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Angkor's Last King: Jayavarman IX and the End
Season 2
Episode 73
Published 2 months, 1 week ago
Description
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the final century of the Khmer Empire through the shadowy reign of Jayavarman IX, the last king to leave a major inscription. They discuss the collapse of the devaraja cult, the rise of Theravada Buddhism, the shift of trade to the Chao Phraya basin, and the 1431 sack of Angkor by Ayutthaya. Drawing on the Ming shi lu and modern archaeological data, they untangle myth from evidence, asking whether the empire truly fell or simply transformed. This is a deep dive into a little-known figure and the forgotten end of a civilization.