The Tamil Chola Sack of Angkor and Its Aftermath

In the late 13th century, the Khmer Empire faced a devastating invasion not from their traditional rivals, the Cham or Siamese, but from a distant maritime power: the Tamil Chola dynasty of southern India. This episode explores the Chola raid on Angkor around 1290 CE, chronicled in temple inscriptions and Chinese accounts. Lucas and Luna discuss how Chola king Kulasekhara Pandya's naval campaign targeted the wealth of the Khmer heartland, sacking temples and disrupting trade networks along the Mekong. They examine the evidence from the Prasat Mueang Sing inscription and the Tamil presence in Southeast Asia, linking this forgotten conflict to the gradual erosion of Khmer authority. The episode also considers the Chola raid's role in accelerating the shift from Mahayana to Theravada Buddhism and the decline of the devaraja cult. Freshly researched with specific details on the battle of the Tonle Sap, this conversation fills a gap in the series' exploration of Angkor's collapse. #CholaDynasty #KulasekharaPandya #AngkorSack #KhmerEmpire #TamilInvasion #SoutheastAsianHistory #MedievalIndia #MaritimeTrade #Devaraja #TheravadaBuddhism #PrasatMueangSing #MekongRiver #TonleSap #NavalWarfare #History #FexingoHistory #EmpireCollapse #Angkor Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo