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The Trade Route Shift That Doomed Angkor
Season 4
Episode 186
Published 1 week, 4 days ago
Description
The fall of Angkor is usually blamed on Ayutthaya's siege or climate change, but a quieter shift in global trade may have sealed the empire's fate. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the rise of maritime commerce in the 14th and 15th centuries—driven by Ming China's naval expeditions and Ayutthaya's control of the Chao Phraya delta—bypassed the inland Khmer capital. They discuss the Tonle Sap's diminishing role, the Khmer attempts to adapt by moving to Phnom Penh, and the economic isolation that left Angkor a ghost city. Featuring insights from Zhou Daguan's records and the broader context of the Indian Ocean trade network, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the collapse of one of history's greatest empires.