Chi Tu Raktamaritika | |||||||||||
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| 2nd century BC–7th century | |||||||||||
 Location of Chi Tu as indicated in the map of Transpeninsula route-ways. | |||||||||||
| Capital | Sing-ha/ Singgora/ Songkhla | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Old Malay,Kelantan Malay | ||||||||||
| Religion | Buddhism | ||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
• Coronation of the first king | 2nd century BC | ||||||||||
• Conquered bySrivijaya | 7th century | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | Malaysia Thailand | ||||||||||
Chi Tu (also spelledChihtu,Chitu orCh-ih-t'u;Sanskrit:Raktamaritika orRaktamrittika;Chinese:赤土國;pinyin:Chì-tǔ-guó;lit. 'Red Earth Country';Malay language:Tanah Merah) was an ancientMalay kingdom mentioned in the history of China. TheSui dynasty annals describe an advanced kingdom called Chi Tu in 607, when Chang Chun was sent as an ambassador there. The location of Chi Tu is disputed; proposals for its location include areas in the states ofKelantan orPahang inMalaysia, or inSongkhla andPattani Province of southernThailand. The best evidence to support theKelantan theory is that, when the envoys left Chi Tu, they took 10 days to sail toChampa, this indicates the kingdom was located somewhere 'red earth' around the main river ofKelantan. The inscribedBuddhagupta Stone found inKedah mentioned a Raktamrttika, meaning "red earth land".
The Chi Tu kingdom is believed to have existed from as early as 100 BC to the 6th century AD.[1] The royal family's name was Chu-dan (which meansGautama Buddha) and the king was Li-fo-duo-se.[2] According to Chinese records, Chi Tu was built bykit mow (Mon-Khmer) peoples who sailed from the coast ofFunan (southernIndochina) that eventually intermarried with the local population. "... Chi Tu is a derivation nation of Funan, located in within the southern sea, sailing hundred days to reach, the majority terrain was red, thus named Red Earth Kingdom (Chi means red, Tu means earth). East borderingBo Lo Ci, West borderingPo-Lo-Po, South borderingHo Lo Tan, thousands of square miles in land area.[3] The king has three wives and the kingdom embracedBuddhism ...".
Chi Tu along withLangkasuka,Kedah and others were early important trade centers (approximately 100 BC to 700 AD).[4] During this period, ships coming fromChina, Funan and theIndian Ocean would stop at the coast ofMalay Peninsula. They would get local porters to transport their goods, using rafts, elephants and manpower along theearly transpeninsular routeway and part of the ancientspice route. By the 800 AD, the Chi Tu kingdom went into decline.[5]
Scholars do not agree on the location of Chi Tu. While some consider it to have been in the area ofPhatthalung /Songkhla area, orKelantan.[6]: 51, 54, 79 The ruins around the Songkhla lake such as Bang Kaeo in Phatthalung or Sathing Phra in Songkhla might be one of the cities of Chi Tu.
J.L. Meons (1937) believed that earlySrivijaya was located in Kelantan[7] and K.A. Nilakanta Sastri (1949) supported the idea.[8] The Kelantan theory may not be far-fetched, since the Chinese Sui dynasty annals of the 7th century describe an advanced kingdom called Chi Tu or Raktamrittika (as in Kelantanese history) as being in Kelantan, which the name was later changed to "Sri Wijaya Mala". The founding of Sri Wijaya Mala was 667 BC with its capital called "Valai", and it was situated along the upper Kelantan river of Pergau, known for its rich gold mines. It was in 570 BC that the kingdom changed its name to Sri Wijaya.[9]
The inscription of the Buddhagupta Stone found inKedah mentioned a Raktamaritika, the meaning is red earth land, to be the home town of a seafarer named Buddhagupta.[citation needed]
The old name of Songkhla is Singgora (City of Lions), which coincides with theChinese chronicles that state the capital of Chi Tu was Sing-Ha (means lion) and also the nearby Singhanakhon district.[citation needed]
This name may also be related toTambralinga because there is "Tam" (means red) in this name as same as Raktamaritika and Tampapanni. And this state has appeared in 642, the same area of the central Malay peninsula after Chi Tu has already faded away from the history. The best evidence supporting this theory is the mention that when the envoys left Chi Tu, they took 10 days to sail toChampa, which indicates the kingdom was located at the 'red earth' areas such asRattaphum because Rattaphum means red earth as well.[citation needed]
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