Who Was When

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Khmer Empire

East Asia & PacificHeartland today: Cambodia

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The Cambodian state centred on Angkor from about 802 to 1431. Its kings raised Angkor Wat and the Bayon and managed water with reservoirs and canals. Angkor's decline was long, and the traditional end date is a Tai attack in 1431.

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Key events

  1. Jayavarman II is consecrated at Indrapura as the first king of the Khmer empireDisputed

    Britannica says about 802 and World History Encyclopedia says 802. Carter et al. cite an 11th-century inscription, written long after the event, for the 802 date.

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  2. – Suryavarman II builds Angkor Wat as a temple to VishnuDisputed

    World History Encyclopedia says work began around 1122 and took some 30 years, and dates Suryavarman II's reign to 1113-1150. Carter et al. say the construction date is unknown and place the temple in the early 12th century. The 1122 to 1150 span is approximate.

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  3. Cham forces loot Angkor

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  4. – Jayavarman VII drives out the Chams and builds Angkor Thom and the Bayon at the empire's peakDisputed

    Britannica gives his reign as 1181 to about 1220. World History Encyclopedia gives 1181 to 1215.

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  5. Traditionally, a Tai army from Ayutthaya sacks Angkor and the Khmer court moves southDisputed

    Britannica gives the 1431 sack as fact. Carter et al. say the date comes from Thai chronicles and that scholars have long questioned the picture of a sudden fall. Penny et al. (2019, cited by Carter) find a gradual decline instead.

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