Angkor Wat's Eastern Gate: The Tamil Inscription of Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the forgotten connection between Angkor and the Tamil Chola dynasty through a single inscription at Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung, a Khmer temple in modern-day Thailand. The inscription records a trade agreement and military alliance between Suryavarman II and the Chola king Kulottunga I around 1115 CE. Lucas explains how this document reveals the Khmer Empire's maritime ambitions, the exchange of goods like sappanwood and cinnamon, and the political maneuvering that linked Angkor Wat's construction to Indian Ocean trade networks. They also discuss the controversial theory that Chola architects influenced Angkor Wat's design, and the debate over whether the inscription represents a client-state relationship or a peer alliance. The episode sheds light on a rarely told story of Khmer-Chola diplomacy beyond the famous 1025 raid, and how the temple itself became a node in a global medieval economy. #AngkorWat #Chola #PrasatHinKhaoPhanomRung #SuryavarmanII #KulottungaI #KhmerEmpire #TamilInscription #IndianOceanTrade #Sappanwood #Cinnamon #1115CE #KhmerArchitecture #MedievalDiplomacy #SoutheastAsia #TamilNadu #Epigraphy #History #FexingoHistory #JayavarmanVII #Bayon Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo