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Many small states spring up in this period. The most powerful is the Khmer Kingdom of Funan. They were heavily influenced by Indian political ideas
This Kingdom became one of the greatest early powers of South-East Asia. The people in the Southern part of what is now Cambodia formed the Kingdom of Funan. -
The Funan Kingdom loses its influence and a new authority Chenla arises north of Funan. During the Chenla Kingdom the kings built their own personal temples as they were influenced by the Hindu practice. A symbol made from stone (the kings linga) to show the authority and power of the King was put in each temple. The Chenla Kingdom broke up in the 700's and many small kingdoms formed.
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- 834 CE Jayavarman II brought together all of the smaller states to create one empire. While he was ruler of this kingdom he set up a new capital at Mount Kulen in north west Cambodia. He built a three-tier temple on this mountain. During his rule his empire expands and moved the capital city from Mount Kulen to Hariharalaya, near the inland lake, Tonle Sap.
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- 1219 CE
During this time King Jayavarman went to war with the Cham (a Muslim state) and decreased their territory. The empire reaches its peak during the 1100's when it took over the land that is now Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Under King Jayavarman's VII rule the expansion of his empire was very costly.
- 1219 CE
During this time King Jayavarman went to war with the Cham (a Muslim state) and decreased their territory. The empire reaches its peak during the 1100's when it took over the land that is now Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
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- 1298 CE During the rule of King Jayavarman VIII Buddhism was not tolerated. He ordered that Buddhist temples and images be destroyed. Hinduism becomes the most important religion during most of the ancient Khmer period. Hinduism along with its class system helped to keep the Khmer rulers in power because nobody questioned the King.
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CE
During the later period of the Khmer Empire, some kings were not threatened by Buddhism and so during the 1300's it became the main religion of the Khmer Kings. The beliefs were different from the traditional and powerful Hindu beliefs. In Buddhism, there is no idea of a god ruling over people, while Hinduism is based entirely on the gods who are said to control the destinies of the people. -
CE
In the 1440's the Khmer Rulers moved the capital to Phnom Penh. The Khmer Empire is able to protect itself until 1594. -
CE
After the death of its last great ruler King Jayavarman VII in 1219 Angkor began to fall apart. The Cham Kingdom in the east and the Thai's in the west began a series of wars which resulted in the Khmer Empire losing some of its territory to the Chams and the Thais. In 1431 the Siam (Thai Army) conquered the last capital Angkor. -
CE
Around 1432 the last king and its people abandoned Angkor. The Thais stole many items from temples such as gold, jewels, Buddha images and took slaves back to the Thai capital. For centuries after the ruins were hidden by dense jungle. -
- 1594 CE During 1593 to 1594 the Thais overpowered the Khmer Empire and Cambodia a vassal state of the Thais.
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CE
In 802 CE King Jayavarman II comes to power and builds up the power of the Khmer monarchy. He had himself called a devaraja in a ceremony performed by Hindu high priests. This meant that he was declared a god living on earth. The Chenla empire was renamed Kambuja. -
- 1145 CE During this time the Kings of the Khmer Empire built hundreds of stone temples at Angkor and elsewhere in the empire. They also built irrigation networks to help improve rice production, hospitals and reservoirs . The building of Angkor Wat was started in 961CE and finished around 1113. The Angkor Wat is dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. Alot of the work done on the Angkor Wat, was done under the rule of King Suryavarman.
