LESSON 8.9 Why did Angkor and the Khmer Empire decline?
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to explain how Angkor’s decline could be attributed to multiple causes, including wars and environmental and climate change.
Tune in SOURCE1 depicts Khmer soldiers armed with spears and bows and arrows. 1. Describe the figures in this relief carving. How are they armed? 2. Do you think this source contradicts the evidence of Zhou Daguan in lesson 8.7 SOURCE 1? Explain your response.
SOURCE1 A relief sculpture at Angkor
8.9.1 A weakening empire After the death of Jayavarman VII, no more temples were built. The Khmer lost much of the territory they had conquered in Champa to their east. In the west, several Tai nobles rebelled against Khmer authority, establishing the first Tai kingdom at Sukhothai in 1238. These territorial losses and other developments seriously weakened the Khmer Empire. Religious conflict and external threats Religious conflict existed within the Khmer ruling family. Jayavarman VIII (1243–1295) sought to restore Hinduism, converting Buddhist temples and destroying Buddha images. To avoid war with the powerful Mongol Empire, which conquered China in 1260, he paid tribute in 1283, making the Khmer Empire temporarily a vassal state. This decision proved wise when the Mongols captured Bagan. Jayavarman VIII was overthrown by his son-in-law, Srindravarman (1295–1309), who introduced Theravada Buddhism. This religion quickly became dominant in the Khmer Empire and South-East Asia. The end of Indrajayavarman’s reign in 1327 marked the end of the Khmer Classical Age, with no further inscriptions or temple constructions. It is suggested that the shift to Theravada Buddhism may have weakened the power of Khmer kings.
SOURCE2 A modern Khmer worshipping at a huge Theravada Buddhist statue at Angkor
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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