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The Day Angkor's God-King Lost His Mandate
Description
In 1431, Ayutthaya's army breached Angkor Thom's defenses, but the real collapse had been centuries in the making. This episode examines the fall through the lens of Jayavarman VII's successors and the erosion of the devaraja cult. Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Indravarman III, who abandoned Mahayana Buddhism for Theravada, and the revolt of 1431 led by Ponhea Yat. They discuss the Ming shi lu's account of Angkor's tribute missions, the role of the baray system in civic crisis, and the Neak Ta spirit cult that outlived the state. The episode also looks at the controversial stela K. 470 and what it reveals about the priesthood's last-ditch efforts to save the capital. Why did thousands leave Yasodharapura for Phnom Penh? How did the water infrastructure fail when it was needed most? And was the city truly abandoned overnight, or did it fade slowly? Fresh research from the Greater Angkor Project suggests a multi-generational unraveling, not a single siege.