Kamboja Kamboja Me Me Me Category="Ancient peoples"Category="Indo-European"Category="Iranian peoples"Category="Mahajanapadas"Kamboja was the ancient name of a country, and the Indo-Iranian warrior Tribe, the Kambojas, settled therein. The country is listed as one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas or great nations in ancient Buddhist texts, and was located in the Uttarapatha in extreme north-west of the Indian sub-continent, contiguous to the kingdom of Gandhara. It initially included the Pamirs, Badakshan, and territories as far as the Zeravshan valley in the Doab of Oxus/Jaxartes. It approximated what is known today as the Galcha speaking region of Central Asia.

Later, some sections of the trans-Hindu Kush Kambojas moved to southern side of the Hindukush and planted colonies in Kunar/SWAT and as far as Rajauri in Kashmir. The Kambojas are attested to have had Indian as well as Iranian affinities (Macdonnel, Keith, W. K. Fraser, M. C. Gillet, etc).

Related Uses

Camboja is the Portuguese name for Cambodia.

Kamboja is also the Indonesian name for Cambodia.

Kamboja also refers to:

The prince of the Kamboja Nation or Tribe (Panini, IV.1.168-175).
A descendant of the Kamboja Kshatriyas (Panini, IV.1.168-175).
A horse raised and bred in ancient Kamboja (also Kambojaka, Kamboji) (See: Halayudh Kosha).
An elephant native to, or coming from, Kamboja (also Kambu) (See: Nanaratha.manjari-421).
Silver or gold native to, or coming from Kamboja (also Kambu).
Name of a conch or shell native to Kamboja (also Kambu).
Name of Supari or Punnag (Rottleria tinctoria) native to or coming from Kamboja (See: Shabd.rattan.samanyavakosha).
Name of Somavalak or Karanj native to or coming from Kamboja (See: Shabd.rattan.samanyavakosha).
Name of Ayurvedic herbal medicine Mashaparni and Hingparni, imported from Kamboja (also called Kamboji) (See: Shabd.rattan.samanyavakosha).
Name of an ancient Raaga/Raagini (musical mode) originated in Kamboja country (also called Kamboji, Kambhoji & Kambodi).
A gold or silver bracelet, or bracelet in general (also Kambu).
Name of a mountain located in ancient Kamboja (Afghanistan), famous for its Kambu or Kambuka silver (Kautiliya Arthashastra, 02.13.10). Silver mines of Anderab, Wakhan and other locations in Badakshan were noted during Arabic rule (Geographical and Economical Studies in the Mahabharata, Upayana Parava, Journal of U.P. Historical Research Society, Vol XVI, Part II, p 46, Dr. Moti Chandra). Therefore, Kambu appears to be the name of a range of the Hindukush mountains in south-east Badakshan.
Kamboji: the language of the ancient Kambojas.

Some Time/Space Variants of "Kamboja"

Kaamboja (In the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Vedic literature etc., hence Kaamboj).
Kambhoja (Southern Indian texts, as in Kautiliya's Arthashastra, hence Kambhoj).
Kaambhoja (In Southern Indian versions of ancient Sanskrit texts, hence Kaambhoj).
Kumbhoja (Same as Kambhoja; name of an ancient town in Maharashtra; also, the name of an ancient Kamboja sage referenced in some recensions of the Ramayana).
Camboja (Common variant spelings).
Kambuja (as in dakshinatah Kambujaa.naam Vasisthaa.naam: See Paraskara Grhya-Sutram (2.1.23)).
Kambuj (one from Kambuja, like a Kamboj is from Kamboja).
Kaanboja (a variant of Kamboja; See Triya Chritra 217/verse 14 of Chritropakhyana of Dasam Granth; Hence Kaanboj). See also pages 21-23 of .
Kanboj (variant of Kamboj).
Kanbuj (as in a coin: Kharal-putras Kanbuj Raspag: See Bharat ke Prachin Mudrank, by Swami Om Nand ji Sarasvati, 1973, Rohtak. Apparently Kanbuj is a variant of Kambuj/Kambuja, since m easily becomes n in Indo-Aryan languages, e.g Kambujiya = 'Kanbujiya).
Kabuj (See Triya Chritra 217/verse 14 of the Charitropakhyana of Dasam Granth Sahib. Dasam Granth attests the term Kabuj as well as Kaanboj).
Cambuja (Variant spellings of Kambuja).
Kamboza (As in the name of the Kamboza-thadi Palace of Bayintnaung, Myanmar).
Kamoz, Caumoje, Camoje (Pushtu names for a clan of the Siah-Posh Kafirs of the Hindukush).
Kamtoz (Another Pushtu name for a Katir clan of the Siah-Posh Kafirs of the Hindukush. Said to be a variant of Kamboz).
Kambu (As in the name of an Asura clan, in conflict with Vedic Aryans, as referenced in (Markendeya Purana (8.1-6), Devi Mahatam (5.28.1-12)).
Kaaboja (See Luders' Inscriptions No 176, 472. It references a Kamboja Buddhist Bhikshu from Nandinagar of ancient Kamboja).
Kabojha or Kabojhiya or Kabhojika (In ancient Sinhalese cave inscriptions).
Khamboja or Khaamboja ((Sometimes) Southern Indian spellings of Kamboja).
Khamboj (from Khamboja).
Kamboda, Kambhoda (alternative name for Kamboja or Kambhoja Raga; also Kambodi or Kambhodi).
Kambojaka or Kambojika (Buddhist texts).
Kamboika, Kamboi (name of a "landlocked port" town in Gujarat. Tenth century Grant records of Chalukya rulers show it as Kamboika (See Indian Antiquary VI, 1877, pp 191-92). The name is said to be a corruption of Pali Kambojika or Kambojaka.
Kapisha (equivalent to Kamboja, as in the Ramayanamanjri by Pt Kshmendra of Kashmir.)
Kau-fu (equivalent to Kambu; the Kamboja of Hiuen Tsiang: Dr. R. K. Mukerjee, Dr. Law).
Kieu-feou (name of Kamboja in the Chinese recension of Tathagata Grhya-Sutra (Ratnakutsangraha).
Kam-po-ce or Kam-po-ji (name of Kamboja in the Tibetan recension of Tathagata Grhya-Sutra (Ratnakutsangraha).
Kampu-chih (ancient Burmese name for Kamboja.)
Kamuia, Kamuio (See Inscriptions A2, A3, E1/E' of Mathura lion capital; See also: .)
Kambocha (as in Ashoka's Rock Edicts of Bhubneshwar, Orissa).
Kambosh (as in the Chidambram inscriptions of Tamil-Nadu.)
Kabush (as in the Buddhist text Mahamayuri.)
Kalbhoj (as in the name of prince Kalbhoj, eighth ruler of the Guhilot Dynasty and founder of the Mewar Dynasty of Rajasthan. Probably a variant of Kambhoj, since in Indo-Aryan languages, the consonant M can easily interchange with N and then L.)
Komdei (a Ptolemian name for Komuda (?) or Komdesh/Kamdesh?; from Kambodesh(?), probably "Kambojdesh".)
Kamboya or Kamboy (modern Kamboh; Shahbazgarhi Edicts of king Ashoka; also in Jain Canon Uttaradhyana-Sutra 11/16.)
Kamboi & Kamoi (as in some ancient Sikh writings, like those of Giani Gian Singh. cf Kamboy of Ashoka's Shabaazgarhi Edicts).
Kamboh or Kanboh (as in medieval Muslim writings)
Kambuh or Kanbuh (variants of Kamboh/Kanboh. In medieval Muslim writings).
Kambho (obviously from Kambhoj).
Kumbho (same as Kambho, obviously from Kumbhoj).
Kumboh (as in The Martial Races of India, p 251, Sir George Fletcher MacMunn. Same as Kamboh).
Kamo ("Ultra-prakrit/vulgate" form of Kamboj, used in the illiterate circles of Panjab).
Komoi (a Ptolemian name for a Tribe north of Bactria/Badakshan in Central Asia. Perhaps from Kamboi, which may be an alternative of Kamboika / Kamboyika /Kambojika).
Tambyzoi (a Ptolemian name for a region on the Oxus/Badakshan, north of Hindukush, said to be a poor transliteration of Sanskrit Kamboja (Dr. S Levi).)
Ambautai (from Kambautai, Ptolemian transliteration for Kamboja, a people/region in Paropamisadae, south of Hindukush (Dr. M. Witzel).
Kambojan (adjectival use of Kamboja)

cf Kambujiya or (Ka(m)bujiya, Ka(n)bujiya) or perhaps Ka(m)baujiya/Ka(m)boujiya'' of Old Persian inscriptions, and Cambyses of Greek writings. The same name appears as C-n-b-n-z-y in Aramaic, Kambuzia in Assyrian, Kambythet in Egyptian, Kam-bu-zi-ia in Akkadian, Kan-bu-zi-ia in Elamite, and Kanpuziya in Susian language. It appears to have been quite a popular name among the ancient Iranians, of whom the ancient Kambojas are said to have formed a clan.