History of Angkor
History of Angkor
Angkor literally means “Capital City” or “Holy City” khmer refers to the dominant ethnic group in modern and ancient Cambodia. In its modern usage,Khmer Empire that existed in the area of Cambodia between the 9th and 12th Centuries AD, as well as to the empire itself. The temple ruins in the area of Siem Reap are the remnants of the Angkorian capitals, and represent the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architectute, art and civilization.
At its height. The Age of Angkor was a time when the capital area contained more than a million people, when Khmer kings construction vast waterworks and grand temples, and when Angkor’s military, economicand cultural dominance held sway over the area of modern Cambodia as well as much of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
The First Century: Indianisation
Southeast Asia has been inhabited since the Neolithicera , but the seeds of Angkorian civilization were sown in the 1st century AD. At the turn of the millennium, Southeast Asia was becoming a hub in a vast commercial trading network that stretched from the Mediterranean to China. Indian and Chinese traders began arriving in the region in greater numbers exposing the indigenous people to their cultures, though it was Indian culture that took hold, perhaps through the efforts of Brahman priests. Indian culture, religion(Hinduism and Buddhism), Law, Political theory, science and writing spread through the region over a period of several and giving rise to new Indianised princedoms.
Funan and chendle: Pre-Angkor and before
Though the newly Indianised princely states sometimes encompassed large areas, they were often not larger than a single fortified city. They warred among them selves, coalescing over time into a shifting set of larger states According to 3th century Chinese chronicles, one of china’s principal trading partners and a dominant power in the region was the Funanese spoke Mon –khmer, strongly indication a connection to later Angkorian and Cambodian civilization.
Funan was predominate over its smaller neighboring states, including the state of Chendla in northern Cambodia. Over the later half of the 6th centuries.Chendla, already in the ascendant, conquered the Khmer sectionsof western Funan, white the Mon people won the extreme western section of Funan in present day Thailand. Later, Chendla seems to have gone on to conquer the remainder of Funan, signaling the beginning of the ‘per-Angkorian’ period. Chendla flourished for but a shot time. The third and last king of a unified Chendla, Isanavaman I, contructed the per-Angkorian temples of Sambor Prei Kuk near modern kampong Thom city. (ifyou come to siem reap f,rom Phnom penh by road, you will pass through KampongThom. With the few spare hours, it is possible to make a side trip to there per-Angkorian ruins.)
Under Isanavarman I is successor, Chendla disintegrated into smaller warring states. It was briefly renited under Jayavaman I in the mid-7th century, only to fall apart again after his death. On traditional accounts, Chendla finally broke into two rival states or alliances, “ Land Chendla” in nortern Cambodia/Southern Laos, and “Water Chendla” centered future south in kampong Thom.
802AD: The Beginning Jayavaman II was the first king of the Angkorianera, though his origins are recorded in history that borders on legend. He is reputed to have been a Khmer prince, returned to Cambodia around 790AD after a lengthy, perhaps forced stay in the royal court in “JAVA’ Regardless of his origin, he was a warrior who, upon returning to Cambodia, subdued enough of the competing Khmer states to declare a sovereign and unified ‘Kambuja” under a single ruler. He made this declaration in 802AD in a ceremony on Kulen Mountain(Phnom Kulen) north of Siem Reap, where he held a ‘god-king’ rite that solidified his ‘universal kingshop’ through the establishment of a royal linga-worshiping cult. The linga-cult world remain central to Angkorian kingshop, religion, art and architecture for centuries.
Rolous: The first capital
After 802AD, Jayavarman II continue a pacify rebellions areas and enlarge his kingdom. Before 802AD, he had briefly based himself at a pre-Angkorian settlement near the modern town to Roluos (13km southeast of Siem Reap). For some reason, perhaps due to military considerations, he moved from the Roluos area to the Kulen Mountains. Some time after establishing his kingship in 802AD, he moved the capital back to the Ruluos area, which he names Hariharalaya in honor of the combined god if Shiva and Vishnu. He reigned from Hariharalaya until his death in 850AD.
Thirty years after Jayavarman II’s death, king Indravarman III constructed the temple of Preah Ko, the first major member of the ‘Roluos Group’ in honor of Jayavarman II. He then constructed Bekong, which was the first grand project to follow the temple-mountains architectural formula. When visiting these temples, note the deep, rich detailed artistic style in the carvings that were characteristic of the period.
Indravarman III also built the first large baray (water reservoir), thereby establishing two more defining masks of the Angkorian kingship- in addition to the linga-cult, the construction of temple monuments and grand water project became part of kingly tradition.
The capital moves to Angkor
Indravarman III, son king Yasavarman I, carried on the tradition of his father, building the east Baray as well as the last major temple of the Rolous Group(Lolei), and the first major temple in the Angkor area (Phnom Bakheng). Upon completing Phnom Bakheng in 893AD, he moved his capital to the newly named Yosadharapura in the Angkor area. The move may have been sparked by Yasavarman I, violent confrontation with his brother for the throne, which left the Royal Palace at Rolous in ashes, with one exception, the capital would reside in the Angkor area for the next 500 years.
Koh Ker : A brief Interruption
The exception took place in 928AD when, for reasons that remain unclear, there was s disruption in the royal succession. King Jayavarman IV moved the capital 100 km from Angkor north to Koh Ker, where it remained for 20 years. When the capital returned to Angkor, it centered for 20 years, when the capital return to Angkor, it centered not at Phnom Bekheng as if had before, but future east at the new state-temple of pre Rup(961AD).
Apogee: The Khmer Empire at Angkor
An era of territorial, political and commercial expansion followed the return to Angkor. Royal courts flourished and constructed several major monuments including Ta Keo, Banteay Srey, Baphuon, and West Baray, kings of the period exercised their military muscle, including King Rajendravarman who led successful campaigns against the eastern enemy of Champa in the mid 10th century. Just after the turn of the millennium, there was s 9-year period of political upheaval that ended when King Suryavarman I, seized firm control in 1010Ce. In the following decades, he led the khmer ti many important military victories including conquering the Mon Empire to the west (cupturingch of the area of modern Thailand), thereby bringing the entire western portion of old Funan under Khmer control. A century later, King Suryavarman II, led several successful campaigns against the Khmer ‘s tradition eastern enemy, Champa, in central and southern Vietnam.
Under suryavarman II in the early 12th century, the empire was at its political/territorial apex. Appropriate to the greatness of the time, Suryavarman II, produced Angkor’s most spectacular architectural creation, Angkor Wat, as well as other monuments such as Thommanon, Banteay Samre and Beng Melea Angkor Wat was constructed as Suryavarman II, state temple and perhaps as his funerary temple. Extensive battle scenes from his campaigns against Champa are recorded in the superb bas-reliefs on the south wall of Angkor Wat.
By the late 12th century, rebellious states in the provinces, unsuccessful campaigns against the Vietnamese Tonkin, and internal conflicts all began to weaken the empire. In 1165, during a turbulent period when Khmer and Cham princes plotted and fought both together and against one another, a usurper named Tribhuvanadityavaman seized power at Angkor.
In 1177 the usurper was killed in one of the worst defeats suffered by the Khmer factions, launched a sneak naval attack in Angkor. A Cham fleet sailed up the Tonle Sap River onto the great Tonle Sap Lake just south of the capital city. Naval and land battles ensued in witch the city was assaulted, burned and occupied by the Cham. The south was of Bayon displays bas-reliefs of the naval battle, but it is unclear whether it is a depiction of the battle of 1177 or some later battle.
Jayavarman VII : The monument Builder
The Cham controlled Angkor for four years until the legendary Jayavarman VII mounted a series of counter attacks over a period of years. He drove the Cham from Cambodia in 1181. After the Cham defeat, Jayavarman VII was declared king. He broke almost 400 Years of tradition and made Mahayana Buddhism the state religion, and immediately began Angkor’s most prolific period of monument building.
Jayavarman VII, building campaign was unprecedented and took place at a frenetic pace. Hundreds of monuments were constructed in less than a 40-year period. Jayavarman VII, work included Bayon with its famous giant faces, his capital city of Angkor Thom, the temples of Ta Prohm , Bantrey kdei and hundred of others. The monuments of this period, though myriad and grand, are often architecturally confused and artistically inferior to earlier periods, seemingly due in part to the haste with which they were rendered.
After a couple of days at the temples you should begin to recognize the distinctive Bayon-style of JayavarmanVll monuments. Note the giant stone faces, the cruder carving techniques, simpler lintel carving with little or no flourish, the Buddhist themes of the carvings and the accompanying vandalism of the Buddhas that occurred in a later period.
At the same time as his building campaign, Jayaverman VII also led an aggressive military struggle against Champa. In 1190 he captured the Cham king and brought him to Angkor. In 1203 he annexed all of Champa, thereby expanding the Khmer Empire to the eastern shores of southern Vietnam. Through other military adventures he extended the borders of the empire in all directions.
Jayavarman VII prodigious building campaign also represents the finale of the Khmer empire as no future grand monuments were constructed after his death in 1220. Construction on some monuments, notably Bayon, stopped short of completion, probably coinciding with Jayavarman II continued construction on some Jayavrman VII monuments with limited success.
The End of an Era
Though the monument building had come to a halt, the capital at Angkor remained active for years. Chinese emissary Zhou Daguan ( Chou Ta-Kuan) visited Angkor in the late 13th century and describes a vibrant city in his classic work, ‘ The Customs of Cambodia” Hinduism made a comeback under Jayavarman VIII in the late 13th century during which a great many of Buddhist monuments constructed jayavarman VIII were systematically defaced. Look for the chipped out Buddha images on almost all of the Jayavarman VII monuments in the Angkor area. Literally thousands of Buddhist images have been removed in what must have been a huge investment of destructive effort. Interestingly, some Buddha images were crudely altered into Hindu lingas and Bodhisattvas. There are some good examples of altered image at Ta Prohm and Preah Khan.
Jayavarman VIII also constructed what was probably the final brahmanic monument at Angkor- the small tower East Prasat Top in Angkor Thom. After Jayavarman VIII death, Buddhism returned to Cambodia but in a different form. Instead of Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism took hold and remains the dominant religion in Cambodia to this day.
After the 13th century, Angkor suffered repeated invasions by the Thai from the west, pressuring the Khmer and contributing to the capital being moved from Angkor. After a seven-month siege on Angkor in 1431 King Ponhea Yat moved the capital from Angkor to Phnom Penh in 1432. This move may also have marked a shift from an agrarian – based economy to a trade based economy, in which a river junction location like Phnom Penh rather than the inland area of Angkor would be more advantageous. After the move to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia moved a couple of more times, first to lovek and then Oudong, before finally settling permanently into Phnom Penh in 1866.
After the capital moved from Angkor in the 15th century, the temples remained active, though their function changes over the years. Angkor Wat as visited several times by western explorers and missionaries between the 16th and 19th century, but it is Henri Mouhot who is popularly credited with the “discovery” of Angkor Wat in 1860. His book “Travels in Siam, Cambodia, Laos and Annam” is credited with bringing Angkor its first tourist boom.
At its height. The Age of Angkor was a time when the capital area contained more than a million people, when Khmer kings construction vast waterworks and grand temples, and when Angkor’s military, economicand cultural dominance held sway over the area of modern Cambodia as well as much of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
The First Century: Indianisation
Southeast Asia has been inhabited since the Neolithicera , but the seeds of Angkorian civilization were sown in the 1st century AD. At the turn of the millennium, Southeast Asia was becoming a hub in a vast commercial trading network that stretched from the Mediterranean to China. Indian and Chinese traders began arriving in the region in greater numbers exposing the indigenous people to their cultures, though it was Indian culture that took hold, perhaps through the efforts of Brahman priests. Indian culture, religion(Hinduism and Buddhism), Law, Political theory, science and writing spread through the region over a period of several and giving rise to new Indianised princedoms.
Funan and chendle: Pre-Angkor and before
Though the newly Indianised princely states sometimes encompassed large areas, they were often not larger than a single fortified city. They warred among them selves, coalescing over time into a shifting set of larger states According to 3th century Chinese chronicles, one of china’s principal trading partners and a dominant power in the region was the Funanese spoke Mon –khmer, strongly indication a connection to later Angkorian and Cambodian civilization.
Funan was predominate over its smaller neighboring states, including the state of Chendla in northern Cambodia. Over the later half of the 6th centuries.Chendla, already in the ascendant, conquered the Khmer sectionsof western Funan, white the Mon people won the extreme western section of Funan in present day Thailand. Later, Chendla seems to have gone on to conquer the remainder of Funan, signaling the beginning of the ‘per-Angkorian’ period. Chendla flourished for but a shot time. The third and last king of a unified Chendla, Isanavaman I, contructed the per-Angkorian temples of Sambor Prei Kuk near modern kampong Thom city. (ifyou come to siem reap f,rom Phnom penh by road, you will pass through KampongThom. With the few spare hours, it is possible to make a side trip to there per-Angkorian ruins.)
Under Isanavarman I is successor, Chendla disintegrated into smaller warring states. It was briefly renited under Jayavaman I in the mid-7th century, only to fall apart again after his death. On traditional accounts, Chendla finally broke into two rival states or alliances, “ Land Chendla” in nortern Cambodia/Southern Laos, and “Water Chendla” centered future south in kampong Thom.
802AD: The Beginning Jayavaman II was the first king of the Angkorianera, though his origins are recorded in history that borders on legend. He is reputed to have been a Khmer prince, returned to Cambodia around 790AD after a lengthy, perhaps forced stay in the royal court in “JAVA’ Regardless of his origin, he was a warrior who, upon returning to Cambodia, subdued enough of the competing Khmer states to declare a sovereign and unified ‘Kambuja” under a single ruler. He made this declaration in 802AD in a ceremony on Kulen Mountain(Phnom Kulen) north of Siem Reap, where he held a ‘god-king’ rite that solidified his ‘universal kingshop’ through the establishment of a royal linga-worshiping cult. The linga-cult world remain central to Angkorian kingshop, religion, art and architecture for centuries.
Rolous: The first capital
After 802AD, Jayavarman II continue a pacify rebellions areas and enlarge his kingdom. Before 802AD, he had briefly based himself at a pre-Angkorian settlement near the modern town to Roluos (13km southeast of Siem Reap). For some reason, perhaps due to military considerations, he moved from the Roluos area to the Kulen Mountains. Some time after establishing his kingship in 802AD, he moved the capital back to the Ruluos area, which he names Hariharalaya in honor of the combined god if Shiva and Vishnu. He reigned from Hariharalaya until his death in 850AD.
Thirty years after Jayavarman II’s death, king Indravarman III constructed the temple of Preah Ko, the first major member of the ‘Roluos Group’ in honor of Jayavarman II. He then constructed Bekong, which was the first grand project to follow the temple-mountains architectural formula. When visiting these temples, note the deep, rich detailed artistic style in the carvings that were characteristic of the period.
Indravarman III also built the first large baray (water reservoir), thereby establishing two more defining masks of the Angkorian kingship- in addition to the linga-cult, the construction of temple monuments and grand water project became part of kingly tradition.
The capital moves to Angkor
Indravarman III, son king Yasavarman I, carried on the tradition of his father, building the east Baray as well as the last major temple of the Rolous Group(Lolei), and the first major temple in the Angkor area (Phnom Bakheng). Upon completing Phnom Bakheng in 893AD, he moved his capital to the newly named Yosadharapura in the Angkor area. The move may have been sparked by Yasavarman I, violent confrontation with his brother for the throne, which left the Royal Palace at Rolous in ashes, with one exception, the capital would reside in the Angkor area for the next 500 years.
Koh Ker : A brief Interruption
The exception took place in 928AD when, for reasons that remain unclear, there was s disruption in the royal succession. King Jayavarman IV moved the capital 100 km from Angkor north to Koh Ker, where it remained for 20 years. When the capital returned to Angkor, it centered for 20 years, when the capital return to Angkor, it centered not at Phnom Bekheng as if had before, but future east at the new state-temple of pre Rup(961AD).
Apogee: The Khmer Empire at Angkor
An era of territorial, political and commercial expansion followed the return to Angkor. Royal courts flourished and constructed several major monuments including Ta Keo, Banteay Srey, Baphuon, and West Baray, kings of the period exercised their military muscle, including King Rajendravarman who led successful campaigns against the eastern enemy of Champa in the mid 10th century. Just after the turn of the millennium, there was s 9-year period of political upheaval that ended when King Suryavarman I, seized firm control in 1010Ce. In the following decades, he led the khmer ti many important military victories including conquering the Mon Empire to the west (cupturingch of the area of modern Thailand), thereby bringing the entire western portion of old Funan under Khmer control. A century later, King Suryavarman II, led several successful campaigns against the Khmer ‘s tradition eastern enemy, Champa, in central and southern Vietnam.
Under suryavarman II in the early 12th century, the empire was at its political/territorial apex. Appropriate to the greatness of the time, Suryavarman II, produced Angkor’s most spectacular architectural creation, Angkor Wat, as well as other monuments such as Thommanon, Banteay Samre and Beng Melea Angkor Wat was constructed as Suryavarman II, state temple and perhaps as his funerary temple. Extensive battle scenes from his campaigns against Champa are recorded in the superb bas-reliefs on the south wall of Angkor Wat.
By the late 12th century, rebellious states in the provinces, unsuccessful campaigns against the Vietnamese Tonkin, and internal conflicts all began to weaken the empire. In 1165, during a turbulent period when Khmer and Cham princes plotted and fought both together and against one another, a usurper named Tribhuvanadityavaman seized power at Angkor.
In 1177 the usurper was killed in one of the worst defeats suffered by the Khmer factions, launched a sneak naval attack in Angkor. A Cham fleet sailed up the Tonle Sap River onto the great Tonle Sap Lake just south of the capital city. Naval and land battles ensued in witch the city was assaulted, burned and occupied by the Cham. The south was of Bayon displays bas-reliefs of the naval battle, but it is unclear whether it is a depiction of the battle of 1177 or some later battle.
Jayavarman VII : The monument Builder
The Cham controlled Angkor for four years until the legendary Jayavarman VII mounted a series of counter attacks over a period of years. He drove the Cham from Cambodia in 1181. After the Cham defeat, Jayavarman VII was declared king. He broke almost 400 Years of tradition and made Mahayana Buddhism the state religion, and immediately began Angkor’s most prolific period of monument building.
Jayavarman VII, building campaign was unprecedented and took place at a frenetic pace. Hundreds of monuments were constructed in less than a 40-year period. Jayavarman VII, work included Bayon with its famous giant faces, his capital city of Angkor Thom, the temples of Ta Prohm , Bantrey kdei and hundred of others. The monuments of this period, though myriad and grand, are often architecturally confused and artistically inferior to earlier periods, seemingly due in part to the haste with which they were rendered.
After a couple of days at the temples you should begin to recognize the distinctive Bayon-style of JayavarmanVll monuments. Note the giant stone faces, the cruder carving techniques, simpler lintel carving with little or no flourish, the Buddhist themes of the carvings and the accompanying vandalism of the Buddhas that occurred in a later period.
At the same time as his building campaign, Jayaverman VII also led an aggressive military struggle against Champa. In 1190 he captured the Cham king and brought him to Angkor. In 1203 he annexed all of Champa, thereby expanding the Khmer Empire to the eastern shores of southern Vietnam. Through other military adventures he extended the borders of the empire in all directions.
Jayavarman VII prodigious building campaign also represents the finale of the Khmer empire as no future grand monuments were constructed after his death in 1220. Construction on some monuments, notably Bayon, stopped short of completion, probably coinciding with Jayavarman II continued construction on some Jayavrman VII monuments with limited success.
The End of an Era
Though the monument building had come to a halt, the capital at Angkor remained active for years. Chinese emissary Zhou Daguan ( Chou Ta-Kuan) visited Angkor in the late 13th century and describes a vibrant city in his classic work, ‘ The Customs of Cambodia” Hinduism made a comeback under Jayavarman VIII in the late 13th century during which a great many of Buddhist monuments constructed jayavarman VIII were systematically defaced. Look for the chipped out Buddha images on almost all of the Jayavarman VII monuments in the Angkor area. Literally thousands of Buddhist images have been removed in what must have been a huge investment of destructive effort. Interestingly, some Buddha images were crudely altered into Hindu lingas and Bodhisattvas. There are some good examples of altered image at Ta Prohm and Preah Khan.
Jayavarman VIII also constructed what was probably the final brahmanic monument at Angkor- the small tower East Prasat Top in Angkor Thom. After Jayavarman VIII death, Buddhism returned to Cambodia but in a different form. Instead of Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism took hold and remains the dominant religion in Cambodia to this day.
After the 13th century, Angkor suffered repeated invasions by the Thai from the west, pressuring the Khmer and contributing to the capital being moved from Angkor. After a seven-month siege on Angkor in 1431 King Ponhea Yat moved the capital from Angkor to Phnom Penh in 1432. This move may also have marked a shift from an agrarian – based economy to a trade based economy, in which a river junction location like Phnom Penh rather than the inland area of Angkor would be more advantageous. After the move to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia moved a couple of more times, first to lovek and then Oudong, before finally settling permanently into Phnom Penh in 1866.
After the capital moved from Angkor in the 15th century, the temples remained active, though their function changes over the years. Angkor Wat as visited several times by western explorers and missionaries between the 16th and 19th century, but it is Henri Mouhot who is popularly credited with the “discovery” of Angkor Wat in 1860. His book “Travels in Siam, Cambodia, Laos and Annam” is credited with bringing Angkor its first tourist boom.