The Mystery of Angkor Wat (Final Copy)

The Mystery at Angkor

By: Bharat Krishnamurthy6th Period Dutton - AP World History #23 - Angkor (Cambodia)

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Angkor was the centralized seat of the Khmer Empire, which ruled large portions of Southeast Asia throughout the 16th century. A Hindu/Buddhist temple complex, Angkor has had a large influence in religious architecture and art in the modern world. It is considered an ancient wonder of the world after being restored throughout the majority of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Location

Angkor is located in the northwest part of modern Cambodia, northwest of capitol city Phnom Penh, south of Thailand, and west of Vietnam.

When?

1st - 9th Centuries

1422-1431

1250-1350

1113-1150

Following the demise of the Angkor empire, the city is destroyed and abandoned.

Angkor Wat becomes reused as a Buddhist temple after the religion spreads throughout the region.

Angkor Wat built as temple for Hindu lord Vishnu.

Hinduism is gradually spread through Southeast Asia up till the Khmer empire

Read more about it!

Von Stutterheim, a German explorer, in his analysis of Ramayana and Hindu influences in Cambodia.

Ars Orentialis

Khmer: Land Empire of Cambodia

Indianized States of Southeast Asia

George Coedes' views on Indian expansion and the influence on Southeast Asia.

Thierry Zephir analyzes the Cambiodia's cultural art and architecture influences.

What is Angkor Wat?

The mystery of the legendary Southeast Asian temple

Angkor is a large complex of HIndu and Buddhist temples located in modern Cambodia. Created in the 16th century under the reign of Emperor Suryavarman II, the temple was originally contructed for the Hindu Lord Vishnu, but was later converted to Buddhist purposes after the religion rapidly spread throughout Southeast and East Asia. The temple suffered massive scenes of damage during periods of unrest under the empire, leading to it's abandoment. This event closed the door on the usage of Angkor Wat as the centralizing power known in the Southeast of Asia, but combined with the rapidly diffusing cultural and religious boundaries, the many temples lost their purpose.

Angkor Wat was constructed over a space of around 400 square kilometers, with a complicated system of intersected temples. These systems of temples included modern systems of infrastructure such as canals and moats, where the communication between the various parts of the structure established a legitimate organization tactic, useful for warfare, populations, and infrastructure development. These systems of infrastructure have been claimed to be very advanced, which allowed the empire to grow to the large extent it did. This also provides a reason to why the empire was able to effectively rule over a large portion of Southeast Asia through a thoroughly centralized and cultural potent organization.

Fun Fact:

Angkor's magnificently designed layout was not by accident! It was created to represent a universe existent in Hindu scriptures. The center of the city was designed as an orbiting system, with the walls acting as the edge of the universe, while the infrastructure systems acting as connections between our cosmos.

With a large thriving population, ingenious infrastructure systems, and powerful and centralized rule under their region, Angkor seemed to stand strong. So what caused it's downfall? The mystery of Angkor revolves around the evolution of civilization at the time, as well as the sudden weaknesses that seemed to follow. There have been multiple theories to how the empire fell, including the invasion from neighboring empires, as well as the environmental and industrial decay caused by the fluctuating social hierarchy that Angkor Wat suffered.

Bibliography:

Why did Angkor Wat fall?

Theories about the demise of one of the most influential ancient civilizations

Through the many theories concering the demise of the Angkor empire, their rivalry between the Sukhothai empire is considered the most likely reason to their abandonment of the sacred temple. Due to the territorial battles between both empires, along with the cultural diffusions that were pervasive at the time, tensions rose between the groups. Although the Khmer Empire was considered to be the superior in terms of warfare, infrastructure, and land control, the Sukhothai Empire increasingly took former Khmer land, significantly weakening the empire. Many historians believe that this rivalry led to the eventual capture of Angkor, leaving the many residents of the empire fleeing to Angkor Thom in the northeast. This, combined with the adoption of the Sukhothai empire into the region, led to the demise of the influential Angkor Wat.

When understanding the historical events occuring centuries ago, the above theory does not seem far-fetched. However, when looking at the historica significance the Khmer Empire and Angkor held in the large region they controlled, which in turn provided them with industrial and political power, it is difficult to envision how the empire could have lost against a significantly weaker empire in the Sukhothai. However, in a significantly smaller scale during the time period before the demise of the empire, the Khmer empire was dealing with a dire mix of cultural and political differences, weakening the empire's power. Therefore, even with an undeniably greater advantage in terms of power, the Khmer empire and Angkor was susceptible to loss.

However, a far more modern and viable theory has been accepted by many. Due to the violent and unstable periods the Khmer Empire went under, many elite societies left to our regions, such as the Angkor Thom mentioned above. In Angkor Wat, this had a major societal and industrial effect on the population. Many industrial systems in Angkor Wat had a profound effect on the populations, and without the thorough effect of the elite powers to sustain these systems, they failed and became unusable. As an effect of these unusable systems and the migration of elite populations, the population of Angkor suffered tremendously, until it was left to deteriorate with a lack of sustainability. As societies migrate away from issues in their homeland, many of these same patterns can be seen in the demise of Angkor Wat.