phylosopherguys

At the 2nd to the 6th centuries after Jesus-Christ there were two large kingdoms which occupied the current country of Kampuchea. One was called the kingdom of Tchen-La, it was one state which remained under the domination with the powerful king of Funan kingdom.

The capital names “Vyadhapura”, was belonging to the Funan kingdom which governed by king Kuandinya. His wife was the daughter of the king Nakha and her name called Soma. This family is the representative for the god of the moon, thus this lunar family is Brahman which adored the Shiva god.

The second capital “Shreshtapura” was belonging to the Tchen-La kingdom, where it reigned by king Kampusavayampuvar with the Apsara queen but later the Indra god gave her new name of Apsara-Mera to replace her preceding name of Apsara. This Shreshtapura capital had as a habit to sacrifice human beings each year like the offerings to his god. They were also a family of Brahman as in the Funan kingdom but they were the representative of the sun god. And they adored also the Shiva god.

These two large kingdoms were linked by the bonds of the marriage between the lunar family and the solar family. But later, the Tchen-La kingdom had its power increasingly more powerful and had conquerd the kingdom of Funan even if at the old time Funan was more powerful and being chief. Thus the Vyadhapura capital of Funan collapsed completely in the sixth century and was absorbed by the kingdom of Tchen-La.

At this point in moment of the history of Kampuchea, we call (“Pre-Angkorian”) period. It’s really started and dated from year 550. When prince Bhavavarman of the Funan kingdom was marring with the daughter of the king of Tchen-La, He declared his independence with no respect to Funan kingdom. He did not want any more to honour to the king of his own kingdom. He then increased the territory since the area of Champasak in Laos until the north of Kampuchea in the area of Stung Treng close to Angkor-Thom. In the year 627, it was the reign of king Isanavarman, the Tchen-La kingdom became its increasingly widespread, such as large as forever more considering thus. This king established the Isanapura capital close to Kompong Thom and finally the old kingdom of Funan completely disappeared.

In year 690 after the death of king Jayavarman first, it happened the tremendous changes during the accession to the throne under various kings. The kingdom of Tchen-La burst into two parts, one maritime Tchen-La and the other continental Tchen-La. Later maritime Tchen-La was conquered by a king Sailendra of the family which came from Java and from this important event, the history of Kampuchea was the beginning to enter into the period that called “Angkorian”.

After the Tchen-La kingdom was separated into two parts, it is considered now as the beginning of the Angkorian period. The king Jayavarman II reigned on the maritime kingdom of Tchen-La from year 802 but under the control of king of Java between 802 to 850. During his reign he declared the independence with no respecting to the control of Java king. He obliged to move for four times to recoveries the capital of Tchen-La kingdom because of the engagements against the military troops come from Java. The capitals called:

1. Indrapura

2. Hariharalaya

3. Amarentarapura

4. Mahendraparavatar

The Angkorian period began with the reign of king Jayavarman II in year 802 until the year of what the king Jayavarman VII died in the year 1219, which makes on the whole 417 years for the old history of Kampuchea. Then a little later the Siamese from Sukhothai had gained Kampuchean territories in Sukhothai during the reign of the king Jayavarman VIII.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

The Pre-Angkorian period.

Thus the time consider as Pre-Angkorian can be summarized historically by the list of the names of the 4 important kings as follows:

1. King Bhavavarman (reigned between 550 and 600); the capital was Bhavarpura. Thus archaeologists have found a small statue of the Vishnou god on its place calls art of Phnomda style.

2. King Chithasena or Mahendravarman (reigned between 600 and 611). He is the brother of king Jayavarman first and he increased his territory to the central plain of current Thailand. He reigned the capital of Shreshtapura or Vat Phou in Laos nowadays. We classifie the art of his period by the name of Thalapalavatar style.

3. King Isanavarman first (reigned between 611 and 635). He joined together in year 627 the kingdom of Funan with the kingdom of Tchen-La in only one state. And also established the Isanapura capital. This called the art of style Sambor Prei Kuk.

4. King Jayavarman first (reigned between 635 and 690). The territory of Tchen-La then increased until the south of China, including in the territory of the kingdom of Nan-Tchao which belonged to the Siamese. But shortly after his reign, Tchen-La finally separated in two parts: a continental state and a maritime state. We classifie the art of this period as the art of style Prei Kameng and Kompong Preah.

After the reign of these 4 kings, Kampuchea entered at the Angkorian period approximately 8th century.

The Angkorian period.

The Angkorian period in the present day is resumed and classified since the Tchen-La kingdom drew aside into two states at the 8th centuries. While the name of the king that have found on the stone inscription which was graved in Sanskrits language, the names of these kings corresponded with the many of Hindous sanctuaries in Kampuchea and then the style of art mentioned to the varieties sites as follows:

1. The king Jayavarman II. He reigned on maritime Tchen-La. He declared his independence on the respect to the king of Java (reigned between 802 and 850). He succeeded to join together little by little all the state of Tchen-La which had been previously separated of pieces under the reign of king Jayavarman first. The art of this period calls Kulen style.

2. King Indravarman first (reigned between 877 and 889). He built the Baray, vastest water lake close to the Hariharalaya capital and also built the sanctuaries of Bakong and Preah-Ko. The art of this period is the style Preah-Ko.

3. King Yasovarman first (reigned between 889 and 900). He established the Yasodharapura capital. Art is the Bakheng style.

4. The king Jayavarman IV (reigned between 928 and 942). It is the art of Koh-Ker style.

5. The king Rajendravarman II (reigned between 944 and 968). It is the art of Pre-Rup style.

6. The king Jayavarman V (reigned between 968 and 1001). It is the art of Banteay Srei style. The most beautiful masterpiece for the beauty of the women can still be admires in this ruins of Kampuchea.

7. King Suryavarman first (reigned between 1002 and 1050). He built the sanctuary Prasart Takeo and Phimeanakas in white color of the stone. It is the art of Khleang style.

8. The king Udayadithyavarman II (reigned between 1050 and 1066). It is the art of Baphuon style.

9. The king Suryavarman II (reigned between 1113 and 1150). He built the famous temple of Angkor Vat. It is the art of Angkor Vat style.

10. The king Dharanindravarman II (reigned between 1150 and 1160). This is also the Angkor Vat style.

11. The king Jayavarman VII (reigned between 1181 and 1219). He succeeded to conquer the kingdom of Jampa in Vietnam and appendixed it with the Kampuchean kingdom. He established the Angkor-Thom capital and also built the sanctuary of Bayon.

Then Kampuchea entered into the period of decline during the reign of king Jayavarman VIII. He lost the territory of the central plain of Thailand to the profit of the Siamese in the year 1219. The Sukhothai capital became the owner of the masterpiece of Buddhist art of small vehicle instead of Hindou style. However Hindous art in Thailand are classified by archaeologists like “the Khmer art of Lopburi” between the 11th to 12th centuries. It is not quite former by these dates and it is relatively recent, but these Khmers art in Phimai and Prasart Hin Phnom Rung currently reveal the most beautiful masterpieces of Hindous art of the 11th and 12th centuries.