Sundararavarman

Śrī Sundararavarman (Thai: ศรีสุนทรวรมัน) is documented in the Śrī Canāśa Inscription (K.949) as the sovereign of Canasapura,^{[1]: 122 [2]} whose political center was situated at Si Thep, with Mueang Sema [fr] serving as a prominent regional administrative center.^{[3]: 32–4} His reign appears to have been characterized by the ascendancy of Shaivism, as indicated by the royal epithet -varman, a titular element conventionally associated with Hindu monarchs of the period. This religious orientation contrasts with that of his predecessor, who is believed to have adhered to Buddhist traditions.^[2] The material culture of Si Thep during Sundararavarman’s reign further corroborates this shift, as evidenced by architectural remains that display a pronounced stylistic convergence with contemporaneous Angkorian Hindu temple styles.^{[4][5]: 303, 308–309}

Sri Sundararavarman
8th King of Qiān
King of Qiān Zhī Fú
Reign	Early 10th century–937
Predecessor	Sundaraprakrama
Successor	Narapatisimhavarman
Issue	Narapatisimhavarman Mangalavarman
House	Canasapura
Dynasty	Guruwamsa

Epigraphic evidence also records that Sundararavarman fathered two sons. The elder, Narapatisimhavarman, succeeded him as ruler, while the younger son is credited with commissioning the Śrī Canāśa Inscription, thereby perpetuating both dynastic memory and religious-political legitimacy.^[2]

During his rule, the earliest settlement in the swamp basin corresponding to present-day Ayutthaya was reportedly founded by a noble from Bang Pan to the north, reflecting the north-to-south migration and political expansion of regional elites.^[6]: 30 This initial foundation laid the groundwork for the subsequent development of the Ayutthaya Kingdom as a strategic center controlling riverine trade routes and regional networks in the Chao Phraya basin.