Shows / The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Khmer Empire, which dominated Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 15th centuries, left behind the sprawling temple complex of Angkor Wat—but its story is far more than stone and sandstone. Hosts Lucas and Luna guide listeners through the rise of the empire under King Jayavarman II in 802 CE, the construction of Angkor Wat by Suryavarman II, and the reign of Jayavarman VII, who built the walled city of Angkor Thom and the enigmatic Bayon with its 216 smiling faces. Along the way, they explore…
Episodes
The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo HistoryThe Stone Criers of Angkor: Voices from the Monastic Hospitals
In this episode of the Khmer Empire series, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable arogyasala (hospital) network established by King Jayavarman VII in the late…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Angkor's Bloody Succession: The Usurper King Jayavarman IV
In the early 10th century, the Khmer Empire faced its most audacious power grab yet. Jayavarman IV, a prince with royal blood but questionable legitimacy…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Angkor Wat's Bas-Reliefs: The Empire Carved in Stone
Lucas and Luna explore the vast narrative bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat, the largest continuous stone carvings in the world. They walk through the Gallery of…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Theravada Buddhism and Angkor's Transformation
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Theravada Buddhism reshaped the Khmer Empire in its final centuries. They discuss the gradual shift from Hinduism…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Goddess of Stone: Apsaras of Angkor Wat
This episode explores the detail of Angkor Wat's apsara carvings, focusing on the devata figures that cover the temple walls. Lucas and Luna dive into the…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Angkor's Stone Rope Bridge: The Causeway of Neak Pean
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the enigmatic Neak Pean, the 'serpent causeway' temple built by Jayavarman VII in the 12th century. They…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Jayavarman VII's Hospitals The Arogyasala Network
In this episode, we explore Jayavarman VII's remarkable public health initiative: the network of 102 arogyasala, or hospitals, built across the Khmer…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Cham Invasion of 1177: Angkor's Worst Defeat and Its Aftermath
In 1177, the Khmer Empire suffered its most devastating military humiliation. Cham raiders sailed a fleet up the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, catching Angkor…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Jayavarman VII's Revenge: The Naval Battle of Tonle Sap
In 1177, the Cham fleet sailed up the Mekong and Tonle Sap, catching the Khmer capital Yasodharapura completely off guard. They sacked the city, killed the…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Teardrop Locket: Khmer Jewelry and Royal Power
Lucas and Luna explore the exquisite jewelry of the Khmer Empire, focusing on the iconic teardrop-shaped locket known as the koun. They delve into…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Fall of Angkor: Climate Collapse and the End of an Empire
For centuries, the Khmer Empire thrived at the heart of Southeast Asia, its monumental temples and vast waterworks a testament to its power. But by the 14th…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Lost Port of Angkor: Maritime Trade at Koh Ker
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the little-known maritime trade network of the Khmer Empire, focusing on the port city of Koh Ker under King Jayavarman…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Water Engineers of Angkor How Khmer Hydraulics Shaped an Empire
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the extraordinary water management system that sustained the Khmer Empire for centuries. From the massive baray…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Cham Invasion of 1177: Angkor's Worst Defeat and Its Aftermath
In 1177, the Khmer Empire suffered its most devastating defeat when Cham forces sailed up the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, sacked the capital Yasodharapura…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Cham Invasion of 1177: Angkor's Worst Defeat
In 1177, the Khmer Empire suffered its most devastating military disaster: a Cham fleet sailed up the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, caught Angkor by surprise…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Cham Invasion of 1177: Angkor's Greatest Humiliation
In 1177, the Khmer Empire suffered a catastrophic military defeat that nearly erased its existence. A Cham fleet sailed up the Mekong and across the Tonle Sap…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Fisher King: Angkor's Royal Barge Processions
Beyond the stone temples and Sanskrit inscriptions, the Khmer Empire was a waterborne civilization. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the forgotten world…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Prasat Bayon The Enigmatic Temple of a Thousand Faces
In this episode of The Khmer Empire series, Lucas and Luna explore the mysterious Prasat Bayon, the state temple of Angkor Thom built by Jayavarman VII. They…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Teardrop Locket: Khmer Jewelry and Royal Power
In this episode of The Khmer Empire series, Lucas and Luna explore the exquisite world of Khmer jewelry, focusing on the iconic teardrop-shaped locket known as…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Mountain of Gold: Phnom Kulen and the Birth of Angkor
Long before Angkor Wat rose from the plains, an earlier capital stood hidden in the Kulen Mountains. This episode explores Phnom Kulen, the sacred mountain…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Inscriptions of Angkor: History Written in Stone
Long before paper or digital archives, Khmer kings and priests carved their history into stone. This episode explores the ancient inscriptions of…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Everyday Life in Angkor: Markets, Medicine, and Marriage
Step away from the temple ruins and into the vibrant streets of medieval Angkor. This episode uses the detailed observations of Chinese envoy Zhou Daguan, who…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Invisible City: The Rise of Angkor Before the Temples
Long before Angkor Wat rose from the jungle, the Khmer Empire's greatest urban project was invisible: the vast water management system of barays, canals…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Khmer Empire's Royal Consecration: The Sdok Kak Thom Inscription
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Sdok Kak Thom inscription, a 1052 CE stele that is the foundational text for understanding Khmer kingship. They…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Chakravartin Ideal: Khmer Kingship Beyond Devaraja
This episode explores the concept of the chakravartin, or 'universal monarch,' in Khmer political and religious ideology. While the devaraja cult has…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Rise of Suryavarman II and the Building of Angkor Wat
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the reign of Suryavarman II, the ambitious king who built Angkor Wat in the 12th century. They explore his military…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Bas-Reliefs of Angkor Wat
In this episode, Lucas and Luna step away from the kings and wars of the Khmer Empire to examine the extraordinary bas-reliefs that line the galleries of…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Hindu Temple That Became Buddhist: Angkor Wat's Secret Transformation
Angkor Wat is the world's largest religious monument, but it wasn't always a Buddhist temple. Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II as a…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Siege of Angkor: Ayutthaya's Conquest of the Khmer
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic fall of Angkor to the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1431. They delve into the political and military dynamics that…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Hindu God Who Became a Buddha: Syncretism at Angkor
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the religious syncretism that shaped the Khmer Empire, focusing on the figure of the Hindu god Vishnu who was recast as…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Indravarman I: The Khmer Empire's Forgotten Founder
This episode of The Khmer Empire podcast explores the pivotal reign of King Indravarman I (877–889 CE), the often-overlooked ruler who laid the foundations for…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Devata of Angkor Wat: Sacred Dancers of Stone
Episode 6 of The Khmer Empire takes you up close to the thousands of devata—celestial female deities—carved into the walls of Angkor Wat and other temples. Who…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
Jayavarman VII: The Builder King of Angkor
This episode focuses on Jayavarman VII, the most prolific builder of the Khmer Empire, who ascended the throne in 1181 after decades of Champa occupation. We…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Water Engineers of Angkor: How the Khmer Tamed a River
This episode dives into the hydraulic engineering that powered the Khmer Empire for centuries. We explore how the Khmer kings built an intricate network of…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Fall of Angkor: Climate, War, and Collapse
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the decline and fall of the Khmer Empire, focusing on the 14th and 15th centuries. They discuss the role of climate…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Leper King: Mystery at Angkor's Heart
Beneath the serene smile of Angkor Wat lies a darker enigma: the Leper King. In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the story of Jayavarman VII's…
- The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History
The Khmer Empire and the Rise of Angkor
In this pilot episode, we begin at dawn over Angkor Wat in 1186, just after its consecration. Lucas and Luna explore the origins of the Khmer Empire, starting…