The Khmer Empire's Sudden Collapse Explained

For over six centuries, the Khmer Empire stood as Southeast Asia’s dominant power, its capital at Angkor a sprawling marvel of hydraulic engineering and spiritual devotion. But by the early fifteenth century, the city was largely abandoned, its grand temples reclaimed by jungle roots. Previous episodes have explored the climate shifts, water management failures, and Ayutthayan invasions that contributed to this decline. This episode shifts focus to the internal political fracture that truly sealed the empire's fate: the transition from the divine king cult to Theravada Buddhism. We examine how King Indravarman III’s conversion wasn't just a religious change but a structural dismantling of the state’s economic and social foundation. By tracing the rise of monk-led communities and the shift in royal patronage, we uncover why the centralized authority that held Angkor together simply dissolved from within. #KhmerEmpire #AngkorWat #IndravarmanIII #TheravadaBuddhism #SoutheastAsiaHistory #Devaraja #JayavarmanVII #ZhouDaguan #Ayutthaya #TonleSap #SiemReap #CambodianHistory #AncientCities #ReligiousShift #MonasticEconomy #HistoricalCollapse #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo