The Khmer Empire's Spice Trade: Pepper, Cinnamon, and the Port of Srei Santhor

The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History · Jun 13, 2026 · 7m · transcript

Angkor Wat is famous, but what fueled the Khmer economy? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Khmer Empire's role in the global spice trade, focusing on the river port of Srei Santhor on the Mekong. They discuss how Khmer merchants traded pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom with Chinese junks and Indian dhows, the rise of a merchant class outside the royal court, and the economic shifts that accompanied Theravada Buddhism in the 13th century. Drawing on the accounts of Zhou Daguan and archaeological finds from the port, they reveal a more commercial side of Angkorian civilization. The…