Angkor Wat: What Happened to the Khmer Empire?

Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument on Earth, yet the empire that built it seemed to vanish from history. What really happened to the Khmer Empire? This documentary traces the rise and fall of the Khmer Empire: from the god-king Jayavarman II who founded it in 802 CE, to Suryavarman II who built Angkor Wat, to the golden age of Jayavarman VII, and the drought, war, and slow collapse that silenced Angkor in 1431. And we uncover what most retellings get wrong: Angkor was never truly lost. ⏱️ Chapters 0:00 The city the world thought it lost 1:21 The god-king who founded an empire 3:56 Angkor Wat and the golden age 7:27 The fall of Angkor 10:31 What really happened 12:54 Credits 🔔 Subscribe for new documentaries on the world's lost empires. 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Zhou Daguan, "The Customs of Cambodia" (1296–97) Buckley et al., "Climate as a contributing factor in the demise of Angkor," PNAS (2010) Evans et al., airborne laser scanning at Angkor, Journal of Archaeological Science (2016) Higham, "The Civilization of Angkor"; Coedès, "The Indianized States of Southeast Asia" Encyclopedia Britannica; World History Encyclopedia 🖼️ IMAGE CREDITS Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons: Angkor Wat at sunrise — Christophe95 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Angkor Wat reflection — Satdeep Gill (CC BY-SA 4.0); Bas-reliefs, Angkor Wat — Marcin Konsek (CC BY-SA 4.0); Angkor Wat façade — Jakub Hałun (CC BY-SA 4.0); Phnom Kulen — Xufanc (CC BY-SA 3.0); Kulen Mountain National Park — Mig Gilbert from Brighton, CC BY-SA 2.0; Sdok Kok Thom — Supanut Arunoprayote (CC BY 4.0); Khmer inscription — Yjfstorehouse (CC BY-SA 4.0); Roluos — Damien/Flickr (CC BY 2.0); West Baray — Ira1976 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Srivijaya map — Gunawan Kartapranata (CC BY-SA 3.0); Suryavarman II relief — Michael Gunther (CC BY-SA 4.0); Angkor Wat — Baldiri (CC BY-SA 3.0); Bayon battle relief — dalbera (CC BY 2.0); Jayavarman VII, Musée Guimet — Jean-Pierre Dalbéra (CC BY 2.0); Bayon faces — Photo Dharma (CC BY 2.0); Ta Prohm — Supanut Arunoprayote (CC BY 4.0); Khmer Empire expansion — Thames Mapping (CC BY-SA 4.0); Fokienia hodginsii — Zhangzhugang (CC BY-SA 4.0); Angkor location map — Koba-chan (CC BY-SA 3.0). Public domain via Wikimedia Commons: Cambodia map (ArnoldPlaton); Khmer Empire map (Lozère); Towers of Angkor Wat (Balon Greyjoy); Chinese envoy painting (Yan Liben); Henri Mouhot portrait & illustration; Flag of Cambodia; Cantino planisphere (1502). Stock footage: Pexels. Music: Pixabay. The Khmer Empire and Angkor are part of the heritage of the Cambodian people, whose civilization endures today. #AncientHistory #AngkorWat #LostCivilizations #KhmerEmpire #Documentary #cambodia