History of Angkor

The Legend
Who built Angkor Wat?

Cambodians like to let mysteries lie, but maybe they don’t know themselves. Perhaps, it’s not even human work. According to the legend, the god Indra living on Mount Meru gave life to his son Ketomealea as a human being whose mission was “to protect Buddhist religion and to take care of the Kingdom in glory, prosperity and peace”. One night, Indra sent the god Meatolei to earth on his divine chariot to bring Ketomeala back to the “Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods”. During his short stay Indra taught him the ten royal duties and bathed him seven times a day for seven days in the perfumed bath in his garden. He then invited seven divine Brahmans to recite magical formulas and splash Ketomealea with magic water to bless him with a long life lasting over a century. After which they flew over Indra’s palaces on a divine chariot: Ketomealea was to choose one he would use as a model for the one he would build on Earth. And so a heavenly architect built Angkor Wat. Ketomealea, very pleased with the palace, asked Pisnouka to build a few others. The day prince Ketomealea was sacred King of the kingdom, Indra descended on Earth to “bless his noble son and give him the sacred name “Aritha-polape a-hano”or “Powerful Destroyer of Enemies””. He then named the country “Kampuja”-Cambodia.
The story

1- Dynasty of the God-Kings

Reconstructing Angkor’s royal succession has required over thirty years of work by Orientalists. 27 kings are known to have ruled between 802 and 1327. Beyond that date, no more writings can be found. A few linguistic remarks might be useful. For instance, the suffix “Varman”-often ending kings’ names-means “armor” In Sanskrit and “Jaya” can be translated as “victory”. Jayacarman II was the first king to settle in the Roluos area-15km from Siem Reap on the road to Phnom Penh. What is known as “Angkorian history” is commonly accepted to have started in 802, the year he was sacred “Universal Monarch” (‘Chacravartin’ in Sanskrit), on mount Mahendra, on Phnom Kulen. Although he declared himself “King of Kings” he only ruled one kingdom among many others, all as independent as his own. However, it is Jayavarman II who introduced the concept of the cult of the God-King or ‘Devaraja’-starting a tradition that was to last to the present day. Followers believed the King was the earthly representative of one of the gods and ancient Khmer inscriptions mention “The Lord of the Universe who is king”. Jayavarman II is said to have become the first Devaraja at a ceremony on Phnom Kulen. This transition from man to God-King enabled him and successive rulers to unify the Khmer Empire and establish themselves at its head, as well as bestowing upon them the responsibility to ensure the security and welfare of the Khmer nation. The main symbol of the Devaraja is that of the Linga, a phallus-shaped object representing the creative energies and powers of nature. Little is known about the reign of Jayavarman II the first Devaraja, as no inscriptions written during his reign have been found. The prince had to re-conquer his kingdom before being able to proclaim himself God-King. His son Jayavarman III succeeded him. The fact that we know very little of Jayavarman III’s reign is regarded by some scholars as an indication that the period was probably peaceful. Jayavarman III (830-877) and his nephew Indravarman (877-886) remained in Hariharalaya. Indravarman is thought to have been a powerful king and is credited with expanding the size and importance of the Roluos group, the first classical Angkorian city. Between 879 and 881 he built Preah ko and the temple-mountain of Bakong.

2- The founding of Angkor

When around 886 or 889 Indravarman died, the question of his succession stirred a few conflicts. Fighting among pretenders to the throne occurred around Indravarman I’s palace. It is believed the Bakong temple was profaned during the fighting and the court moved once again. Indravarman’s son Yacovarman I was sacred in 889. The court was displaced to a site 15km northwest of Phnom Bakheng, establishing the first city of Angkor. Yacovarman I’s primary work was to create another water reservoir-the “Oriental” Baray now dried out. He also built Lolei temple on the Roluos site and the temples of the two mounts (Phnom) in the valley of Angkor: Phnom Krom and Phnom Bok. In 906 he erected the Bakheng, which was then the centre of the capital. He died in 910. His son Hashavarman I succeeded him and reigned for a decade. Among his achievements is the pyramid of Baksei Chamkrong, not far from the Bakheng. More than ten years later, his son Icavarman II succeeded him until his death around 928. But in 921 Jayavarman IV sacred himself King of the Kings at Koh Ker, about 70km northeast of Angkor. It is thought he moved the capital while the legitimate monarch stayed at Angkor until his death. For seven years (until 928) there were two kings simultaneously, one in Angkor and the other in koh ker. The son of the first king, hashavarman II was sacred in 940 but he soon lost his throne to Rajendravarman king of Bhavapura, who proclaimed himself supreme King of Kings. He established himself in the region of Angkor and perpetuated Yacovarman I’s work. We owe him the Oriental Mebon temple in the middle of the island located in the centre of the oriental Baray, as well as Pre Rup and Phimeanakas temples.
During the same period other monuments were erected by important dignitaries, amongst them the jewel of jewels: Banteay Srei, built in 967 by and for one Brahman. At the end of his reign, Rajendravarman imposed a significant reform: He abolished all the old kingdoms and transformed them into provinces. The former kings remained kings but only in title. These measures were not easily accepted and a few revolts had to be crushed. At the death of the supreme monarch in 968 Jayavarman V, one of his very young sons, succeeded him. Until Jayavarman V’s death in 1001, the Kingdom was governed by Brahmans who had already been influential during his father’s time.

From 1002 to 1080

Jayavarman V did not leave any heirs. Ten years of troubles and chaos followed his death. Two contenders to the throne, Jayaviravarman and Suryavarman I fought until 1010. The latter won, But who was this Suryavarman I? Was he, as some say, a Buddhist warrior-prince from Malay? His claim to the throne seems no more legitimate than that of his opponent. Actually, both seem to have had no family links to Jayavarman V, and it appears the hectic accession to the throne was caused by tumults created by administrative reforms led by Rajendravarman. Once king, Suryavarman had his palace built in the compound of Angkor Thom and erected The Phimeanakas. He died around 1050 after about fifty years of reign. He left behind him the construction of the “Occidental” Baray, an eight kilometers long and 2200 meters wide water reservoir. He also initiated the building of Preah Vihear –now accessible to tourists again after being a Khmer Rouge’s stronghold for a few years. This spectacular temple is built at the top of the Dangrek Mountains, overlooking Cambodia. We also owe him the construction of Preah Kan and Phnom Chisor temple in the south of the kingdom. He died around 1047. His successor udayadityavarman II, who might have been his son, reigned for sixteen years and erected the Occidental Mebon in the middle of the Occidental Baray in the center of the city. He also built the Baphuon temple, “the ornament of the three worlds”. He died around 1066 and was succeeded by his youngest brother Hashavarman III, who continued the struggle against internal rebellions and fought back assaults from the Muslim Chams. In 1080 Jayavarman VI, an usurper without any royal connection who owned a kingdom in what is now Thailand, created or contributed to the creation of a third dynast that lasted until 1160. Traces left by this king are scattered all around Cambodia, but nothing about him can be found in Angkor. His brother took over the succession in 1107, but was eliminated by his nephew syuryavarman II who killed him during a battle around the year 1112. During his forty years of reign he warren against Muslims, but also against the inhabitants of what is today Vietnam while sending ambassadors to China whose emperor recognized him as his “great vassal”. He undertook the construction of the most prestigious mountain-temple, Angkor Wat, the sanctuary dedicated to Vishnu and covering 200 hectares of land.
Jayavarman VI’s reign was one of the most glorious ones in the history of Angkor, but was unfortunately followed by 30 years of turmoil. Yacovarman II, successor to Suryavarman II, was killed around 1160 by one of his servants, a mere Mandarim. The latter ruled until the 1177 Cham occupation. Lead by a Chinese, the Cham fleet sailed up the Tonle Sap to Angkor. The ensuing bloody battles saw the city fall to the Chams. The king was killed and the city ransacked and looted. After 4 years of occupation, Jayavarman VII (1181-1201), also known as the Leper King, chased the Chams away and gave the country some of its former glory back. The last fighting occurrence around 1190 When Khmer armies took the Cham capital. The Cham king was taken into captivity and in 1203 his former kingdom was assimilated as just another Khmer provence. Jayavarman VII was most certainly the greatest king in Khmer history, controlling an area stretching from Vientiane in the North all the way to South Vietnam. He was also a frenetic builder. He supervised the building of Ta Phrom monastery in 1186 followed by Preah Khan (1191) and Neak Pan Temples. He erected the Bayon in the centre of the capital referred to today as Angkor Thom, which he surrounded by walls and moats. He restructured the road system and built shelters for travelers as well as numerous hospitals. The date of his death is not known with accuracy. His successor Jayavarman VIII lived through a long reign that saw the first Mongols attacks on Cambodia in 1283. In 1295, Jayavarman VIII abdicated in favor of his brother-in-law Crindravarman. Mahayana Buddhism was discarded. His dynasty slowly subsided until its disappearance in 1327. Of the following period, we know nothing. No inscriptions remain. The Royal Chronicles do not mention any reliable name for a king. According to the legend, the last king was accidently killed by a gardener while picking sweet cucumbers and Khmer and Siamese princes fought each others for the Cambodian throne. In 1431 or1432, the capital was abandoned to the jungle. Over a century later in 1550, King Ang Chan discovered Angkor by chance while hunting. He was so stunned by the beauty of the place that he moved his court. The following years saw Angkor brought back to life even though the capital city remained Lungvek, until 1594 when it was conquered by Thailand. Once again Angkor fell into oblivion.

The discoverers

In the 13th and 16th centuries, travelers and explorers went to Angkor. In the 19th century, it was the turn of archaeologists, historians, architects and even epigraphists. If most of the researchers who contributed to the reconstruction and renovation of the temples are French, this is due to the founding in 1898 of what would become the famous Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient. Before any other country showed interest, the members of this distinguished society studied Angkor and started renovation work on the temples.
Tcheou Ta-kouan arrived in Angkor in August 1296. His diary, Memories of the Customs in Cambodia, only properly translated in 1902 by Paul Eliot, remains the richest and most fundamental writings on life in Cambodia at the time. From 1550 onwards, numerous Spanish and Portuguese missionaries such as Diego do Couto headed for Angkor. Closer to us, father charles-Emile Boullevaux (1823-1913) was “the first tourist in Angkor”. His accounts published in France in 1857(Travel in Indochina 1848-1856, The Annam and Cambodia) inspired naturalist Henri Mouhot to be the first westerner to inform the general public of the wonders of Angkor. His travel books were published in France in 1860 as a series, and then as a book in 1868. Since then, expeditions have followed one another. EFEO members still continue to try and learn about the Khmer world through the study of epigraphy. They also work to preserve the monuments, classify them and make inventories of pieces found.

Preah Vihear
Inherited Sacred Power of the Mountain

In 1018A.D, Suryavarman I placed lingas named “Suryavarmesvara” In four large temples to mark the boundaries of his empire. The temples are Preah Vihear, Preah Khan in Kompong Svay, Phnom Chisor, and Wat Basset. Some temples, like many regional temples, were built using the natural features of mountains. Hinduism and Buddhism were practiced however nature spirits were still sacred.
Phnom Kulen, the birthplace of the Khmer Empire, continued to be an important sanctuary to Angkor even 300 years after its establishment. At Kbal Spean, from where water from Phmom Kulen flows to the Siem Reap River, the rocky riverbed is sculptured with a thousand linga and various other religious carvings. Water, as a precious resource throughout the Angkor region, was purified by the sacred powers of the linga at Kbal Spean before being delivered to the people.

Phimeanakas
Sacred Spirits of the Water

While Khmer kings embraced the foreign religions of Hinduism and Buddhism, it was also important that they believed in the power of the serpent, the symbol of the native spirit. Before foreign cultures were introduced to Angkor, the serpent was one of the most important symbols of local beliefs. Since ancient times, it was considered a “spirit of the water” and was worshipped as the god of agriculture. The significance of the serpent is illustrated in a legend surrounding Phimeanakas, a small pyramid-temple situated in the center of the royal court in Angkor Thom.
According to legend, a serpent-spirit lived in Phimeanakas, or the “celestial palace”. Every night the king had to sleep with the serpent-spirit, who took the form of a beautiful woman, of risk the fall of his empire. The sculptures of the multi-headed serpent Naga that are found throughout the temples of the Khmer Empire are the guardian spirits of the god of water.
The Angkor kings called themselves “Kamrateng Jagat ta Raja (supreme king of the guardian spirits)” in the ancient Khmer language, which translates to “Deva-raja (king of the gods)” in Sanskrit. These names indicate that the kings practiced Hinduism as a state religion, but also believed strongly in the native spirit that emphasized their absolute divine power.
Angkor temples were built in a uniquely Khmer style with Hindu deities, and symbolized the merging of the native traditional beliefs with non-native religious symbolism.