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Angkor's Silk Road: The Chinese Trade That Propped Up the Khmer Empire
Description
Before Angkor fell, a fragile lifeline ran from its gates to Chinese ports, carrying luxury goods and diplomatic gifts that sustained the devaraja's divine authority. This episode traces the maritime and overland trade routes that connected the Khmer Empire to Song and Yuan China, focusing on the tributary missions recorded in the Song Huiyao and the private commerce described by Chinese merchant Zhao Rugua in his 1225 work Zhufan Zhi. We look at the specific goods exchanged—Khmer cardamom, beeswax, and kingfisher feathers for Chinese ceramics, iron, and silk—and examine how the disruption of these trade networks after the fall of the Southern Song contributed to Angkor's isolation and eventual collapse. Lucas and Luna also discuss the role of Chinese-style kilns at Angkor's outskirts and the curious absence of Chinese troops in Khmer chronicles, despite Ming-era interventions in Southeast Asia.