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Sanfotsi


Sanfotsi (Chinese: 三佛齊; pinyin: Sānfóqí), also written as Sanfoqi, was a wealthy trading polity in Southeast Asia mentioned in Chinese sources dated from the Song dynasty circa 12th century. In 1918, George Cœdès concluded that Chinese forms of San-fo-ts'i (Sanfoqi), Fo-ts'i (Foqi), Fo-che (Foshi), Che-li-fo-che (Shilifoshi), which correspond to Arabic Sribuza and can be reconstructed as Śribhoja, are names referring to Srivijaya empire, located in Palembang, South Sumatra, in present-day Indonesia.

According to Chinese sources, Sanfotsi was an empire that controlled many territories in the strait of Malacca, eastern Sumatra and the Malay peninsula. It was purportedly a large thalassocracy ruled by a high-king exercising sovereignty over several states that were dependencies of Sanfotsi. Although some considered Sanfotsi to refer to Palembang proper, recent scholars say its territorial extent was more vast.

Sanfotsi as a state is recorded in many accounts, the majority of which are from Chinese sources such as the Chinese annals, Chu-fan-chi written by Chau Ju-kua, and Ling-wai tai-ta by Chou K'u-fei (Chinese: 周去非; pinyin: Zhōu Qùfēi; Wade–Giles: Chou Ch'ü-fei). Excerpts here translated by Hirth and Rockhill:

Sanfotsi lies between Chon-la (Kamboja) and She-po (Java). Its rule extend over fifteen chou (provinces). It lies due south of Tsu'an-chou. In the winter, with the monsoon, you sail a little more than a month and then come to Ling-ya-mon where one-third of the passing merchants before entering this country of Sanfotsi.


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