Angkor's Missing Horses: Cavalry and Collapse

When Zhou Daguan visited Angkor in 1296, he noted a curious absence—the Khmer had no horses. This episode explores how the empire's reliance on war elephants and river transport left it vulnerable to mounted armies from Ayutthaya and the Tai kingdoms. We trace the role of horses in Southeast Asian warfare, the failed attempts to import them from China, and how the lack of cavalry contributed to Angkor's inability to defend its vast territory during the 14th and 15th centuries. With insights from recent archaeological studies, we argue that this overlooked logistical weakness was a key factor in the empire's sudden collapse. #KhmerEmpire #Angkor #Cavalry #WarElephants #AyutthayaKingdom #TaiKingdoms #ZhouDaguan #SoutheastAsianHistory #MedievalWarfare #HorseHistory #AngkorCollapse #Logistics #Cambodia #ThailandHistory #WarfareHistory #FexingoHistory #History #AncientWorld Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo