Late Khmer Empire

Timeline

1. 802–850Kulen Mountain · CambodiaJayavarman II held ceremonies at Kulen Mountain, proclaiming himself god-king (devaraja), combining Hindu royal theology with local hydraulic societies and laying the ideological foundation for centuries of Khmer imperial rule.
2. c. 1100–1200Angkor · CambodiaIn the 11th-12th centuries Suryavarman II built Angkor Wat and Jayavarman VII expanded Angkor Thom and promoted Mahayana Buddhism; the empire's territory covered much of the Indochinese Peninsula, and temple and reservoir engineering reached its peak.
3. c. 1271–1280Angkor · CambodiaIn the late 13th century the empire still maintained a tributary system over surrounding vassal states, with exchanges involving the Yuan dynasty, Champa, and maritime trade networks; Zhou Daguan's Customs of Cambodia records the Angkor court, markets, and religious life of this period.
4. c. 1350–1430Indochinese Peninsula · Indochinese PeninsulaRepeated attacks by Ayutthaya of Siam and Champa led the Khmer to lose western and southern vassal states; large-scale hydraulic works became difficult to maintain, central finances and military mobilization capacity steadily declined, and the empire's hegemony became nominal in name only.
5. 1431Angkor · CambodiaIn 1431 Ayutthaya captured and sacked Angkor, and the Khmer royal court moved the capital south of Phnom Penh; the god-king empire centered on Angkor ended as a unified political entity, entering the post-Angkor period of division.