Mainland Southeast Asia: Turmoil and Peace - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 444

Angkor and established the concept of Devaraj : the god-
king. Jayavarman II built temples at widely spaced sites
across Cambodia. Eventually , Angkor, near Siem Reap,
became the core region with an irrigated area of 13,585
acres (33,500 ha) and a large population. Then, King
Suryavarman II initiated the construction of Angkor
Wat, the largest religious complex in the world. The
complex was enlarged and enhanced by subsequent
rulers (Figure 14-11).
The focus of Khmer society slowly changed. V ari-
eties of Buddhism had long existed with Hindu cults,
but during the thirteenth century , Theravada Buddhism
won general allegiance. Now rulers demonstrated their
power through the building of temples, schools, and
monasteries.
In the 1440s, Angkor was abandoned in favor of cap-
ital sites in the region of Phnom Penh. The abandonment
could have been the result of the silting up of the irriga-
tion system or even malaria. The rise of the Thai state of
Ayuthaya was probably the main reason. The capital sites
were closer to the sea and the booming sea trade of the
fifteenth century .
Until the late sixteenth century , the Khmer kingdom
appears to have been as strong as its rivals Ayuthaya and
Lan Xang. Thereafter, however, the Khmers became em-
broiled in regional machinations of the Thais and the
Vietnamese. Vietnamese and Chinese began to dominate
Cambodian ports. Lively trade ensued even as Cambodia
was caught in the pincers of Thai and Vietnamese expan-
sionism. Repeated incursions left the Thais dominant in
the eighteenth century .
In the nineteenth century , the Vietnamese rose to the
fore and Vietnamese people were encouraged to colonize
the region. Vietnamese language, law , and modes of dress
were imposed. A countrywide rebellion broke out in
1840; for five years Thais, Vietnamese, and Cambodian
factions fought an inconclusive war.

interests, achieved complete authority over the protec-
torate. In 1921, the population of Cambodia was as-
sessed at 2.5 million. A Chinese rice export business had
developed with rice purchased from the Khmer farmers.
However, Cambodian rice was regarded as inferior to the
rice of Cochin China so did not fare as well in the mar-
ket. There were also small Chinese timber and pepper in-
dustries and French-financed rubber plantations using
Vietnamese labor. Maize, kapok, and fish were gleaned
from the region of T Tonle Sap. The Mekong remained
Cambodia' s main trade artery but the port of Saigon han-
dled the shipping.
Around 95 percent of Cambodians survived as sub-
sistence farmers. They were characterized by the French,
Vietnamese, and others as “lazy ,” “ignorant,” “fatalistic,”
and “child-like.” Western observers condemned them as
a “decadent race.” As the interlopers took in their profits,
no industries of consequence were developed. T Towns re-
mained small, with Phnom Penh housing only 100,000
by 1930. T Towns were dominated by aliens, and the first
Khmer language newspaper only appeared in 1938.

WORLD W AR II AND INDEPENDENCE
During World War II, the French reached an agreement
with Japan to retain control of Indochina in return for al-
lowing free movement of Japanese troops. In order to de-
flect Cambodian fascination with Japanese rhetoric, the
French stimulated a nationalist movement. They tried to
institute a new form of writing as in Vietnam but the
Buddhist community rebelled against what they saw as
an attack on Cambodian culture and heritage. When the
war ended, Cambodia had no clear nationalist group as
existed elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The country drifted
and the French returned to power.
While keeping control of key elements of govern-
ment, the French permitted the formation of political
parties. By the 1950s however, lack of progress and coop-
eration produced acute strains. In 1951, the Khmer Peo-
ple' s Revolutionary Party (KPRP) was founded and began
to organize guerrilla operations in outlying areas. Mean-
while, Prince Sihanouk toured France and the United
States demanding independence. The French agreed and
granted it in 1953.

COMING OF THE FRENCH
The French, having established their colony of Cochin
China by 1862, were interested in Cambodia. In 1863
France signed a “treaty of protection” with the king that
placed a French resident at Phnom Penh. This gave the
French control of foreign policy and opened the door to
commercial interests. However, the French soon realized
that there was little economic return to be had from
Cambodia and so concentrated on Cochin China.
By 1904, the French, with the intent of expanding
their presence in Southeast Asia and countering British

SIHANOUK, W AR, AND REVOLUTION
Sihanouk, who came to power under rigged elections,
promoted “Buddhist socialism.” He was intolerant of op-
position and forced hundreds of “dissidents” to disappear.