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Evidence of trade with India shows that it may have started before the Empire was started. Khmer art and culture was heavily influenced by India due to many years of trade with them, with things such as food and religion being brought to the Khmer Empire.
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King Jayavarman II declares himself chakravartin (king of the world) and the Khmer Empire begins. His reign ends in 835 CE. He was the first ruler of the Khmer Empire.
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Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. It was constructed as a temple for the Hindu god Vishnu, but gradually became a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. It represents the earthly version of Mt Meru, the home of the Hindu gods. [https://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/travel-tips-and-articles/77381]
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Angkor Wat is raided and looted by the Cham fleet, under the rule of Jaya Indravarman IV.
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Jayavarman VII was considered one of the greatest kings of the Khmer Empire. He was a strong military leader as a prince. He had many building projects within the Khmer Empire, and successfully unified the Empire.
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King Jayavarman VII builds Angkor Thom as a new capital city for the Khmer in the late twelfth century.
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Khmer defeats Champa under rule of Jayavarman VII. They conquer large parts of the Champa territory.
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Buddhism becomes the main religion in the Khmer Empire.
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Khmers abandon Angkor. Over subsequent centuries, the jungle grows around and over Angkor and its location is forgotten.
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Khmer rulers relocate the capital to Phnom Penh. The Khmer king Ponhea Yat abandoned Angkor, saying it was indefensible.
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Vietnamese armies repeatedly attack Khmer forces In Mekong river and defeat the Khmer. The approximate modern borders of Cambodia are determined.
