The Khmer Empire
14:54 Share

For over 600 years, the empire that dominated the region of Southeast Asia was the Khmer Empire. Built out of a collection of kingdoms, the Khmer Empire dominated its corner of Asia. It was an advanced civilization known for its massive building projects and its system of waterworks. Even though the empire eventually fell, as all empires do, its legacy can still be seen in the religious and cultural institutions in the region today.

Learn more about the Khmer Empire, its rise and its fall, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by NerdWallet. When it comes to general knowledge and history, you know I've got you covered. But who do you turn to when you need smart financial decisions? If your answer is NerdWallet, then you're absolutely right. And if it's not, let me change your mind.

The nerds at NerdWallet have spent thousands of hours researching and reviewing over 1,300 financial products. And they have the tools you need to make smarter financial decisions. Looking for a credit card? Go beyond the basic comparisons, filter for features that matter to you, and read in-depth reviews. Ready to choose a high-yield savings account? Get access to exclusive deals and compare rates, bonuses, and more. House hunting? View today's top mortgage rates for your home sweet home.

Make the Nerds your go-to resource for smart financial decisions. Head to nerdwallet.com forward slash learn more. NerdWallet, finance smarter. Disclosure, NerdWallet Compare Incorporated NMLS 1617539. What do Mattel, Banana Republic, ButcherBox, and Glossier all have in common? They power their businesses with Shopify. Shopify is the most innovative and scaled commerce platform on the planet.

that also happens to have the best converting checkout on the planet. And that's no industry secret. That's Shopify. Learn more at shopify.com slash enterprise. The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful and influential empires to have ever existed in Southeast Asia.

At its peak, its territory included all of modern Cambodia, which was the heart of the empire, southern Vietnam around the Mekong Delta and what is today the city of Saigon, most of Laos, much of northern Thailand, and some of Myanmar. During its existence, it was larger than the Byzantine Empire was at the time, which existed concurrently with it. As we'll see, the Khmer Empire is one of the ancient empires that has had a lasting legacy into the modern day, both in terms of its construction projects and its influence on culture.

Before the founding of the Khmer Empire, the region was a collection of smaller kingdoms that often warred with each other. The central figure in the creation of the empire was Jayavarman II. Little is known about his early life other than that he was a prince in the kingdom of Chenla, which is located in what is today Cambodia and southern Vietnam. It was centered on the Mekong River, which included Tonle Sap, the very wide part of the river near modern-day Siem Reap, as well as the Mekong Delta.

It's believed that he may have grown up and been educated on the island of Java. In the late 8th century, this was the seat of the Selindra dynasty which ruled the island. It isn't known if he was exiled to Java or if he may have been a royal hostage. What we do know is that around the year 790, Jayavarman returned to the mainland of Southeast Asia where various competing political entities existed and he began consolidating his power.

In 802, he declared himself the Chakravartin, which in Sanskrit means universal ruler, as well as the Devaraja, which means god ruler. In doing so, he de facto declared the independence of the Khmer people from the control of Java. Jayavarman II expanded his empire for the next 30 years, although it did not reach its ultimate size under his rule. Another important thing to note is that Southeast Asia and Indonesia were predominantly Hindu at this time.

The French would later dub this part of Southeast Asia Indochina to reflect the influences of both India and China on the region. Which of the major neighboring cultures was dominant depended upon geography and time, as influence would often ebb and flow. At this period, almost 1,200 years ago, the dominant influence in the region came from the West and India. In addition to Hinduism, the official and religious language in which records were kept was Sanskrit.

Jayavarman II died in 835. In addition to unifying many of the Khmer kingdoms, he established a new capital city, Hariharalai, which is close to modern Angkor. Indravarman I reigned from 877 to 889. His reign is noteworthy for expanding the empire without engaging in war, and he's best known for starting the monumental construction projects which would later define the empire.

Indravarman initiated large-scale irrigation projects, most notably the construction of the Indra-Tatanka Reservoir, which greatly enhanced agricultural productivity. He also commissioned the construction of Prey Ko and Bakong, some of the earliest grand temples in the Angkor region. Bakong is believed to be based on the great temple Borobudur on the island of Java.

In 889, his son Yasovarman I assumed the throne. His most significant act as ruler was establishing a new capital city. Known as Yasodharapura in Sanskrit, it means glory-bearing city, and it's known as Angor in the Khmer language. Angor was to be the capital of the Khmer Empire for the rest of its existence.

Yasivarman I also continued the work of his predecessors, building more monumental temples in the East Barre, a massive reservoir that supported agriculture and a growing population. For several centuries, the Khmer Empire's rulers continued to erect monuments and temples and expanded its borders. In the late 10th century, after the death of Jayavarman V, the empire suffered from instability when three different kings claimed leadership of the empire.

This period lasted for almost a decade until the year 1006, when Suryavarman I came to power. Suryavarman ended the internal conflict, consolidated power, and began growing the empire again. The empire expanded into what is today modern Laos and Thailand. He also introduced administrative reforms that helped manage the empire's growing complexity. One of the most famous kings of the Khmer Empire was Suryavarman II, who came to power in the year 1113 and ruled during the empire's zenith.

He's credited with the construction of the monumental temple complex Angkor Wat, originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Angkor Wat is an architectural masterpiece and one of the largest religious monuments in the world. I previously did an episode on Angkor Wat, but I'll sum it up by saying that Angkor Wat is the heart of the much larger Angkor complex.

Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, covering over 162 hectares, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. The temple's design symbolizes Hindu cosmology, with its central tower representing Mount Meru, the mythical home of the gods, surrounded by a series of galleries and moats. The temple is renowned for its intricate bas-relief and stunning architectural symmetry. The Khmer Empire reached its greatest territorial extent under the rule of Suryavarman II.

In 1177, the Khmer Empire faced one of its greatest threats. It was invaded by the Cham people from the region known as Champa, which today is central Vietnam. Part of this invasion was a huge naval battle that took place on Ton Le Sap, the widening of the Mekong River whose water level can vary dramatically throughout the year. The Cham people sacked Angkor and occupied it for several years.

The occupation was ended by the rise of Jayavarman VII, who was considered to be the greatest king of the Khmer Empire. He expelled the Cham and fought them for 22 years to keep them out and consolidate control of the empire. Perhaps most importantly, Jayavarman VII changed the state religion of the Khmer Empire from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism. He also declared himself a Bodhisattva king dedicated to the well-being of his people.

This was a very profound cultural shift. In most civilizations, a change in something as profound as religion often results in extreme upheaval and probably war. But that didn't happen in the Khmer Empire. He embarked on a massive building campaign. Bayan and Ta Pram, two of the largest temples in the Angkor complex outside of Angkor Wat, and many other temples were constructed under his rule, marking the height of Khmer architectural achievements.

These temples were built as Buddhist temples, not Hindu temples. He created an extensive network of roads between all the towns in the empire, and he built over 100 hospitals. The shift from the warrior-like Hindu Devaraja king to a more compassionate and benevolent Buddhist Bodhisattva king reflected a transformation in how power was justified. The king went from being seen as a divine figure to a protector of his people, tasked with leading them toward spiritual well-being.

The death of Jayavarman VII in 1218 ended the Golden Age period of the Khmer Empire. After Jayavarman VII's death, the empire began to decline, partially due to internal strife and external pressures from neighboring kingdoms. There was a return to Hinduism under some kings, though Theravada Buddhism introduced from Sri Lanka gradually became more influential amongst the common people.

By the 14th century, Theravada Buddhism had largely replaced the Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism of the previous rulers. The spread of Theravada Buddhism was largely a grassroots movement, with it being adopted by commoners more than elites. There are generally considered to be three schools of Buddhism. The first is Mahayana or Eastern Buddhism, which is the predominant school in China, Korea, and Japan. Second is Northern Buddhism or Tibetan Buddhism, which is predominant in Tibet.

And the third is Theravada Buddhism or Southern Buddhism, which was developed in Sri Lanka. Without getting too far into the doctrinal issues between the schools, there are significant cultural and even architectural differences between them. The decline of the Khmer Empire has been debated amongst historians for years, and there have been multiple theories put forward as to why the empire fell into decline.

The most popular reason for the decline is obviously religion. The fact that the shift to Theravada Buddhism coincided with the decline in the empire would imply that one probably had something to do with the other. The change in religion may have diminished the role of the king as a divine figure, and as a result, the central government's ability to control the vast empire weakened.

Another theory is that there was a rise in sea trade. With Southeast Asia situated between China and India along sea routes, the importance of controlling the interior of Southeast Asia became less important with trade by sea. Another theory holds that the climate changed beginning in the 13th century. This lowered agricultural productivity which weakened the empire. One of the reasons there's so much debate around the decline of the empire is the lack of documentation from the period.

What we do know is that in the 15th century, the Khmer began warring with people to the west from what is today Thailand. In 1431, after prolonged warfare and internal instability, the Ayutthaya kingdom sacked Angkor. The Khmer capital was abandoned and the center of power shifted southwards near Phnom Penh. The Khmer state continued to exist but only as a shadow of its former self.

As such, the 1431 fall of Angkor is usually marked as the end of the empire. The Khmer Empire is still relevant today because it stands alongside the other great empires in history in terms of its sophistication and development. The Khmer had a highly elaborate social structure with a system of courts, religious institutions, and social classes. Its advanced hydraulic engineering allowed for the development of a productive agricultural sector and the taming of the wet-dry seasons that dominated the environment of the Mekong River near Angkor.

Its accomplishments in art and architecture are among the greatest of any pre-modern civilization. Moreover, the legacy of the Khmer Empire can still be seen and felt in Southeast Asia today. Theravada Buddhism is still the dominant religion in the region and it shapes the culture of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Burma. You can see it everywhere from small shrines on street corners to large temples in major cities to the seats that are reserved for monks at airports and bus stations.

The ruins of Angkor are considered one of the greatest architectural monuments in the world, and it draws millions of visitors every year. The people of Cambodia still consider their ethnicity to be Khmer, and it's also the name of their language. The revolutionary communist group that took control in the 70s called themselves the Khmer Rouge or the Red Khmer. In short, the Khmer Empire was a remarkable civilization that dominated much of Southeast Asia for over 600 years.

Its legacy, particularly through its religious monuments and cultural contributions, continues to influence the region to this very day. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Benji Long and Cameron Kiefer. I want to give a big shout out to everyone who supports the show over on Patreon, including the show's producers. Your support helps me put out a show every single day.

And also, Patreon is currently the only place where Everything Everywhere Daily merchandise is available to the top tier of supporters. If you'd like to talk to other listeners of the show and members of the Completionist Club, you can join the Everything Everywhere Daily Facebook group or Discord server. Links to everything are in the show notes.