The Khmer Empire's Last Stand at Angkor

The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History · Sep 11, 2026 · 8m · transcript

In 1431, the great city of Angkor fell not to a single cataclysm, but to a slow, grinding siege by the Ayutthaya Kingdom. This episode explores the final decades of the Khmer Empire, focusing on the reign of Ponhea Yat and the controversial decision to abandon the sacred capital for Longvek on the Tonlé Sap river. We examine the archaeological evidence of the sacking, the political realignment toward the south, and how this shift permanently altered Southeast Asian power dynamics. By tracing the movements of royal courts and the decay of temple maintenance, we uncover why the 'lost&#x27…