Suryavarman II's Royal Chronicles: The K. 380 Stele and Angkor Wat's Lost History

In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the K. 380 stele, the only surviving inscription from Suryavarman II's reign that directly names Angkor Wat's founder. Discovered in the 20th century at the temple of Phnom Sampov near Battambang, this sandstone slab records the king's death, his posthumous name Paramavishnuloka, and a cryptic reference to his involvement in a revolt against the Chola Empire. Lucas unpacks the stele's political context — including Suryavarman's alliance with the Tambralinga kingdom and a failed naval campaign against the Cholas in 1066 CE — and explains why this inscription is a rare window into Angkor's imperial ambitions. He also explores the stele's mention of a royal guru named Divakarapandita, who may have advised the king on temple construction. The episode contrasts the K. 380's dry administrative language with the grand bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat, highlighting how historians piece together royal chronicles from fragmentary stone records. Luna asks about the stele's condition and what it reveals about Khmer statecraft. The conversation closes with a reflection on how one stone's survival shapes our understanding of an entire empire. #SuryavarmanII #AngkorWat #K380Stele #KhmerEmpire #PhnomSampov #Paramavishnuloka #Divakarapandita #CholaEmpire #Tambralinga #Hinduism #Inscriptions #Epigraphy #SoutheastAsianHistory #Cambodia #Battambang #Angkor #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo