General Information

Facts & History

Cambodia’s history begins in the first century A.D with the establishment of the state of Funan. Many modern day Khmer customs and language can be traced back to this period. For example Sanskrit, which is part of the Mon Khmer family dialect, was the written and spoken language of that time. The State of Funan lasted for a period of 600 years

and was in effect the precursor to the great Khmer Empire. Early in the 9th century king Jayavarman II claimed independence from the Javanese who had been overseeing the affairs of the Funan kingdom for several hundred years and founded the Khmer kingdom at Angkor. This great dynasty reigned for 650 years and their empire covered much of Southeast Asia. Over the next 150 years the kingdom grew in stature, culminating with King Suryavarman I who extended the kingdom’s territories into southern Thailand and Laos.

Shortly after his death in 1050 however the state fell into disarray. The nearby Cham (from present day Vietnam) seized their opportunity and captured the capital. The Cham conquest was short-lived and within 50 years the Khmer Empire was to reach its zenith under the leadership of Suryavarman II. Widely accepted as the greatest of the Khmer rulers, he oversaw the construction of Angkor’s centerpiece Angkor Wat. Under Suryavarman II the arts flourished and the empire rapidly expanded to include most of Thailand, Laos, southern Vietnam and the Malay Peninsula. Angkor was sacked again by the Cham in 1177, only 25 years after Angkor Wat’s completion. In 1181 King Jayavarman VII fought back and seized the Cham capital at Vijiya, effectively eliminating them as a force in the region. He then embarked on Angkor’s boldest building program with the creation of a massive walled citadel – Angkor Thom, with the Bayon as its centerpiece, characterized by its giant sculptured heads. He also officially made Buddhism the religion of the Khmer Empire. In addition to building the most majestic ceremonial structures Jayavarma VII was also responsible for huge feats of engineering which included sophisticated irrigation systems, great reservoirs and countless canal systems that guaranteed the transport of goods and food. Some of these systems are still in use today.