Jayavarman VII: The Builder King of Angkor

In this episode, we dive into the reign of Jayavarman VII, the most prolific builder in Khmer history. After decades of chaos following the Cham invasion of 1177, Jayavarman VII reclaimed Angkor and launched an unprecedented building campaign. We explore his massive projects: the temple-mountain of Bayon with its eerie face-towers, the sprawling city of Angkor Thom, and the network of hospitals and rest houses that stretched across the empire. We also examine the controversies surrounding his rule — did his grand ambitions strain the empire's resources and contribute to its later decline? We discuss the shift from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism under his reign, the role of the state cult of the Buddha-king, and the enigmatic smiling faces of the Bayon that may represent either the Buddha or the king himself. Along the way, we touch on the daily life of commoners, the logistics of temple construction, and the enduring legacy of a king who remade the Khmer Empire in stone. #JayavarmanVII #AngkorThom #Bayon #KhmerEmpire #MahayanaBuddhism #AngkorWat #Cambodia #12thCentury #MedievalSoutheastAsia #ChamInvasion #TempleConstruction #StateCult #BuddhaKing #SmilingFaces #HospitalsAndRestHouses #KhmerHistory #History #FexingoHistory #SuryavarmanII #AncientCambodia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo