Khmer History

As I have been talking with you this week I have realized that I have been unclear in explaining the actual history of the Khmer and Cambodia. Here is a brief summary of the events that I have mentioned in my two previous posts and an explanation of the terms I used.



The Khmer is an ethnic group that inhabits Cambodia. The Angkor Kingdom, also called the Khmer Empire, rose in AD 800 and lasted until about AD 1450. Jayavaman II was the first king of the Angkor Empire and succeeded in establishing an independent kingdom. His descendants built the kingdom and patronized the construction of the huge temples for which Cambodia is famous. Scheffer attributes the fall of the empire to the widespread conversion of the people from Hinduism to Buddhism. Buddhism was introduced to the Angkors by a Chinese diplomat. Other contributing factors included the rise and dominance of Siam, what is now Thailand; and the constriction of trading by the expansion of the Nguyen, part of Vietnam, this cut them off from the sea and other important trade routes. During this time of isolation some of the most important works of Cambodian literature were written. Peruse and example here. Later geographic Cambodia was occupied by the French and Japanese before achieving independence.
Then in the 1970's the communist movement took control. The communists called themselves the Khmer Rouge referencing the previous great empire. They committed a genocide of their own people and were finally expelled by the Vietnamese in 1978.
I hope that this brief overview has been useful and will provide needed clarification and context for my past and future posts on this subject.
For a simple timeline of Khmer and Cambodian history click here.