The Khmer Empire was the single most powerful empire in Southeast Asia. The empire, which evolved from the previous kingdom of Chenla, dominated over and ruled portions of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the capital city throughout the empire's zenith. Angkor included the modern day areas of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and other Angkorian temples located in North Central Cambodia, and were the major urban areas of the Khmer Empire. History contains accounts of the Khmer empire's astounding strength and prosperity, in addition to describing the belief systems which it integrated gradually.
The empire's formal religions incorporated Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism, and eventually Theravada Buddhism which became the predominant religion following its introduction from Sri Lanka during the 13th century. Modern research by geostationary satellites, show Angkor as being the biggest pre-industrial city-state area on the globe. The present understanding of the history of the Khmer civilization comes mainly through several sources, including: historical excavation, renovation, as well as exploration of rock inscriptions (most significant are bas steles of the temples), records of the political as well as religious acts of the kings, bas reliefs on the temple walls, along with depictions of army marches, market scenarios, as well as the daily life of the inhabitants.
Historical records also chronicle visits of Chinese diplomats, traders, and travelers. The beginning of the Khmer Empire is conventionally dated to 802 AD. In this year, King Jayavarman II proclaimed himself as Chakravartin ("king in the world", or "king of kings") on Kulen Mountain. Much of the ancient Khmer history originates from the numerous stone wall art on the temples as well as top notch records written by Zhou Daguan, a historical Chinese diplomat who visited the Khmer Empire in the 13th century. The historical Khmers depended intensively on rice growing. The farmers planted rice nearby the banks of the Tonlé Sap Lake, or perhaps in the hills when it had been flooded.
The plants were irrigated from barays (Barays = water reservoirs) or even huge water tanks and canals. Sugar palms, fresh fruit trees and vegetables were planted in the villages. Fishing provided the people with their major source of protein, and was eaten as Prahok (fermented fish), dried, roasted, or steamed in banana leaves.
Daily Life at Angkor
Rice was the staple food together with fish, as well as pigs, livestock and chickens which were kept in the farmer homes. Homes were built on raised stilts to avoid water damage during the rainy season, and the walls were of stitched bamboo sheets with thatched rooftops. The homes of farmers were located close to the rice paddies on the fringe of the town. A Typical home was separated by 3 weaved bamboo walls. One room was the parents' bed room, another was the daughters' bed room, and the biggest area was the living place. The sons slept wherever they might uncover a place. The kitchen was set behind the homes, or sometimes a different room inside the home.
Kings, nobles and religious leaders stayed in the central buildings or bigger homes in the town. These larger homes were built of similar materials as the farmers' homes. However, the rooftops were wooden shingles coupled with intricate styles, and the homes had additional rooms. For clothing, the common folk used a sampot - which is a sarong like cloth with the front-end wrapped between the legs and anchored at the back with a belt. Nobles and kings donned higher quality and wealthier clothing. Ladies donned a strip of textile to hide the chest area, whilst noble ladies wore a longer one which was tied around the neck. All men as well as women donned a Krama, which is like a handkerchief.
Religion
The principle religious belief was initially Hinduism, with Vishnu along with Shiva definitely being the favorite deities. Later, Buddhism gained in popularity as it became the dominant religion throughout Southeast Asia.
King Jayavarman II - the creator of Angkor Civilization
King Jayavarman II is widely considered as the king that laid the foundation of Angkor civilization in Cambodian history. As the first Khmer King, Jayavarman II (ruled from790-850) in 802 on holy Mount Mahendraparvata (today called Phnom Kulen) commemorated the great freedom of Kambuja from Javanese dominion. During this ceremony, King Jayavarman II was pronounced as universal monarch (Kamraten jagad ta Raja in Cambodian) or God King (Deva Raja in Sanskrit). Based on some sources, Jayavarman II is said to have resided for a while in Java in the Kingdom of Sailendras, or "The Lords of Mountains".
Hence, the idea of Deva Raja or God King seems to have been brought from Java. In those days, Sailendras presumably dominated over Java, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and portions of Cambodia. Early accounts about King Jayavarman II originated from K.235 stone inscription on the stele within Sdok Kok Thom temple, in the Issan area. Constructed in 1053 AD, it recounts 2 . 5 centuries of service that members of the temple's founding family provided to the Khmer court, mainly as chief chaplains of the Shaivite Hindu religious belief up to the era of King Yasovarman.
Jayavarman II - the creator of Angkor
According to early records, Jayavarman II was allowed to be a king who lived for a while in the court of Sailendra in Java (currently Indonesia) and took back the art work and traditions of Javanese Sailendran Court to Cambodia. This early account was revisited by modern day historians, like Claude Jacques and Michael Vickery, who knew that Khmer named chvea the actual Chams, their nearby neighbours. Furthermore, King Jayavarman's political position started at Vyadhapura (most likely Banteay Prei Nokor) in far eastern Cambodia, Finally, the temples on Phnom Kulen shows both Cham and Khmer styles.
After he returned to his home, the previous empire of Chenla, he rapidly established his control, conquered a number of contending kings, and around 790 AD evolved into the king of the empire known as "Kambuja". During the next decades he extended his territory and finally set up his new city of Hariharalaya close to the modern day Cambodian area of Roluos. He therefore set the foundation of Angkor that was to appear some 15 kilometers to the northwest. In 802 A.D., he proclaimed himself Chakravartin, in the manner obtained from the Indian-Hindu tradition.
Therefore, he not only took over as divinely appointed and uncontested ruler, but also concurrently proclaimed the freedom of his empire from Java. Jayavarman II passed away around 834 C.E. and then he was succeeded by his son Jayavarman III. Jayavarman III passed away around 877 C.E. and was followed by King Indravarman I. AD and C.E. is roughly the same dating system.
Yasodharapura - the initial city of Angkor
King Jayavarman II's successors continuously expanded the territory of Kambuja. King Indravarman I (ruled from 877 - 889 AD) was able to extend the dominion with no wars, and he started intensive building projects with the wealth obtained by way of business and farming. Under his rule, the temple of Preah Ko and surrounding watering works were built. He was followed by his son Yasovarman I (ruled from 889 - 915 AD), who set up a good solid capital, Yasodharapura the 1st city of Angkor. The city's core temple was first constructed on Phnom Bakheng, a mountain that goes up about sixty meters over the plain where Angkor Wat sits today.
Under Yasovarman I the East Baray was also created, which was a huge water reservoir of 7.5 by 1.8 km.
At the beginning of the 10th century, the dominion was divided. King Jayavarman IV set up a new city at Koh Ker, some 100 kilometers northeast of Angkor Wat. Just as with King Rajendravarman II (ruled from 944 - 968 AD) was initially the regal palace established at Yasodharapura. He took up again the extensive building systems from the previous kings and set up a number of temples within the Angkor area; not the least being the East Mebon, an island in the center of the East Baray, and some Buddhist temples and monasteries.
In 950 AD, the earliest battle occurred between Kambuja and the Kingdom of Champa towards the east (inside modern day central Vietnam). The years 968 to 1001 AD were ruled by the son of Rajendravarman II, Jayavarman V. Following his crowing, he identified himself as the new king over the other princes. His rule was really a typically peaceful period, noted by wealth along with an ethnical blooming. He founded a brand new capital located a bit west of his dad's and referred to it as Jayendranagari. In addition, he had his state temple, Ta Keo, to the south. At the court of Jayavarman V, resided philosophers, historians and designers. New temples were also set up: the most crucial associated with these are Banteay Srei, regarded as the most lovely and artistic of Angkor, and Ta Keo, the initial temple of Angkor created entirely of sandstone.
After the dying of king Jayavarman V 10 years, king Suryavarman I (ruled 1010 - 1050 AD) obtained the throne. His rule was marked by replicated efforts by his competitors to overthrow him by army conquests. In the west, he expanded the dominion towards the modern-day Lopburi in Thailand, and in the south to the Kra Isthmus. At Angkor, building of the West Baray was started by Suryavarman I. In addition, the 2nd even bigger (8 by 2.2 km) water reservoir was constructed - the Eastern Baray. Nobody knows if Suryavarman I had children or wives.
King Suryavarman II - Angkor Wat
The 11th century would be a period associated with turmoil and also brutal strength challenges. The Kingdom of Suryavarman II (ruled from 1113-1150) saw the dominion united internally and expanded externally. During his rule, the biggest temple of Angkor was built-in a time of 37 years: Angkor Wat, devoted to the god Vishnu. Suryavarman II conquered the Mon Empire of Haripunjaya to the west (currently central Thailand), and the region further west to the boundary of the empire of Bagan (modern-day Burma), as well as additional southern areas of the Malay peninsula to the kingdom of Grahi (the modern day Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat), and to the east, a few provinces of Champa, plus to the north along the southern border of modern day Laos.
King Suryavarman II's end is not clear. An inscription describes his name related to a planned intrusion of Vietnam in the year 1145. He was killed in a failed military expedition in Dai Viet (currently Viet Nam) territory around 1145 to 1150. There followed one more 25 year period during which kings ruled quickly and were violently overthrown by their successors. Finally in 1177, Kambuja was overcome in a naval fight at the Tonlé Sap Lake from the military of the Chams, and was subsequently integrated like a province of Champa.
Jayavarman VII - and Angkor Thom
The upcoming king Jayavarman VII (ruled from 1181-1219) had already been a military leader as prince under previous kings. When the Cham had vanquished Angkor, he gathered a military and regained the main city, Yasodharapura. In 1181 he ascended the throne and continued the war against the neighbouring eastern Champa Kingdom for another 22 years, till the Khmer conquered Champa in 1203 and vanquished large areas of its terrain. Jayavarman VII appears to have been the last of the great kings of Angkor, not just due to the fact of the successful fight against the Cham, but more so because he wasn't any tyrannical leader in the way of his rapid predecessors, while he unified the empire and certainly as a result of the building projects executed under his authority.
The modern capital now known as Angkor Thom (actually: "Great City") was constructed during King Jaravarman VII's reign. The king (himself a follower of Mahayana Buddhism) had constructed the statues temple the Bayon, having its podiums showing faces of the boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara, each a few meters high, carved from stone. More essential temples constructed in reign of Jayavarman VII were Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Kdei and Neak Pean, plus the tank of Srah Srang. Alongside, an intensive network of roads had been set down, that linked every town of the empire. Beside these streets, 121 rest-houses were designed for traders, officials and tourists. Significantly, he constructed 102 hospitals during his reign.
King Indravarman II
After the dying of Jayavarman VII, his son Indravarman II (ruled from 1219-1243) ascended the throne. Similar to his father, he was a Buddhist, and finished construction of a number of temples started during his father's rule. As a soldier however, he was less successful. Around 1220, due to a significantly more powerful Dai Viet and the Cham connections, the Khmer withdrew from some of the provinces formerly vanquished from Champa. In the west, his Thai subjects rebelled, led primarily by the Thai empire at Sukhothai, and forced back the Khmer. Within the subsequent two hundred years, the Thais would become the chief competitors of Kambuja.
Indravarman II was succeeded by Jayavarman VIII (ruled 1243-1295). As opposed to his predecessors, he was a devotee of the Hindu deity Shiva, and a hostile challenger of Buddhism. He demolished many of the Buddha statues within the empire (archaeologists estimation the amount in excess of 10,000, which few records remain) and transformed Buddhist temples to Hindu temples. From the outside, the empire had been endangered since 1283 by the Mongols under Kublai Khan's general Sogetu (commonly known as as Sagatu or Sodu) who had been the governor of what is today Guangzhou, China.
That it was little detachment from the main campaign against Champa and Dai Viet. The king prevented battle together with his powerful opponent, who at the moment dominated total China, by paying annual tribute to him. Jayavarman VIII's rule ended in 1295 when he was deposed by his son-in-law Srindravarman (ruled from 1295-1309). The brand new king was a follower of Theravada Buddhism, a school of Buddhism which had found its way to Southeast Asia from Sri Lanka and consequently expanded through much of the region.
Zhou Daguan - the final blooming
In August 1296, the Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan came to Angkor, and stayed in the court of king Srindravarman until July 1297. He was neither the first nor the last Chinese representative to see Kambuja. Even so, his stay is notable since Zhou Daguan later on wrote a detailed report on life in Angkor. His portrayal is nowadays the single most essential sources of knowledge about the historical Kingdom of Angkor. Together with descriptions of several great temples (the Bayon, the Baphuon, Angkor Wat) we've got him to thank for the knowledge that the towers of the Bayon were once covered in gold. Zhou Daguan's account also provides useful information on the daily life and as well as the behavior of the habitants of Angkor.
Through the entire year of 1327, no additional big temples were founded. Historians associate this change with the kings' adoption of Theravada Buddhism: since there was consequently no more regard for "devaraja ", there wasn't any need to build huge temples for them. The retreat in the perception of the devaraja could also have resulted in a lack of regal authority and therefore with an insufficient staff for design and construction. The water-management apparatus also degenerated, which meant that harvests were decreased by floods or drought. Whilst earlier three rice harvests per years were possible - a considerable factor for the wealth and energy of Kambuja - the decreasing harvests further made vulnerable the empire.
Battles with the Siamese Armies
Its western neighbor, initially the Siam/Thai Empire of Sukhothai, following the repelling of Angkorian hegemony, was vanquished by a second stronger Thai empire inside the lower Chao Phraya Basin, The Ayutthaya Empire, in 1350. In the 14th century, Ayutthaya became Angkor's rival. Based on its records, Ayutthaya launched a few attacks. Ultimately, the Angkor Kingdom was subjugated by the Ayutthaya military. The Siamese military came back again, leaving Angkor dominated by local nobles loyal to Ayutthaya. The storyline of Angkor passed via historical records starting from that point. However, the Black Plague was ravishing Asia as well as Europe during this time.
The disease initially showed up in China in 1330 and arrived at Europe around 1345. Most seaports and land routes along the line of journey from China to Europe felt the influence from the disease. Southeast Asia was no exception, and in fact The Plague had a severe impact on the daily life of the people. During this time period, the new centre of the Khmer empire was in the southwest, in Oudong, the region of present day Phnom Penh. Nevertheless, there is indication that Angkor Wat and the other large temple cities weren't completely forgotten. One group of Khmer royalty may have stayed there, whilst another group chose Phnom Penh to establish a similar empire.
The last fall of Angkor was due to the transfer of the center of economic - and therefore political significance, as Phnom Penh grew to become a vital business center along the Mekong River. Large scale and expensive building projects and also fighting over power amongst the royal families contributed to the death of the Khmer empire at Angkor Wat.
Ecological failing and infrastructural breakdown were also significant contributors to the end of the Khmer Empire. The Favorable Angkor Project thinks that the Khmers had a sophisticated system of reservoirs and waterways used for business, travel, and irrigation.
The waterways were utilized for farming of rice. Since the population had grown, there was much more tension and conflict centered on the water systems. Problems concerning water scarcity as well as inundating became issues. Due to the growing population, trees were actually cut down from the Kulen Mountain and cleared out to create more rice fields. This deforestation resulted in rainfall runoff transporting sediment towards the canal network. The loss of soil nutrients and damage to the water systems had extensive consequences on the temple cities in the area. In any case, evidence of further duration of Angkor persisted for awhile.
During the rule of king Barom Reachea I (ruled from 1566-1576), who for a short time prevailed in driving back the Thai armies, reestablished the royal court back in Angkor Wat. Through the 17th century one can find inscriptions that testify to Japanese settlements along with those of the residual Khmer. The best-known of these Japanese visitors was Ukondafu Kazufusa, who commemorated the Khmer New Year there at Angkor Wat in 1632.
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