Khmer Empire

The Khmer Empire was an empire in mainland Southeast Asia, centred on hydraulic cities in what is now northern Cambodia. Known as Kambuja (; ) by its inhabitants, it grew out of the former civilisation of Chenla and lasted from 802 to 1431 AD. Historians call this period of Cambodian history the Angkor period, after the empire's most well-known capital, Angkor. The Khmer Empire ruled or vassalised most of Mainland Southeast Asia and stretched as far north as southern China.

The beginning of the Khmer Empire is conventionally dated to 802 AD, when Khmer prince Jayavarman II declared himself chakravartin (, a title equivalent to 'emperor') in the Phnom Kulen mountains. Although the end of the Khmer Empire has traditionally been marked with the fall of Angkor to the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1431 AD, the reasons for the empire's collapse are still debated amongst scholars. Researchers have determined that a period of strong monsoon rains was followed by a severe drought in the region, which caused damage to the empire's hydraulic infrastructure. Variability between droughts and flooding was also a problem, which may have caused residents to migrate southward and away from the empire's major cities.

The site of Angkor is perhaps the empire's most notable legacy, as it was the capital during the empire's zenith. The majestic monuments of Angkor, such as Angkor Wat and the Bayon, bear testimony to the Khmer Empire's immense power and wealth, impressive art and culture, architectural technique, aesthetic achievements, and variety of belief systems that it patronised over time. Satellite imaging has revealed that Angkor's elaborate water management network, during its peak in the 11th to the 13th centuries, was the most extensive pre-industrial urban complex in the world.

Etymology

Modern scholars often refer to the Empire as the "Khmer Empire" () or the "Angkorian Empire" (), the latter after the capital Angkor.

The Empire referred to itself as Kambuja (; ; ) or Kambujadeśa (; ; ), names which were pre-modern predecessors to the modern Kampuchea.

Historiography

No written records of the Angkor period have survived other than stone inscriptions. Current knowledge of the historical Khmer civilisation is derived primarily from:

Archaeological excavation, reconstruction and investigation
Stone inscriptions (the most important of which are foundation steles of temples), which report on the political and religious deeds of the kings
Reliefs in a series of temple walls with depictions of daily life, market scenes, military marches, and palace life
Reports and chronicles of Chinese diplomats, traders, and travellers

History

Formation and growth

Reign of Jayavarman II

thumb|left|Temple of [[Banteay Srei, built 967 AD]]

According to an inscription in the Sdok Kok Thom temple, around 781 the Khmer prince Jayavarman II established Indrapura as the capital of his domain. It was located in Banteay Prey Nokor, near today's Kampong Cham. After returning to his home in the former kingdom of Chenla, he quickly built up his influence and defeated a series of competing kings. In 790 he became king of an empire called Kambuja by the Khmer. He then moved his court northwest to Mahendraparvata, far inland north from the great lake of Tonlé Sap.

Jayavarman II (reigned 802–835) is widely regarded as the king who set the foundations of the Angkor period. Historians generally agree that this period of Cambodian history began in 802, when Jayavarman II conducted a grandiose consecration ritual on the sacred Mount Mahendraparvata, now known as Phnom Kulen. At the ritual, which was taken from the Hindu tradition, Jayavarman II proclaimed himself as chakravartin (from Sanskrit, commonly translated as "universal ruler"; Old Khmer: Kamraten jagad ta Raja) and devaraja (from Sanskrit, ). He also declared Kambuja's independence from a place inscriptions call "Java".

Historians debate whether "Java" means the Indonesian island of Java, Champa or a different location. According to an older established interpretation, Jayavarman II was a prince who lived at the court of Sailendra in Java and brought back to Cambodia the art and culture of the Javanese Sailendran court (such as the concept of a devaraja). and Michael Vickery, who noted that the Khmer used the term chvea to describe the Chams, their neighbours to the east. But in 2013 Arlo Griffiths refuted these theories and convincingly demonstrated that in almost all cases the inscriptions mention Java they refer to the island of Java in the Indonesian archipelago.

Jayavarman's political career began in Vyadhapura (likely the modern-day ruins of Banteay Prey Nokor) in eastern Cambodia. Moreover, many early temples on Phnom Kulen show Cham (e.g. Prasat Damrei Krap) as well as Javanese influences (e.g. the primitive "temple-mountain" of Aram Rong Cen and Prasat Thmar Dap), even if their asymmetric distribution seems typically Khmer.

In the following years, Jayavarman II extended his territory and established a new capital, Hariharalaya, near the modern-day town of Roluos. Jayavarman III died in 877 and was succeeded by Indravarman I.

Establishment of Yasodharapura

Indravarman I was followed by his son Yasovarman I (reigned 889–915), who established a new capital, Yasodharapura– the first city of the larger Angkor area. The city's central temple was built on Phnom Bakheng, a hill which rises around 60 m above the plain on which Angkor sits. The East Baray, a massive water reservoir measuring , was also created under the reign of Yasovarman I. Suryavarman I established diplomatic relations with the Chola dynasty of south India early in his rule.

upright|thumb|Pyramid of [[Prasat Baksei Chamkrong]]

In the first decade of the 11th century, Kambuja came into conflict with the kingdom of Tambralinga in the Malay Peninsula. After surviving several invasions from his enemies, Suryavarman requested aid from the powerful Chola emperor Rajendra I against Tambralinga. After learning of Suryavarman's alliance with Chola, Tambralinga requested aid from the Srivijaya king Sangrama Vijayatungavarman.

Suryavarman I's wife was Viralakshmi, and following his death in 1050, he was succeeded by Udayadityavarman II, who built the Baphuon and West Baray. This population made Angkor one of the most populous cities of the medieval world.

Reign of Suryavarman II and Angkor Wat

The 12th century was a time of conflict and brutal power struggles. Under Suryavarman II (reigned 1113–1150) the empire united internally The Khmers occupied Vijaya until 1149, when they were driven out by Jaya Harivarman I.

Another period followed in which kings reigned briefly and were violently overthrown by their successors. Finally, in 1177 the capital was raided and looted in a naval battle on the Tonlé Sap lake by a Cham fleet under Jaya Indravarman IV, and Khmer king Tribhuvanadityavarman was killed.

Jayavarman VII stands as the last of the great kings of Angkor, not only because of his successful military campaign against Champa, but also because he was not a tyrannical ruler in the manner of his immediate predecessors. He unified the empire and carried out noteworthy building projects. The new capital, now called Angkor Thom (), was built. In the centre, the king (himself a follower of Mahayana Buddhism) had constructed as the state temple the Bayon, Jayavarman VIII avoided war with general Sogetu (sometimes known as Sagatu or Sodu), the governor of Guangzhou, China, by paying annual tribute to the Mongols, starting in 1285.

Conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism

upright|thumb|11th-century Khmer sculpture of the Buddha

The last Sanskrit inscription is dated 1327 and describes the succession of Indrajayavarman by Jayavarmadiparamesvara.

Foreign pressure

thumb|upright|Seated Buddha from the 12th century

The Ayutthaya Kingdom arose from a confederation of three city-states on the Lower Chao Phraya basin (Ayutthaya-Suphanburi-Lopburi). From the fourteenth century onward, Ayutthaya became the Khmer empire's rival. The empire focused more on regional trade after the first drought.

Ecological breakdown

thumb|right|A satellite image of Angkor. The dried [[East Baray indicates environmental changes in the region.]]

thumb|right|[[East Mebon temple is located at the centre of the now dried East Baray.]]

Ecological failure and infrastructural breakdown is an alternative theory regarding the end of Kambuja. Scientists working on the Greater Angkor Project believe that the Khmers had an elaborate system of reservoirs and canals used for trade, transportation, and irrigation. The canals were used for harvesting rice. As the population grew there was more strain on the water system. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, there were also severe climatic changes impacting the water management system.

Plague

The plague theory, which suggests a severe epidemic outbreak may have hit the heavily populated Angkor and contributed to the fall of the empire, has been reconsidered. By the 14th century, the Black Death had affected Asia, as the plague first appeared in China around 1330 and reached Europe around 1345. Most seaports along the line of travel from China to Europe felt the impact of the disease, which might have had a severe impact on life throughout Southeast Asia. Possible diseases include bubonic plague, smallpox, and malaria.

Angkor after the 15th century

There is evidence for a further period of use of Angkor after the 15th century. Under the rule of Khmer king Barom Reachea I (reigned 1566–1576), who temporarily succeeded in driving back Ayutthaya, the royal court was briefly returned to Angkor. Inscriptions from the 17th century testify to Japanese settlements alongside those of the remaining Khmer. The best-known inscription tells of Ukondayu Kazufusa, who celebrated the Khmer New Year in Angkor in 1632. However, in the following decades the Japanese community was absorbed into the local Khmer community, owing to a lack of new Japanese arrivals and thus little possibility of renewing their community. The king and his officials were in charge of irrigation management and water distribution, which consisted of an intricate series of hydraulics infrastructure, such as canals, moats, and massive reservoirs called barays.

Society was arranged in a hierarchy reflecting the Hindu caste system, where the commoners– rice farmers and fishermen – formed the large majority of the population. The kshatriyas– royalty, nobles, warlords, soldiers, and warriors– formed a governing elite and authorities. Other social classes included brahmins (priests), traders, artisans such as carpenters and stonemasons, potters, metalworkers, goldsmiths, and textile weavers, while on the lowest social level were slaves.

The extensive irrigation projects provided rice surpluses that could support a large population. The state religion was Hinduism but influenced by the cult of Devaraja, elevating the Khmer kings as possessing the divine quality of living gods on earth, attributed to the incarnation of Vishnu or Shiva. In politics, this status was viewed as the divine justification of a king's rule. The cult enabled the Khmer kings to embark on massive architectural projects, constructing majestic monuments such as Angkor Wat and the Bayon to celebrate the king's divine rule on earth.

thumb|right|Bas-relief in the Bayon depicting childbirth

The King was surrounded by ministers, state officials, nobles, royalties, palace women, and servants, all protected by guards and troops. The capital city of Angkor and the Khmer royal court are famous for grand ceremonies, with many festivals and rituals held in the city. Even when travelling, the King and his entourages created quite a spectacle, as described in Zhou Daguan's accounts. Zhou Daguan's description of a royal procession of Indravarman III is as follows:

Zhou Daguan's description of the Khmer king's wardrobe:

Culture and way of life

thumb|right|Relief in the Bayon depicting [[cockfighting]]

thumb|right|Bas-relief depicting people playing a chess-like game

Zhou Daguan's description of Khmer houses:

Houses of farmers were situated near the rice paddies on the edge of the cities. The walls of the houses were made of woven bamboo, with thatched roofs, and they were on stilts. A house was divided into three rooms by woven bamboo walls. One was the parents' bedroom, another was the daughters' bedroom, and the largest was the living area. Sons slept wherever they could find space. The kitchen was at the back or in a separate room. Nobles and kings lived in the palace and much larger houses in the city. They were made of the same materials as the farmers' houses, but the roofs were wooden shingles and had elaborate designs as well as more rooms.

Zhou Daguan reported that locals do not produce silk or have the ability to stitch and darn with a needle and thread.

The common people wore a sampot where the front end was drawn between the legs and secured at the back by a belt. Nobles and kings wore finer and richer fabrics. Women wore a strip of cloth to cover the chest, while noble women had a lengthened one that went over the shoulder. Men and women wore a Krama. Along with depictions of battle and the military conquests of kings, the basreliefs of the Bayon depict the mundane everyday life of common Khmer people, including scenes of the marketplace, fishermen, butchers, people playing a chess-like game, and gambling during cockfighting.

Religion

thumb|upright|Vishnu, [[Baphuon style]]

The main religion was Hinduism, followed by Buddhism in popularity. Initially, the kingdom revered Hinduism as the main state religion. Vishnu and Shiva were the most revered deities, worshipped in Khmer Hindu temples. Temples such as Angkor Wat are actually known as Phitsanulok (Vara Vishnuloka in Sanskrit) or the realm of Vishnu, to honour the posthumous King Suryavarman II as Vishnu.

Hindu ceremonies and rituals performed by Brahmins (Hindu priests), usually only held among the ruling elites of the king's family, nobles, and the ruling class. The empire's official religions included Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism until Theravada Buddhism prevailed, even among the lower classes, after its introduction from Sri Lanka in the 13th century.

Art and architecture

thumb|left|Kambuja's Spean Praptos, a [[corbel bridge in present-day Siem Reap Province, Cambodia]]

Zhou Daguan's description on the Angkor Royal Palace:

thumb|Angkorian [[Garuda statue on visiting display at California Science Center ]]

The Angkor Empire produced numerous temples and majestic monuments to celebrate the divine authority of Khmer kings. Khmer architecture reflects the Hindu belief that the temple was built to recreate the abode of Hindu gods, Mount Meru, with its five peaks and surrounded by seas represented by ponds and moats. The early Khmer temples built in the Angkor region and the Bakong temple in Hariharalaya (Roluos) employed stepped pyramid structures to represent the sacred temple-mountain.

Khmer art and architecture reached their aesthetic and technical peak with the construction of the majestic temple Angkor Wat. Other temples are also constructed in the Angkor region, such as Ta Phrom and the Bayon. The construction of the temple demonstrates the artistic and technical achievements of Kambuja through its architectural mastery of stone masonry.

thumb|West Mebon Vishnu

Bronze is an alloy composed primarily of copper and tin. It was a preferred material for representing Hindu and Buddhist deities in Angkor and throughout the Khmer Empire. The Khmer regarded bronze as a noble substance, associated with prosperity and success, and it held cultural significance for many centuries. A bronze statue of Vishnu is considered the "Mona Lisa of Cambodia or the "Venus de Milo of Cambodia". It was discovered in 1936 by Frenchman Maurice Glaize in what was once the West Mebon temple on an island in Angkor's largest pond. The statue is estimated to have been made in the 11th century and would have been between 5-6 metres long.

List of architectural styles during Angkor period:

{| class="wikitable"

! Styles !! Dates !! Rulers !! Temples !! Chief Characteristics

| Kulen || 825–875|| Jayavarman II || Damrei Krap || Continuation of pre-Angkorean but a period of innovation and borrowing such as from Cham temples. Tower mainly square and relatively high. Mainly brick with laterite walls and stone door surrounds. Square and octagonal colonettes begin to appear.

| Preah Ko || 877–886 || Jayavarman III Indravarman I || Preah Ko, Bakong, Lolei || Simple plan: one or more square brick towers on a single base. First appearance of concentric enclosures and of gopura and libraries. Decorative 'flying palaces' replaced by dvarapalas and devatas in niches. First major temple mountain at Bakong.

| Bakheng || 889–923 || Yasovarman I Harshavarman I || Phnom Bakheng, Phnom Krom, Phnom Bok, Baksei Chamkrong (trans.) || Development of the temple mountain. More use of stone, particularly for major temples and more decorative stone carving.

| Koh Ker || 921–944 || Jayavarman IV || Group of Koh Ker temples || Scale of buildings diminishes toward centre. Brick still main material but sandstone also used.

| Pre Rup || 944–968 || Rajendravarman || Pre Rup, East Mebon, Bat Chum, Kutisvara || Transitional between Koh Ker and Banteay Srei. Long halls partly enclose sanctuary. The last great monuments in plastered brick, increasing use of sandstone.

| Banteay Srei || 967–1000 || Jayavarman V || Banteay Srei || Ornate, superposed pediments, sweeping gable ends, rich and deep carving. Plasterd brick replaced by stone and laterite. Appearance of scenes in pediments. Voluptuous devatas with gentle expressions.

| Khleang || 968–1010 || Jayavarman V || Ta Keo, The Khleangs, Phimeanakas, Royal Palace || First use of galleries. Cruciform gopuras. Octagonal colonettes. Restrained decorative carving.

| Baphuon || 1050–1080|| Udayadityavarman II || Baphuon, West Mebon || A return to rich carving: floral motifs but also lintels with scenes. Nagas without head-dress. Bas-reliefs appear at Baphuon temple, carving with lively scenes enclosed in small panels, often in narrative sequence.

| Angkor Wat || 1113–1175 ||Suryavarman II Yasovarman II||Angkor Wat, Banteay Samré, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda, Beng Mealea, some of Preah Pithu, Phimai and Phnom Rung || The high classical style of Khmer architecture. Fully developed conical towers with carving profile. Galleries wider and with half galleries on one side. Concentric enclosures connected by axial galleries. Nagas with head-dress, naga balustrades raised off the ground. Invention of cross-shaped terrace. Richly carved lintels and other decorations. Bas-reliefs, Apsaras.

| Bayon || 1181–1243 || Jayavarman VII Indravarman II || Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, Ta Nei, Angkor Thom, Prasat Chrung, Bayon, Elephant terrace, Ta Prohm Kel, Krol Ko, Prasat Suor Prat, Banteay Chhmar, Hospital Chaples, Jayatataka baray || The last great style. Hurried construction, often in laterite not stone, carving less elegant. Complex plans, huge temples. In Cambodia, face-towers and historical narrative bas-reliefs. Three periods: 1. large complex temples on a single level, 2. face-towers and avenues of giants carrying nagas, 3. decline of the building standards, devatas acquire Angkor Wat style diadem.

| Post Bayon || 1243–15th c. || Jayavarman VIII and others || Terrace of the Leper King, Preah Pithu, Preah Palilay (modifications to temples) || Inversion of cross-shaped terrace, causeways on columns, low or high.

Relations with regional powers

thumb|Expansion of Kambuja into the kingdoms of [[Lavo Kingdom|Lavo and Champa]]

thumb|upright|[[Phimai historical park|Phimai, the site of the ancient Khmer city of Vimayapura]]

During the formation of the empire, the Khmer had close cultural, political, and trade relations with Java and with the Srivijaya Empire that lay beyond Khmer's southern seas. In 851 a Persian merchant named Sulaiman al-Tajir recorded an incident involving a Khmer king and a Maharaja of Zabaj. He described the story of a Khmer king who defied the power of Maharaja of Zabaj. It was said that the Javanese Sailendras staged a surprise attack on the Khmers by approaching the capital from the river. The young king was later punished by the Maharaja, and subsequently the kingdom became a vassal of the Sailendra dynasty. The Legend of the Maharaja of Zabaj was later published by the historian Masoudi in his 947 book, "Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems." The Kaladi inscription of Java ( 909) mentioned Kmir (Khmer people or Cambodian) together with Campa (Champa) and Rman (Mon) as foreigners from mainland Southeast Asia who frequently came to Java to trade. The inscription suggests a maritime trade network had been established between Kambuja and Java (Mdang kingdom).

In 916 CE, Arab historian Abu Zayd al-Sirafi recorded in a lengthy chronicle that the young, inexperienced king of Khmer, is hostile to Java. When the hostility becomes state policy and is known publicly, the king of Java attacked and captured the Khmer king. He was beheaded and the head brought to Java. The king of Java ordered the minister of Khmer Empire to seek the successor. After being cleaned and embalmed, the head of the king was put in a vase and sent to the new Khmer king.

Throughout its history, the empire also was involved in series of wars and rivalries with the neighbouring kingdoms of Champa, Tambralinga, and Đại Việt– and later in its history with Siamese Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. The Khmer Empire's relations with its eastern neighbour Champa was exceptionally intense, as both sides struggled for domination in the region. The Cham fleet raided Angkor in 1177, and in 1203 the Khmer managed to push back and defeat Champa.

thumb|left|A Khmer soldier (left) fights against his Cham rival (right). The bas-reliefs of the [[Bayon, always depict the Chams as wearing helmets in the shape of a Magnolia champaca flower.]]

Arab writers of the 9th and 10th century hardly mention the region for anything other than its perceived backwardness, but they considered the king of Al-Hind (India and Southeast Asia) one of the four great kings in the world. The ruler of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty is described as the greatest king of Al-Hind, but even the lesser kings of Al-Hind including the kings of Java, Pagan Burma, and the Khmer kings of Cambodia are invariably depicted by the Arabs as extremely powerful and as being equipped with vast armies of men, horses, and often tens of thousands of elephants. They were also known to have been in possession of vast treasures of gold and silver. The Khmer rulers established relations with the Chola dynasty of South India.

The Khmer Empire seems to have maintained contact with Chinese dynasties; spanning from the late Tang period to the Yuan period. The relations with the Yuan dynasty was of great historical significance, since it produced The Customs of Cambodia (), an important insight into the Khmer Empire's daily life, culture and society. The report was written between 1296 and 1297 by the Yuan diplomat Zhou Daguan, sent by Temür Khan of Yuan dynasty to stay in Angkor.

In the 1300s, the Lao prince Fa Ngum was exiled to live in the royal court of Angkor. His father-in-law, the King of Cambodia, gave him a Khmer army to create a buffer state in what is now Laos. Fa Ngum conquered local principalities and established the Kingdom of Lan Xang. With the assistance of Khmer scholars, Fa Ngum introduced Theravada Buddhism and the culture of the Khmer Empire to the region.

A Javanese source, the Nagarakretagama canto 15, composed in 1365 in the Majapahit Empire, claimed Java had established diplomatic relations with Kambuja (Cambodia) together with Syangkayodhyapura (Ayutthaya), Dharmmanagari (Negara Sri Dharmaraja), Rajapura (Ratchaburi) and Singhanagari (Songkla), Marutma (Martaban or Mottama, Southern Myanmar), Champa, and Yawana (Annam). This record describes the political situations in Mainland Southeast Asia in the mid-14th century; although the Cambodian polity still survived, the rise of Siamese Ayutthaya had taken its toll. Finally, the empire fell, marked by the abandonment of Angkor for Phnom Penh in 1431, caused by Siamese pressure.

List of rulers

{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" width="75%"

!width="60px"|Reign

!width="80px"|King

!width="80px"|Capital

!width="440px"|Information and events

|802–835

|Jayavarman II

|Mahendraparvata, Hariharalaya

|Proclaimed the independence of Kambuja from Java. Claimed as Chakravartin through sacred Hindu ritual on Phnom Kulen and initiating Devaraja cult in Cambodia.

|835–877

|Jayavarman III

|Hariharalaya

|Son of Jayavarman II

|877–889

|Indravarman I

|Hariharalaya

|Nephew of Jayavarman II. Built Preah Ko dedicated to Jayavarman II, also for his father and his grand father. Constructed temple mountain Bakong.

|889–910

|Yasovarman I

|Hariharalaya, Yasodharapura

|Son of Indravarman I. Built Indratataka Baray and Lolei. Moved the capital to Yasodharapura centred around Phnom Bakheng, and also built Yashodharatataka.

|910–923

|Harshavarman I

|Yasodharapura

|Son of Yasovarman I. Involved in a power struggle against his maternal uncle Jayavarman IV. Built Baksei Chamkrong.

|923–928

|Ishanavarman II

|Yasodharapura

|Son of Yasovarman I, brother of Harshavarman I. Involved in a power struggle against his maternal uncle Jayavarman IV. Built Prasat Kravan.

|928–941

|Jayavarman IV

|Koh Ker (Lingapura)

|Son of King Indravarman I's daughter, Mahendradevi, married to Yasovarman I sister, claim the throne through maternal line. Ruled from Koh Ker.

|941–944

|Harshavarman II

|Koh Ker (Lingapura)

|Son of Jayavarman IV.

|944–968

|Rajendravarman II

|Angkor (Yasodharapura)

|Uncle and first cousin of Harshavarman II and wrestle power from him. Transfer the capital back to Angkor, Built Pre Rup and East Mebon. War against Champa in 946.

|968–1001

|Jayavarman V

|Angkor (Jayendranagari)

|Son of Rajendravarman II. Built a new capital Jayendranagari and Ta Keo in its centre.

|1001–1006

|Udayadityavarman I, Jayaviravarman, Suryavarman I

|Angkor

|Period of chaos, three kings rule simultaneously as antagonist.

|1006–1050

|Suryavarman I

|Angkor

|Took the throne. Alliance with Chola and conflict with Tambralinga kingdom. Built Preah Khan Kompong Svay. The king adhered to Mahayana Buddhism.

|1050–1066

|Udayadityavarman II

|Angkor (Yasodharapura)

|Took the throne, descendant of Yasovarman I's spouse. Built Baphuon, West Baray and West Mebon, also Sdok Kok Thom.

|1066–1080

|Harshavarman III

|Angkor (Yasodharapura)

|Succeeded his elder brother Udayadityavarman II, capital at Baphuon. Champa invasion in 1074 and 1080.

|1090–1107

|Jayavarman VI

|Angkor

|Usurper from Vimayapura. Built Phimai.

|1107–1113

|Dharanindravarman I

|Angkor

|Succeeded his younger brother, Jayavarman VI.

|1113–1145

|Suryavarman II

|Angkor

|Usurped and killed his great uncle. Built Angkor Wat, Banteay Samre, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and Beng Mealea. Invade Đại Việt and Champa.

|1150–1160

|Dharanindravarman II

|Angkor

|Succeeded his cousin Suryavarman II

|1160–1167

|Yasovarman II

|Angkor

|Overthrown by his minister Tribhuvanadityavarman

|1167–1177

|Tribhuvanadityavarman

|Angkor

|Cham invasion in 1177 and 1178 led by Jaya Indravarman IV, looted the Khmer capital.

|-style="background:#ccf;"

|1178–1181

| colspan=3 valign="middle"|Cham occupation, led by Champa king Jaya Indravarman IV

|1181–1218

|Jayavarman VII

|Angkor (Yasodharapura)

|Led Khmer army against Cham invaders thus liberated Cambodia. Led the conquest of Champa (1190–1191). Major infrastructure constructions; built hospitals, rest houses, reservoirs, and temples including Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, the Bayon in Angkor Thom city, and Neak Pean.

|1219–1243

|Indravarman II

|Angkor

|Son of Jayavarman VII. Lost control of Champa and lost western territories to Siamese Sukhothai Kingdom.

|1243–1295

|Jayavarman VIII

|Angkor

|Mongol invasion led by Kublai Khan in 1283 and war with Sukhothai. Built Mangalartha. He was a zealous Shivaite and eradicated Buddhist influences.

|1295–1308

|Indravarman III

|Angkor

|Overthrew his father in law Jayavarman VIII. Made Theravada Buddhism the state religion. Received Yuan Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan (1296–1297).

|1308–1327

|Indrajayavarman

|Angkor

|1327–1336

|Jayavarman IX

|Angkor

|Last Sanskrit inscription (1327).

|1336–1340

|Trasak Paem

|Angkor

|1340–1346

|Nippean Bat

|Angkor

|1346–1347

|Sithean Reachea

|Angkor

|1347–1352

|Lompong Reachea

|Angkor

|-style="background:#ccf;"

|1352–1357

| colspan=3 valign="middle"|Siamese Ayutthaya invasion led by Uthong

|1357–1363

|Soryavong

|Angkor

|1363–1373

|Borom Reachea I

|Angkor

|1373–1393

|Thomma Saok

|Angkor

|-style="background:#ccf;"

|1393

| colspan=3 valign="middle"|Siamese Ayutthaya invasion led by Ramesuan

|1394–c.1421

|In Reachea

|Angkor

|1405–1431

|Barom Reachea II

|Angkor, Chaktomuk

|Abandoned Angkor (1431).

Gallery of temples

File:Banteay Srei 48.jpg|

File:Preah Khan, Angkor, Camboya, 2013-08-17, DD 26.JPG|

File:Ta Keo 01.jpg|

File:Phimeanakas, Angkor Thom, Camboya, 2013-08-16, DD 04.jpg|

File:Chau Say Tevoda2012.jpg|

File:Banteay Samre, Cambodia (2211425643).jpg|

File:Terraza de los Elefantes, Angkor Thom, Camboya, 2013-08-16, DD 03.jpg|

</gallery>

File:ปราสาทพนมรุ้ง รุ่งเรืองดั่งสวรรค์.JPG|

File:Entrance-phimai.jpg|

File:Prang Sam Yot.jpg|

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File:Muangtum Castle at Buriram, Thailand.jpg|

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Etymology

Historiography

History

Formation and growth

Reign of Jayavarman II

Establishment of Yasodharapura

Reign of Suryavarman II and Angkor Wat

Conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism

Foreign pressure

Ecological breakdown

Plague

Angkor after the 15th century

Culture and way of life

Religion

Art and architecture

Relations with regional powers

List of rulers

Gallery of temples

See also

References

Further reading

External links