The Legacy of Angkor | Asia Society Skip to main content

Unsupported Browser Detected.
It seems the web browser you're using doesn't support some of the features of this site. For the best experience, we recommend using a modern browser that supports the features of this website. We recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge

  • Back to asiasociety.org
  • Professional Development
    • Online Courses
    • Events
  • Educator Resources
    • About Global Competence
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
    • Improve Your Chinese Language Teaching
    • Career and Technical Education
    • Global CTE Toolkit
    • Students CTE Toolkit
    • Secondary CTE Toolkit
    • Postsecondary CTE Toolkit
  • Our Ideas
    • Publications
    • Recent Articles
    • What is Global Competence?
  • Asia Society at Home
    • Asia Society Kids Booklists
    • Cooking with STEAM
    • At-Home Adventures Through Asia
    • Global Learning
    • Teaching Resources Hub
  • Education For Equity
    • Discussion Series: Teaching Truth to Power
    • Addressing Racism Through Global Competence
    • Staff Picks
    • #OwnVoices Virtual Reading Room
    • Raising Global Citizens
    • Spotlight on Asian Americans
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Our Initiatives
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events
    • Institutional Independence Policy
Search
Center for Global Education
  • Professional Development
    • Online Courses
    • Events
  • Educator Resources
    • About Global Competence
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
    • Improve Your Chinese Language Teaching
    • Career and Technical Education
    • Global CTE Toolkit
    • Students CTE Toolkit
    • Secondary CTE Toolkit
    • Postsecondary CTE Toolkit
  • Our Ideas
    • Publications
    • Recent Articles
    • What is Global Competence?
  • Asia Society at Home
    • Asia Society Kids Booklists
    • Cooking with STEAM
    • At-Home Adventures Through Asia
    • Global Learning
    • Teaching Resources Hub
  • Education For Equity
    • Discussion Series: Teaching Truth to Power
    • Addressing Racism Through Global Competence
    • Staff Picks
    • #OwnVoices Virtual Reading Room
    • Raising Global Citizens
    • Spotlight on Asian Americans
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Our Initiatives
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events
    • Institutional Independence Policy

The Legacy of Angkor

A Great Southeast Asian Kingdom

Angkor Wat (tylerdurden1/flickr)

Images of the twelfth century temple known today as Angkor Wat have appeared on every Cambodian flag since the country gained its independence from France in l953. Cambodia is the only nation in the world to depict a ruin on its flag and “Angkor” is a crucial component of Cambodia’s identity.

Between the tenth and fourteenth centuries, the kingdom that we call Angkor dominated much of mainland Southeast Asia. Its capital at Yasopdharapura, north of Cambodia’s Great Lake, held over a million people, making it one of the most populous cities in the world. Its riches came from controlling manpower and natural resources for hundreds of miles in each direction and from trade with prosperous kingdoms elsewhere in Asia.

Because its houses and most of its buildings were made of wood, thatch and bamboo, they have disappeared without a trace. What we know about Yasodharapura, which was abandoned in the sixteenth century, comes from what remains of its walls, reservoirs, roads and above all, its religious buildings, which were built of stone and laterite to honor the Buddha or a pantheon of Indian gods. Angkor Wat, built in the early twelfth century, served as a monument to a powerful king, Suryavarman II, and also as his tomb, The temple, dedicated to Vishnu, covers over a square mile. Its beautifully carved bas relieves depict scenes from the Indian epic, the Ramayana and from Suryavarman’s life. They also display the god of the underworld, Yama, sending people to heaven or to hell.

“Angkor” was a complex civilization with its kings at the apex of society. Most of the people who built the temples and grew food for the elite were rice farmers, using techniques that have endured with little alteration until the present day. The Khmer were also skillful builders and talented artists in stone and wood. Khmer engineers designed impressive reservoirs and arrow-straight roads connecting Cambodian cities, and Khmer poets composed the elaborate inscriptions that survive at many of the temples. Cambodian warriors attacked neighboring kingdoms and defended Yasodharapura against invaders. Many of these “everyday” contributions are forgotten when we visit the temples, or when we view Cambodia’s ethereal classical dance. If we look at the way that Cambodian farmers near the ruins live their lives; however, we can get some idea of the lives of ordinary Khmer, a thousand years ago.

In the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, a powerful king, Jayavarman VII (r. 1180-1220) rebuilt the walls of Yasopdharapura and placed his temple mountain, the Bayon at the center of the redesigned city. Bas-reliefs on the temple depict battles with the neighboring kingdom of Champa, and vivid scenes of twelfth century Cambodian life. Jayavarman was a pious Buddhist, and larger than life size portrait statues of him have been found at several sites. He was also the last king at Angkor to patronize the construction of stone temples dedicated to the Buddha and to Hindu gods. In the thirteenth century, most Cambodians converted to Theravada Buddhism, the somewhat austere variant followed by the Khmer people today.

Yasodharapura remained a grand and prosperous city for at least two hundred years after Jayavarman’s death. It was partially abandoned in 1431 following an invasion by Thai armies. Soon afterwards, Cambodia’s capital shifted to the south. In the 1500s a Cambodian king visited the old city, restored some temples and probably installed himself in Yasodharapura for a time. Pilgrims often visited Angkor Wat and there was a Buddhist monastery for centuries beside the temple, but Yasodharapura was forgotten by the outside world and the forest slowly reclaimed it.

In the l860s France established a protectorate over Cambodia, and ruled benignly for ninety years. The French were thrilled to “ discover” Yasodharapura, and brought the ruins to the attention of the world. French scholars also deciphered the inscriptions, dated the temples and rediscovered the names and sequence of forgotten Angkorean kings. The French also restored the temples, and built roads that made them accessible to tourists.

Under King Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia gained its independence in l953. For seventeen years, Cambodia was at peace, and French archaeologists, aided by Khmer, continued their work at Yasodharapura. The civil war of l970-1975 and the ruinous Khmer Rouge era that followed meant that no work was done at Angkor. Serious restorations resumed in the late l980s. Today, missions from France, Italy, Japan and other countries are busy at Angkor, which has become a popular tourist site, visited each year by several hundred thousand people.

Its “legacy” consists of the extraordinary artistic and engineering talents that the ruins reveal. These talents are on view today in Cambodian classical dance and among the openhearted, inventive and resilient people who struggle to make ends meet in their poor, overcrowded country, while bearing witness to their wondrous past.

Author: David Chandler.

Additional Background Reading on Asia

  • China's world cup fans
    article
     /  China Learning Initiatives

    China’s World Cup 'Craze'

    Why were there so many Chinese fans in the bleachers at this year's FIFA World Cup, when the Chinese team wasn’t even on the field? Student Jerry Tian gives us his perspective.
  • A mural of Kim Il Sung in the foreground (Anne Hilton)

    North Korea: Looking Beyond the Stereotypes

    We've compiled resources to help you cut through the stereotypes surrounding North Korea and more deeply examine the country, its people, and the complexities of its politics and nuclear program.
  • Tsinghua University, East Gate
    China Learning Initiatives

    China's Education System: The Oldest in the World

    It may sound incredible, but China’s formal education system—the oldest in the world—was established nearly two millennia ago.
  • October 9 is the only national holiday dedicated to a writing system.

    The World's Most Incredible Alphabet

    Hint: It was invented to fit a language that previously used a borrowed writing system.
  • Folio from a Ashtasahashirika Prajnaparamita Manuscript

    Visualize the World

    Museum resources and educational resources that help students develop visual literacy and a better understanding of the world.
  • Tang Dynasty copy of 新婦地黃湯帖 by Wang Xianzhi (Taito Ward Calligraphy Museum). Image is in the public domain.
    China Learning Initiatives

    Revelations from the Brush

    A case for practicing calligraphy from one learner's perspective.
  • A painting that has traces of the three teachings (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
    China Learning Initiatives

    The Three Teachings

    How Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism complement one another. Read on to learn about the "fourth teaching."
  • A Tibetan mantra inscribed in rocks at Zanskar, India. Photographer unknown.

    Math, Science, and Technology in India

    A tour de force essay written by Dr. Roddham Narasimha.
  • Ralph Waldo Emerson. (Etching by Sam W. Rowse, 1878)
    article

    Indian Influences on Western Literature

    Includes case studies on Ralph Waldo Emerson, T.S. Eliot, Herman Hesse, and The Beatles. A must-read!
  • Sarkhej Roza (Tomb & Mosque Of Ahmad Khattu Ganj Bakhsh) in India.

    Islamic Belief Made Visual

    On Islam and the use of geometric patterns.

Pagination

  • Current page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Page 9
  • Next page Next
  • Last page Last

Related Content

  • article

    The Legacy of Angkor

    Angkor Wat in Cambodia, today known as a World Heritage Site, is also a vestige of a great inland SE Asian empire.
  • article

    Religion in Vietnam

    An introductory essay on Vietnamese world view throughout the ages.
  • article

    Reamker

    This essay explores the theme of cultural diffusion by examining how the Indian epic, Ramayana, manifested itself in Cambodia.
  • resource

    Diversity and Unity

    A look at ethnicity, gender, family, religious beliefs, food, and fashion in Islamic Southeast Asia.
  • Cambodia: A Historical Overview

    A brief history of Cambodia, from earliest settlements to great kingdoms and its current efforts to rebuilding civil society.

Videos

  • Current Affairs
     /  Switzerland

    Stories From Afghanistan to Thailand

    Karin Wenger talks about her insights and experiences covering historic events, human-interest stories, and the pandemic in South and Southeast Asia with Remko Tanis.
    Watch Now
  • Policy
     /  New York

    Balancing Powers: The U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit

    Elina Noor talks to Jung Pak, Shafiah Muhibat, and Chheang Vannarith about the recent gathering, a celebration of 45 year of U.S.-ASEAN ties.
    Watch Now
  • Policy
     /  New York

    Empowering Women in ASEAN: Building Trade Ties With ASEAN’s Emerging Female Leaders

    Wendy Cutler and Katherine Tai explore women's advancement in the trade and economic landscape of one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse regions.
    Watch Now
  • Current Affairs
     /  Korea

    Interview With Chring Botum Rangsay, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the Republic of Korea

    Chring Botum Rangsay joins Yvonne Kim to discuss various aspects of their countries' bilateral relations.
    Watch Now
  • Current Affairs
     /  Australia

    Biden and Asia: Perspectives From the Region

    One hundred days into the Biden administration, a panel of experts unpack how the U.S. is approaching security, defence, democracy, environment, economy, and trade with Asia.
    Watch Now
About
  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement
visit us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
global network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, D.C.
resources
  • Arts
  • Asia Society Magazine
  • ChinaFile
  • Current Affairs
  • Education
  • For Kids
  • Policy
  • Video
shop
  • AsiaStore
initiatives
  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Young Leaders
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Asian Women Empowered
  • Center for Global Education
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • China Learning Initiatives
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit
Connect
Email Signup For the media
Asia Society logo
©2022 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC