Episode Details
Back to Episodes
The Khmer Empire's Sudden Collapse Explained
Description
In the 12th century, the Khmer Empire was the most powerful kingdom in Southeast Asia, with its capital at Angkor covering an area larger than modern New York City. Its kings built Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument, and controlled a vast network of irrigation canals that sustained a million people. Then, in the 15th century, it collapsed. This pilot episode of a new podcast series drops listeners into the final days of Angkor through the eyes of a scribe watching the city empty. Lucas and Luna explore the empire's rise under Jayavarman II, its golden age under Suryavarman II, and the mounting pressures—climate change, war with Ayutthaya, and infrastructure breakdown—that led to its mysterious abandonment. They discuss the baray reservoirs, the role of Theravada Buddhism, and the Thai siege of 1431. Future episodes will delve into environmental data from tree rings, the collapse of the water management system, and the myth of a 'lost city' swallowed by the jungle.