Angkor Wat's Walled City: The Chola Siege of 1025

In 1025 CE, the Chola Empire under Rajendra Chola launched a devastating naval raid across the Bay of Bengal, sacking the Srivijayan capital of Kadaram and sending shockwaves through Southeast Asia. But this episode focuses on a lesser-known consequence: the impact on the Khmer Empire. The raid disrupted trade routes and alliances, and the Khmer king Suryavarman I, who had just seized power, was forced to navigate a volatile geopolitical landscape. We explore how the Chola expedition reshaped Khmer foreign policy, strained relations with Tambralinga, and ultimately contributed to the centralization of power that enabled the construction of Angkor Wat decades later. Drawing on Tamil inscriptions, Chinese chronicles, and Khmer temple records, we piece together a story of piracy, diplomacy, and unintended consequences. #CholaEmpire #RajendraChola #Kadaram #Srivijaya #KhmerEmpire #SuryavarmanI #Tambralinga #AngkorWat #BayOfBengal #NavalRaid #1025 #SoutheastAsia #TamilInscriptions #TradeRoutes #Piracy #Diplomacy #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo