Angkor's Theravada Conversion: Buddhism That Changed an Empire

Why did the Khmer Empire abandon its centuries-old Hindu devaraja cult in favor of Theravada Buddhism? This episode explores the religious transformation that reshaped Angkor in its final centuries. Lucas and Luna trace the arrival of Mon monks from the Dvaravati kingdom, the adoption of Pali scriptures, and the gradual shift from Sanskrit inscriptions to vernacular Khmer. They examine how Jayavarman VII's Mahayana Buddhist projects paradoxically paved the way for Theravada's rise, and how the new faith's emphasis on individual merit and egalitarian monasticism undermined the divine kingship that had sustained Angkor's hydraulic state. Key figures include Indravarman III, who formally adopted Theravada, and the monks who established the first wat at Angkor Thom. The episode also explores the role of the Tai kingdoms in spreading Theravada, the decline of baray maintenance as religious priorities shifted, and how the religion's portable practice helped it survive Angkor's fall. A nuanced look at faith as both cause and consequence of imperial collapse. #TheravadaBuddhism #KhmerEmpire #Angkor #Devaraja #IndravarmanIII #JayavarmanVII #Mon #Dvaravati #Pali #Sanskrit #AngkorThom #Wat #MahaNikhaya #TaiKingdoms #HydraulicState #ReligiousConversion #SoutheastAsianHistory #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo