wracked with great discord. Internal dissent threatened the integrity of the federation. Rebellion festered in the western provinces. Feudatories in Kathiawar and Bundelkhand were demanding autonomy.
The chief of the Maitraka clan in Vallabhi, who had long submitted to Gupta and used the title senapati, was threatening to declare independence and revert to his former ancestral title of maharaja. Brahma Datta, narapati of Pundra Vardhana province in northern Bhangala had in fact proclaimed himself Uparika Maharaja. While the borders of the Gupta realm faced renewed threats from the Huna and Pusyamitra tribes. Gupta was facing the spectre of total disintegration.
Buddha Gupta never got around to returning to Bumi Merah. One day Queen Mawar Sekembang Murni fell sick. It was a strange illness. The best healers from the entire kingdom were brought to Bukit Panau to treat her condition, but it was all to no avail. When she became too ill to rule, she appointed her brother in law, Ardavaz the senapati, as the regent to rule Bumi Merah on her behalf.
When the queen passed away, Ardavaz ascended the throne as the new king, in accordance with the queen's dying wish. She had also placed young Simha Gupta, her son with Buddha Gupta, under the trust and guardianship of Ardavaz, to be groomed as the next king. Simha Gupta later married his cousin Shirin, a daughter of Ardavaz and Anggerik Semarak Ayu. Thus the lineages of Maurya, Kaundinya, Sassan and Gupta converged in a family that was soon to found a new dynasty, who would be the future rulers of Bumi Merah and its later descendant kingdoms.
When King Ardavaz grew too old to rule, he abdicated to make way for his son in law Simha Gupta to be the new king, while Ardavaz' daughter became the new queen. King Simha Gupta and Queen Shirin had a son, given the Parsi name Espandiyar by his mother. Espandiyar grew up into a fine warrior, and was eventually appointed senapati of Bumi Merah's army by his father.
One day, Simha Gupta received a messenger from Bhaga Datta, the young new king of Patani Seri Negara cum high king of the Langkasukan Federation, requesting military assistance. Patani Seri Negara was under attack by an army from Chenla. It was a surprise seaborne invasion ordered by Bhava Varman, the new king of Chenla, who had recently conquered Funan, the previously powerful kingdom of his own grandfather Rudra Varman.
Bhaga Datta's maternal grandmother was an aunt of Buddha Gupta who had married Rama Unibha during his enforced sojourn at the Gupta court in Patali Putra. Bhaga Datta was therefore a close relative of Simha Gupta on both his father's and his mother's sides. Simha Gupta sent his son, Espandiyar the senapati, to lead a select contingent of Bumi Merah's best and bravest fighters to aid Bhaga Datta.
Bhaga Datta's maternal grandmother was an aunt of Buddha Gupta who had married Rama Unibha during his enforced sojourn at the Gupta court in Patali Putra. Bhaga Datta was therefore a close relative of Simha Gupta on both his father's and his mother's sides. Simha Gupta sent his son, Espandiyar the senapati, to lead a select contingent of Bumi Merah's best and bravest fighters to aid Bhaga Datta.
Espandiyar's warriors fought with great valour, helping Bhaga Datta's army to smash the invaders' forces. Espandiyar so esteemed himself in the eyes of Bhaga Datta that the king conferred on him the title Dharma Kusuma, or Flower of Dharma, a title traditionally bestowed on a heroic defender of the kingdom.
With Bhaga Datta's blessing, Espandiyar adopted that title as his family name. Espandiyar eventually succeeded his father Simha Gupta as king of Bumi Merah, and thereafter all his sons, grandsons and their offspring wore the name Dharma Kusuma as their family name. A new dynasty was born.
Chieftain Awang, his two daughters and his foreign sons in law became entrenched in the memories of the earliest generations of settlers of Bumi Merah. They became, under various guises, major protagonists in the various folklore of the people to arise for centuries to follow. Awang himself, even though he never became a king, often inspired the lead character in many of those folk tales. Perhaps, in a way, this was a tribute to his instrumental role in the founding of Bumi Merah as a kingdom.
With Bhaga Datta's blessing, Espandiyar adopted that title as his family name. Espandiyar eventually succeeded his father Simha Gupta as king of Bumi Merah, and thereafter all his sons, grandsons and their offspring wore the name Dharma Kusuma as their family name. A new dynasty was born.
Chieftain Awang, his two daughters and his foreign sons in law became entrenched in the memories of the earliest generations of settlers of Bumi Merah. They became, under various guises, major protagonists in the various folklore of the people to arise for centuries to follow. Awang himself, even though he never became a king, often inspired the lead character in many of those folk tales. Perhaps, in a way, this was a tribute to his instrumental role in the founding of Bumi Merah as a kingdom.
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