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History of Cambodia

Cambodia became the centre of power of the Khmer Empire, whose most famous project is Angkor Wat.. 7 eras, 802 CE to today.

Khmer Empire, 802 CE–1431 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Khmer Empire was an empire in mainland Southeast Asia, centred on hydraulic cities in what is now northern Cambodia. 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 in the Phnom Kulen mountains. The end of the Khmer Empire has traditionally been marked with the fall of Angkor to the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1431, though the reasons for the collapse are still debated amongst scholars.

Seat of power: Yasodharapura

Rulers

Post-Angkor Cambodia, 1431–1863 Draft, not yet reviewed

The post-Angkor period of Cambodia refers to the historical era from the early 15th century to 1863, the beginning of the French protectorate of Cambodia. The kingdom's new capital was Longvek, on the Mekong, which prospered as an integral part of the 16th century Asian maritime trade network. The rivalry with the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the west resulted in several conflicts, including the Siamese conquest of Longvek in 1594. The Vietnamese southward expansion reached Prei Nokor/Saigon at the Mekong Delta in the 17th century.

Seat of power: Oudong

Rulers

French Protectorate of Cambodia, 1863–1953 Draft, not yet reviewed

The French protectorate of Cambodia was the period of French colonial rule in Cambodia within French Indochina. On 11 August 1863, Norodom signed a treaty acknowledging a French protectorate over his kingdom. Under the treaty, the Cambodian monarchy was allowed to remain, but power was largely vested in a resident general to be housed in Phnom Penh. Cambodia later gained full independence under the leadership of King Sihanouk on 9 November 1953, a date celebrated as Independence Day.

Seat of power: Phnom Penh

Rulers

Kingdom of Cambodia, 1953–1970 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Kingdom of Cambodia, also known as the First Kingdom of Cambodia, refers to Norodom Sihanouk's first administration of Cambodia, lasting from the country's independence from France in 1953 to a military coup d'état in 1970. From 1955 until 1970, Sihanouk's Sangkum was the sole legal party in Cambodia. As the Vietnam War escalated, Cambodia sought to retain its neutrality but in 1965, North Vietnamese soldiers were allowed to set up bases and in 1969, the United States began a bombing campaign against North Vietnamese soldiers in Cambodia. The Cambodian monarchy was abolished in a coup on 9 October 1970, headed by Prime Minister Lon Nol, who established the Khmer Republic.

Seat of power: Phnom Penh

Rulers

Democratic Kampuchea, 1976–1979 Draft, not yet reviewed

Democratic Kampuchea was the official name of the Cambodian state under the general secretaryship of Pol Pot and the Communist Party of Kampuchea, commonly known as the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge's one-party regime killed millions of its own people through mass executions, forced labour, and starvation, in an event which has come to be known as the Cambodian genocide. The killings ended when the Khmer Rouge were ousted from Phnom Penh by the People's Army of Vietnam.

Seat of power: Phnom Penh

Rulers

People's Republic of Kampuchea, 1979–1989 Draft, not yet reviewed

The People's Republic of Kampuchea was a partially recognised state in Southeast Asia. It was a satellite state of Vietnam, founded in Cambodia by the Vietnamese-backed Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation. The PRK failed to secure United Nations endorsement due to the diplomatic intervention of China, the United Kingdom, the United States and the ASEAN countries. The PRK was considered the de facto government of Cambodia, albeit with limited international recognition outside of the Soviet Bloc.

Seat of power: Phnom Penh

Rulers

Kingdom of Cambodia, 1993 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

By 1993 a United Nations peacekeeping mission had restored Cambodia's monarchy, and established a new democratic constitution with elections. The 1997 coup d'état consolidated power under Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People's Party. Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy and a de jure multi-party state, although the CPP dominates the political system and rules the country as a de facto one-party state. Agriculture remains its dominant economic sector, with growth in textiles, construction, garments, and tourism leading to increased foreign investment and international trade.

Seat of power: Phnom Penh

Rulers

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.