The Theravada Conversion That Killed Angkor's Devaraja

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Khmer Empire underwent a profound religious transformation that shattered its political foundations. This episode explores how the shift from Mahayana Buddhism and the devaraja cult to Theravada Buddhism—imported by Mon monks from the Suwannabhumi region—undermined the divine authority of Khmer kings. Lucas and Luna discuss the role of Jayavarman VIII, who attempted to restore Hinduism but could not reverse the tide, and the gradual abandonment of Angkor's great temples as Theravada monasteries moved to the plains. They examine inscriptions, Chinese accounts from Zhou Daguan, and the work of scholars like Claude Jacques and Michael Vickery to understand how a religion without a priestly hierarchy or state cult doomed the empire's centralised power. The episode also touches on the rise of Ayutthaya as a Theravada kingdom and the final abandonment of Angkor for Phnom Penh. A nuanced look at how faith—not just drought or invasion—may have quietly ended one of history's greatest civilisations. #TheravadaBuddhism #MahayanaBuddhism #Devaraja #JayavarmanVIII #ClaudeJacques #MichaelVickery #ZhouDaguan #AngkorThom #AngkorWat #PhnomPenh #Ayutthaya #MonBuddhism #Pali #Sanskrit #KhmerEmpire #SoutheastAsianHistory #History #FexingoHistory #SuryavarmanII #JayavarmanII Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo