Khmer Empire
Cambodia, 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
Jayavaraman II
King of Cambodia, 802 CE–850 CE
He was a Khmer prince who founded and became the first ruler of the Khmer Empire. He founded several capitals such as Mahendraparvata, Indrapura, and Hariharalaya.
Yasovarman I
King of Cambodia, 889 CE–910 CE
He was an Angkorian king who reigned from 889 to 910. After the death of Indravarman, a succession war was fought by his two sons, Yasovarman and his brother, a case of sibling rivalry.
Portrait of Yasovarman I: No machine-readable author provided. Serinde assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, file
Rajendravarman II
King of Cambodia, 944 CE–968 CE
He was the king of the Khmer Empire, from 944 to 968. His principal monuments, located in the Angkor region of Cambodia's Siem Reap province, are Pre Rup and East Mebon.
Jayavarman V
King of Cambodia, 968 CE–1000
He was a ruler of the Khmer Empire from his state temple, Jayendranagari, at Jayendrapura. During his reign, the Khmer Empire had 20 cities or pura. He succeeded his father, Rajendravarman, when he was only ten years old.
Suryavarman I
King of Cambodia, 1010–1050
He was king of the Khmer Empire. His own inscriptions concede that he had no claim by descent from the kings who immediately preceded him and took the kingdom by battle.
Portrait of Suryavarman I: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Udayadityavarman II
King of Cambodia, 1050–1066
He ruled the Angkor Kingdom from 1050 to 1066. He built the Baphuon Temple to honor the god Shiva, but some of the sculptures are dedicated to Buddha.
Portrait of Udayadityavarman II: Sgnpkd, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Nripatindravarman
King of Cambodia, 1080–1113
It is possible that a king named Nripatindravarman reigned in Angkor until 1113.
Jayavarman VI
King of Cambodia, 1080–1107
He was king of the Khmer Empire from about 1080 to 1107. He appears as a usurper and the founder of a new dynasty, the Mahidharapura.
Suryavarman II
King of Cambodia, 1113–1150
He is most famously known as the builder of Angkor Wat, the largest Hindu temple in the world, which he dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Historians rank Suryavarman II as one of the empire's greatest rulers.
Portrait of Suryavarman II: Michael Gunther, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Jayavarman VII
King of Cambodia, 1181–1218
He was the first Khmer king devoted to Buddhism. He built the Bayon as a monument to Buddhism. His government built many projects, including hospitals, highways, rest houses, and temples.
Indravarman II
King of Cambodia, 1218–1243
His father was Jayavarman VII, and he ruled the Khmer Empire. He was a Buddhist, and is credited with enlarging or completing several of his father's temples.
Jayavarman VIII
King of Cambodia, 1243–1295
His rule lasted from 1243 until 1295, when he abdicated. He reverted to Hinduism from his father's religion of Buddhism and attempted to destroy Buddhism while patronizing Hinduism throughout his regime. In 1283, he decided to pay tribute and buy peace, and thus his rule survived.
Indrajayavarman
King of Cambodia, 1308–1327
He ruled the Khmer empire from 1308 to 1327. Charles Higham states this is the last Sanskrit record of Angkor.
Thommo Soccoroch
King of Cambodia, 1373–1394
He was a king of the Khmer Empire between 1373 and 1393.
Culture
- 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.
- Under the reign of Yasovarman I, the East Baray, a massive water reservoir, was also created.
- Angkor Wat is a Theravada Buddhist temple complex, originally built as a Vaishnava Hindu temple. It is a symbol of Cambodia and appears on the Cambodian national flag.
Picture
The temple was built between 1113 and 1150 during the reign of the Khmer king Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu.
Image: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.