← Explore on the interactive map

Jayavarman VII

Type Figure Region Cambodia Time c. 1125–1218 Also known as Jayavarman VII、ជ័យវរ្មះទី៧、Jayavarman the Great

Jayavarman VII (c. 1125–1218) was one of the most outstanding monarchs of the 12th–13th-century Khmer Empire, bringing the Angkor dynasty to its zeni…

Timeline

  1. c. 1125–1177Angkor region · CambodiaBorn into the Khmer royal family, he experienced court turmoil in his early years. In 1177 the Champa king Jaya Indravarman IV captured Angkor, and he spent decades in exile gathering strength, building up military power for the eventual restoration of the kingdom.
  2. 1181–1200Angkor Thom · Siem ReapIn 1181 he defeated Champa, recovered Angkor, and acceded to the throne. He undertook large-scale construction of the walls of Angkor Thom, the Bayon, and the Phimeanakas, expanding the capital into one of Southeast Asia's largest cities, and promoted the cult of Avalokiteśvara and a Buddhist state ideology.
  3. 1201–1218Angkor Thom · CambodiaIn his later reign the empire's territory encompassed present-day Cambodia, southern Laos, eastern Thailand, and southern Vietnam. He continued to refine the charitable system of hospitals and relay stations and maintained suzerainty over Champa. He died in 1218, after which the empire entered a period of relative decline.

Sources