SOURCE2 A relief sculpture on the Bayon Temple depicting the Khmer army going to war against the Chams
8.7.2
Women in Khmer society
The family was the basic unit of society but it is not known how men, women and children lived within their families. Evidence from neighbouring societies suggests that women had a more important position than in India or China. However, society probably became more male-dominated as Hindu and Buddhist ideas about the roles of men and women gained influence over traditional beliefs. Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan wrote that women sold products displayed on mats in the market and that all trades were carried out by women. Many women danced. Dance was a religious ritual in Cambodia during the Angkor period. Inscriptions tell of thousands of dancers performing in the temples. These temple dancers were regarded as apsaras , which in Hindu and Buddhist mythology is a female spirit of the clouds.
SOURCE3 A modern Cambodian woman performing a Khmer classical dance
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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