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The Preah Khan Inscription: Jayavarman VII's Lost Foundation Text
Episode 158 of The Khmer Empire podcast deciphers the Preah Khan inscription, the longest and most detailed foundation text from Angkor. Discovered by French archaeologist Louis Finot in 1902, this 247-line Sanskrit stele records Jayavarman VII's dedication of the temple in 1191 CE. We explore how the inscription lists the temple's 97,840 servants, 2,200 monks, and 952 deities, along with the staggering wealth donated: 2,390 kg of silver, 3,800 kg of gold, and 40,000 pearls. The text also reveals Jayavarman VII's personal grief over his father's death and his mother's…
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