Category: Angkor Wat & Temples

Tags: Khmer, Empire, Kampuchea, Cambodia, Linga

In his ambitious plan, he selected the hill of Bakheng as the centre of the new city of Yasodharapura, and as the site of his state temple, first levelling the top. Surrounding the hill, the earth banks of the city limits were 4 km on each side, and traces remain today on the S and W. In addition, Yasovarman built the East Baray, a great reservoir more than 7 km long and almost 2 km wide. Earlier in 893, he had built the Lolei temple in the middle of the Indratatak and the temples of Phnom Krom and Phnom Bok were possible built by him. He died in 910. His two sons, Harshavarman I and Isanavarman II, continued the dynasty, but on the death of the latter, around 928, the capital abruptly moved to Koh Ker, some 100 kilometers to the NE. The background to this is obscure, but there was a change in the royal succession, and the throne went to Jayavarman IV for at least seven years. He probably owed allegiance to the Angkor kings, and it is not known how he took the throne. Nevertheless, the scale of the brick temple of Prasat Thorn that he had built at Koh Ker shows that he was rich and powerful. Having started a considerable building programme there, he clearly decided to continue and make it his capital. Many smaller temples were added, and a baray, all in the short space of 20 years until the capital reverted to Angkor. The state temple was a seven-storey sandstone pyramid, 35m high. On his death, Jayavarman IV was succeeded, briefly, by his son Harshavarman II, although an inscription makes it clear that this was not the father''s choice. Moreover, the succession was contested, and after a reign of only three years, Harshavarman met what was probably a violent end. He was succeeded, in 944, by his cousin Rajendra-varman, king of the old kingdom of Bhavapura. He had, in fact, helped Harshavarman II in his bid for power and, after the latter''s death, decided to seize power for himself. Rajendravarman took the capital back to Angkor, but not to the city that Yasovarman had created around the Bakheng. Instead, he placed his state temple and palace some kilometres to the E, on the S bank of the great East Baray. Pre Rup (961) was the state temple, and another major construction was the ''island'' temple of East Mebon (953) in the middle of the baray. These temples were overseen by his chief architect Kavindrarimathana, who built for himself Bat Chum and Srah Srang. Other constructions in the same general area include Kutisvara. At the same time, Rajendravarman strengthened his grip by declaring former "kingdoms'' under his rule to be ''provinces''. He also expanded his empire, reconquering the lands ruled by Yasovarman I, and even sending an expeditionary force to fight the Chams in the coastal areas of what is now central Vietnam. Violent rivalry between the Khmers and the Chams had been continuing for some time. After Rajendravarman''s death in 968, his son Jayavarman V succeeded to the throne, moving the capital slighty to the W to a more defensible location. Calling it Jayendranagari, he had a new state temple built at its centre - Ta Keo. At this time, his priest and mentor Yajfiavaraha built the exquisite small temple of Banteay Srei, which was dedicated in the last year of Rajendravarman''s life. Jayavarman V''s reign, which lasted three decades, began with armed struggle to quell rebellions, but eventually settled down to be relatively peaceful. Jayavarman was succeeded by Udayadityavarman I, who ruled for only a few months, after which there was a nine-year war between Jayaviravarman and Suryavarman I, both pretending to have been consecrated in 1002. The war ended around 1010 with the final victory of Suryavarman I. This king built the Royal Palace at Angkor Thorn and, most probably, a new reservoir, the West Baray, measuring 8km x 2km and still in use. He was succeeded by his son, Udayadityavarman II (1050-1066), who built the Bapuon, a spectacular temple-mountain, and the West Mebon in the middle of the West Baray. His younger brother Harshavarman III (1066-about 1080) was the last of this dynasty; the throne then changed hands to a line of kings who came from the Khorat Plateau in present-day Thailand. After two reigns (Jayavarman VI and Dharanindravarman, both brothers), a grandnephew seized power - Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat and commander of many military campaigns to expand the empire. His rule, from 1112 to about 1150, marks the peak of Angkor''s power and influence. Thereafter, there were increasing revolts in the provinces. There were both alliances and conflicts between some Khmer and Cham princes, rendering the political situation very confused. In 1165 the throne was taken by a usurper, Tribhuvanadityavarman, who was killed 12 years later when a Cham and Khmer group mounted a surprise naval attack from the Great Lake and took Angkor.

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