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100
Funan Empire Rises
Acording to a legend Funan was created through the romantic meeting of an Indian Youth and a Khmer Queen .Kaundinya and Willowleaf fell in love and they established a joint rule of the KIngdom of Funan.They made their capital Oc Eo. The people of Funan were a mixture of Khmer, Malaysian, Indian and smaller ethnic groups. Funan had adopted many cultural aspects from India. -
500
Trading
Trade occured between the Khmer and Indian people. There were many Indian merchant - adventurers and they sailed and had many trade links with the Khmer Empire. With trading the Indians brought ideas and beliefs that shaped the identity of the Khmer Empire. -
Period: 550 to Jan 1, 700
Funan replaced by Chenla
Funan reached its end when civil wars and dynastic strife undermined its stability, making it relatively easy prey to raids by hostile neighbors. The kingdom of Chenla took over Funan and reduced it to a vassal state. -
Period: Jan 1, 770 to
Jayavarman II unifies small states
Jayavarman II unifies smaller states to create one large empire. The capital is in the region of Angkor region of Cambodia -
Jan 1, 1177
Cham invades the Khmer Empire
Chams made a successful invasion by ships up the Mekong River and upstream to Tonle Sap Lake, south of Angkor and surprised the Khmer and defeated them at the then Capital of Yasodharapura. The Chams then looted and sacked the City and killed the Khmer King. -
Period: Jan 1, 1181 to Jan 1, 1219
Jayavarman VII defeats the Chams and Expands territory
Jayavarman VII went to war with the Chams, a muslim state and expanded his territory in the east. He expanded the empire to incorparate much of present-day Laos, Thailand and Burma. -
Period: Jan 1, 1243 to Jan 1, 1298
Jayavarman VIII renounces Buddism
Jayavarman VIII bans Buddhism and orders that all Buddhists temples and images be destroyed. So that Hinduism becomes the main religion. Hinduism was preferred because its class system helped maintain the authority of the Khmer rulers, even when they experienced a lot of military defeat which the Khmer Empire was. -
Jan 1, 1300
Buddhism grows again
Buddhism grows in importance again and becomes the main religion of the Khmer Kings.This happened because Buddhism didn't recognise that any ruler had a 'divine right' to rule, and because the people would have questioned the kings authority so they had to be Buddhists so they weren't questioned. -
Jan 1, 1431
Thai army attacks Angkor
Thai armies attacked Angkor, and a year later, the city was deserted by the Khmers. Thus set in a period of desolation, which was to last for centuries. The jungle grew around and over Angkor and its location was forgotten. -
Period: Jan 1, 1440 to
The Khmer capital became Phnom Penh
The capital was moved from Angkor to Phnom Penh. The empire was able to defend its self until 1954 when the Thais defeated the Khmers and then Cambodia became a vassal state of the Thais. -
Vietnamese armies attack Khmer
Vietnamese armies repeatedly attack Khmer forces in the Mekong River Delta and defeat the Khmer. The approximate modern borders of Cambodia are then determined. -
Jayavarman II comes to Power
Jayavarman II came to power in 802 CE and he strenghened the power of the Khmer monarchy. He had himself declared a devaraja (god-king). This meant that people thought he was a god living on Earth. He renamed Chenla, Kambuja. He is recognised as the founder of the Khmer Empire. -
Period: to Jan 1, 1145
Angkor Wat is built and Buddism becomes Important
King Jayavarman V commenced the construction of the Angkor Wat temple in 961 CE which would become a great wonder of the world. along Buddism grew because it was a religion that had no threat to the Kings and in Buddism there was no concept of a god ruling over people. While in other religions it is based on a god controlling
