Cambodia+Introduction

introduction

 → Cambodia, is located in the heart of South East Asia. Undiscovered for centuries, its wealth of beautiful temples, golden beaches, unspoilt forests and rich heritage still continue to impress and amaze. Cambodia was once dominated by the Hindu and Buddhist Khmer Empire, which ruled most of the Indo-Chinese Peninsula between the 11th and 14th centuries. Cambodia has been following countries like Portugal and India for more than 1500 years, and has now been past on to civiliaztions which are now Thailand, Vietnam, and Bolivia. The empire's centre of power was Angkor, where a series of countries was constructed during the empire's zenith with a population of up to 9 million people.



ca. 1–500s CE : Lower Mekong River society called Funan is mentioned in Chinese records. (Funan may be transcription of Khmer word phnom, meaning “hill.”)

ca. 500s–700s CE : Hindu Mekong kingdom of Khmers called Zhenla (or Chenla) by the Chinese supercedes Funan.

ca. 770–834 CE : Jayavarman II unifies Khmers in Angkor region, freeing them from rule of “Java” (exact location of “Java” not certain).

802 :Jayavarman II enthroned under Hindu rites as devaraja, or “god-king”; establishes Khmer empire.

944–968 : Rajendravarman builds Banteay Srei Temple.

1002–1049 : Suryavarman I reigns.

1113–ca. 1145 : Suryavarman II reigns and builds Angkor Wat dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu.

1177–1178 : Hindu Chams invade and pillage Angkor kingdom.

1181–1219 : Jayavarman VII, who defeats Chams, ascends to throne; Khmer empire at greatest extent, incorporating regions of present-day Laos, Burma, and Thailand; king follows Mahayana Buddhism, begins building city of Angkor Thom with Bayon Temple.

1243–1295 : Jayavarman VIII enthroned; returns to Hinduism; many Buddha statues destroyed.

1300s : Under influence from kingdoms to the west, Theravada Buddhism wins royal and popular allegiance. Pali replaces Sanskrit as sacred language; wood replaces brick and stone as building medium.

Rise Of Cambodia

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