A short history of the Khmer Empire for travellers
From its founding around 802 to the move away from Angkor in the 15th century, the Khmer Empire built some of the world's greatest monuments. Here's the story in brief.
In this guide
The temples you see at Angkor were built by the Khmer Empire, which dominated much of mainland Southeast Asia for several centuries. Knowing a little of its story makes the ruins far more meaningful.
Before the empire
Long before Angkor, the lower Mekong was home to trading states that Chinese records call Funan and Chenla. They adopted Indian ideas of kingship, writing and religion, which later Khmer rulers built upon.
The founding: around 802
Historians usually date the beginning of the Angkorian period to 802, when, according to an inscription written two centuries later, King Jayavarman II declared himself universal monarch on Phnom Kulen, a sacred mountain north of today's Siem Reap. The date is conventional rather than certain, but it marks a shift towards a single, powerful kingdom.
Building a capital
Over the following centuries, kings built a series of capitals in the Angkor area. Yasovarman I established a city around Phnom Bakheng in the late 9th century. Later kings added huge reservoirs, temple-mountains and palaces. Each ruler sought to build a temple that expressed his power and his link to the gods.
The great builders
- Suryavarman II (12th century) built Angkor Wat, dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.
- Jayavarman VII (late 12th to early 13th century) rebuilt the capital after a Cham invasion in 1177. A Buddhist, he built Angkor Thom with the Bayon at its centre, as well as Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, hospitals and rest houses along the roads.
Religion
Early Angkor was mainly Hindu, focused on Shiva and Vishnu. Mahayana Buddhism rose under Jayavarman VII, and later Theravada Buddhism became the faith of most Cambodians, as it remains today. You'll see these layers in the temples, where Buddha images were sometimes added to Hindu shrines or removed during periods of Hindu revival.
A society built on water and rice
Angkor's prosperity depended on rice, fish and an extensive system of canals, moats and reservoirs. Recent laser-scanning surveys have shown that the city was far larger than once thought, spreading across a wide area of homes, fields and roads.
The move away from Angkor
From the 14th century, the empire faced pressure from the rising Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya, changing trade routes and, many researchers argue, strain on its water system. Angkor is traditionally said to have been abandoned after an Ayutthayan attack in 1431, though the shift south towards Phnom Penh was probably gradual. Angkor Wat itself was never fully deserted and remained an important Buddhist site.
Why it matters when you visit
The empire's story explains why temples face certain directions, why some carvings show Hindu gods and others the Buddha, and why there are so many ruins spread across the landscape. The best companion to the temples is the Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap or the National Museum in Phnom Penh.