Angkor Wat's Post-1177 Rebirth: Jayavarman VII's Empire

Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic aftermath of the Cham sack of Angkor in 1177. They follow King Jayavarman VII's rise from exile, his lightning naval counterattack against Champa, and the unprecedented building frenzy that followed: Angkor Thom, the Bayon's serene stone faces, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, and a network of hospitals and rest houses across the empire. Lucas explains the king's shift from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism, the integration of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara into Khmer kingship, and how Jayavarman VII's colossal monuments—driven by an ideology of national healing—may have pushed the Khmer economy to its breaking point. The episode also touches on the king's posthumous curse: his Buddhist temples were later 'Hinduized' by his successors, and his face towers may represent an unprecedented fusion of royal and divine identity. A focused look at one of Angkor's most ambitious and controversial rulers. #JayavarmanVII #AngkorThom #Bayon #ChamInvasion #MahayanaBuddhism #Avalokiteshvara #TaProhm #PreahKhan #KhmerEmpire #AngkorWat #12thCentury #SoutheastAsia #Cambodia #JayaIndravarmanIV #Bodhisattva #History #FexingoHistory #Kingship Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo