Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The period lasting from the 15 th to the 19 th century is known as the “dark ages,” since it
consistedoffourcenturiesofdeclineandterritorialloss.Duringthe16 th century,thecoun-
tryenjoyedabriefperiodofprosperity,whenSpanishandPortugueseadventurersandmis-
sionaries came to visit, and the Cambodian kings promoted trade with other parts of Asia.
The country contained flourishing trading communities from China, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Japan, Spain, and Portugal, later joined by England and Holland, and created a cosmopol-
itan environment for business. But in 1594, the Siamese conquest of the new capital of
Longvekmarkedadownturninthecountry'sfortunes,andCambodiabecamecaughtinthe
power struggles between Siam (present-day Thailand) and Vietnam. As a result of the fall
of Longvek, Siam ruled Cambodia for most of the next 300 years.
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