Did you know that at its peak, Angkor was the largest city in the world, almost the size of a modern metropolis, maybe even comparable to Los Angeles?
When we think of the great civilizations in the world, the first ones that come to mind are Egyptian, Inca, Greek, and Roman civilizations. Not many people think of the Khmer Empire or are aware of how great it was.
The Khmer Empire was the greatest player in the political and cultural world of medieval Southeast Asia. Its capital city and greatest legacy, Angkor, was built in such a way that one side was protected by the Tonle Sap Lake and the other three sides by the wild jungle. Its surroundings were hostile, but they offered protection. A series of well-built highways connected the city with other important settlements and port cities, which the Khmer used for trade.
The Khmer Empire embraced Hinduism, and it produced the monument temples that still stand today. They are often compared to the great temples of the Roman Empire, and the artists who worked on their decorations are referred to as "Khmer Michelangelo." The king was respected for his divine connection with the gods, and the unique ideology of kingship among the Khmer was probably what made the empire so great. The king ruled with an iron fist, but he cherished the people who were his subjects, as he realized they were his strength. Unlike the Western kingdoms of the period, the Khmer king realized that strength wasn't in the territory he ruled but in the number of people able to work and defend the kingdom.
This captivating guide through the history of the Khmer Empire captures this ideology of Khmer kingship and dissects it so it is understandable to Western readers. But this book also tells the stories of the great kings who ruled the empire, or at least those stories that are known to us from the little sources that were left behind. For no matter how great the Khmer Empire was, there was little left behind. The temple steles are written more as if they are inventory lists than a story of its patrons. Nevertheless, the temples were built with great symbolism in mind. Their size, orientation, construction, and their decorations were all carefully chosen to represent their Hindu or Buddhist belief system. There is a hidden meaning behind every stone laid down, behind every tower constructed and bas-relief engraved. But many of these mysteries are yet to be discovered.
Immerse yourself in the pages of this book to learn:
- Who were the Khmer people?
- Who was the devaraja that founded the Empire of Angkor?
- What is the symbolism behind some of the greatest temples in the world?
- Who built Angkor Wat, and with what purpose?
- How did a whole nation convert to Buddhism in under one century?
- Who was Jayavarman VII, and what made him the most powerful king of the Khmer?
- How did such a great empire fall into oblivion?
- How was it rediscovered and rebuilt?
- And much more!
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