The Stone Criers of Angkor: Voices from the Monastic Hospitals

In this episode of the Khmer Empire series, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable arogyasala (hospital) network established by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. They discuss the inscribed stelae that detail the daily operations of these 102 hospitals, including staff lists, medicine recipes, and the social ideals of a Buddhist chakravartin. The conversation covers the integration of Ayurvedic and Tantric practices, the role of the devaraja cult, and the eventual decline of the system after Jayavarman's death. Listeners learn about the stele of Say Fong, the only surviving complete arogyasala inscription, which names doctors, technicians, and even the amount of rice and cloth each patient received. The episode also touches on the recent archaeological findings by the Greater Angkor Project that identified new hospital sites through lidar. A vivid picture emerges of an empire that cared for its people through a centralized medical system, centuries before similar efforts in Europe. #KhmerEmpire #JayavarmanVII #Arogyasala #AngkorHospitals #Ayurveda #BuddhistMedicine #Chakravartin #SayFongStele #GreaterAngkorProject #LidarArchaeology #EFEO #TantricBuddhism #Devaraja #PreahKhan #12thCentury #SoutheastAsianHistory #History #FexingoHistory #AngkorWat #JayavarmanII Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo