Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Angkor at its apogee
Dharanindravarman I
(1107-13), the brother of Jayavarman VI, was soon overthrown
by his nephew,
Suryavarman II
(1113-50), possibly the best known of Angkor's kings,
thanks to his state-temple, Angkor Wat. A few minor ups and downs apart, his reign
marked the beginning of a golden period for Angkor; the empire was at its height,
stretching from Champa (in present-day central and southern Vietnam) in the east to
Bagan (in present-day Myanmar).
Uncertainty surrounds his supposed successor,
Dharanindravarman II
(1150-60);
some writers doubt that he actually ascended the throne, suggesting that he merely
ruled over an independent kingdom in the area. He was the
first Buddhist king
of
the Khmer, but did not attempt to convert his subjects. He is credited with
building Preah Palilay and (with less certainty) the addition of Buddhist carvings to
Banteay Samre and Beng Mealea. After him came
Yasovarman II
(1160-65) and
then
Tribhuvanadityavarman
(1165-77), who was killed during a Cham invasion of
1177, during which Angkor Thom was sacked and a Cham prince briefly put on the
Khmer throne.
Following a brief spell when Angkor was ruled by the Cham, the status quo was
restored by
Jayavarman VII
(1181-1218), son of Dharanindravarman II, who won a
huge naval battle against the Cham on the Tonle Sap - his success is commemorated in
the bas-reliefs of the Bayon. By 1181 had rebuilt Angkor Thom and reunited the
country su
ciently to have himself consecrated as devaraja. As well as managing his
vast empire, which rivalled that of Suryavarman II, the king is remembered as perhaps
the most prolific of all the Angkorian temple-builders, completing Ta Som, Preah
Khan, Banteay Chhmar and Neak Pean, as well as a state-temple, the Bayon,
consecrated to Mahayana Buddhism.
The decline of Angkor
After Jayavarman VII's death the Khmer empire began to fragment, probably due at
least in part to his massive building programme, which had heavily depleted the
kingdom's resources. Little is known about the following two kings,
Indravarman II
(1219-43) and
Jayavarman VIII
(1243-95). The Mongols arrived in Southeast Asia
during the latter's reign, and he seems to have been prudent enough to send tribute to
Kublai Khan. A zealous Hindu, Jayavarman VIII was also responsible for destroying
many of Cambodia's Buddhist images.
Legend tells that Jayavarman's beloved daughter took the sacred sword, Preah Khan,
and gave it to her husband, causing Jayavarman VIII to abdicate. The tale is mentioned
in the writings of the Chinese envoy Zhou Daguan, who spent a year at Angkor in
1296 and left a colourful account of the court. But notwithstanding Zhou's glowing
account, the kingdom was dramatically reduced in size by the middle of the thirteenth
century, by which time the Thais had ousted the Khmer from Sukhothai, and Lopburi
had claimed independence. By the early fourteenth century, the Cham had also
reclaimed their independence, leaving what was left of the Khmer kingdom exposed
and unable to summon much resistance to Thai invasions.
When the Thais next sacked Angkor in 1432,
King
Ponhea Yat
left Angkor, and
taking his court with him, set up a new capital in
Phnom Penh
, where he created a
number of Buddhist monasteries which still exist today.
Late 9th century
Early 11th century
At Roluos, Indratataka Lake and the Preah Ko and Bakong
temples are created during the reign of Indravarman I
(877-889). His son Yasovarman I (889-900) builds Phnom
Bakheng temple and the great East Baray reservoir
Suryavarman I (1011-50) further consolidates the
territory of the Angkor empire, which now stretches
as far as Lopburi in present-day Thailand. He also
builds Preah Vihear and the West Baray reservoir
