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First known settlement of Khmer people along the lower Mekong River region where there were several kingdoms at constant war against each other.
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With art and culture heavily influenced by India due to evidence of a long established sea trade routes, where the religions Hinduism mostly, but Buddhism as well, became important to the Khmer people.
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Jayavarman II builds up is influence to the Khmer by conquering a number of competing kings and becoming a king himself. He then unified smaller states to create one large empire where the capital is the Angkor region of Cambodia.
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Khmer Empire expands and Suryavarman II orders for Angkor Wat to be built for the god Vishnu and as a result for this Buddhism becomes more important to the Khmer life.
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Jayavarman VII defeats the invading Chams kingdom and expands the empire to the furthest extent of the land to incorporate new states, most of which are present-day Laos, Thailand and Burma.
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Rule of Jayavarman VII continues where he begins to renounce the practice and teaching of Buddhism and orders that Buddhist temples and images be immediately destroyed so that Hinduism becomes the new main religion.
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Khmer people abandon the city of Angkor where over the following centuries, the jungle grows around and over Angkor city and its location is long forgotten.
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Thai army take control of the area to the north of the empire where they grew in power and started attacking other territories. The Khmer’s economy was all but gone because of silting the water works, so the Thai army attacks where the Thai king defeats the Khmer king.
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Vietnamese armies repeatedly attack the Khmer forces in the delta of the Mekong River where the Khmer are defeated. After the Vietnamese take over most of the land they determine the approximate modern borders of Cambodia.
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For his actions, Jayavarman II is appointed the uncontested ruler of Angkor by proclaiming himself as a devaraja (god-king) and declared the independence of his kingdom.
