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Angkor's Slave Economy: The Unfree Labour That Built an Empire
Season 4
Episode 170
Published 2 weeks, 5 days ago
Description
We all know Angkor Wat is a marvel. But who built it? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Khmer Empire's reliance on forced labour — from war captives and debt slaves to temple servants bound to the gods. We discuss the legal status of slaves under the devaraja system, the role of the kamraten jagat ta raja in temple economies, and how slave labour sustained massive irrigation works like the baray. New evidence from inscriptions like K. 1051 reveals entire villages bonded to Preah Khan. We also look at comparisons with other ancient slave economies and what happened to these institutions as Theravada Buddhism spread. A fresh angle on Angkor's rise and fall through the lives of the unfree.