Khmer Empire (Great Empires)

Name
The official of the Khmer Empire is Great Empire of Kampuchea. However the full offial name is "the Great Empire of Kampuchea,where His Imperial Majesty,the emperor reigns,the Empire of eternal peace and prosperity". This name is rarely used and almost only used in state ceremonies.

Foundation
The Khmer Empire was founded by king Jayavarman II,he declared independence from the Srivijaya Empire and conquerd parts of Kampuchea,Laos and Vietnam. The Srivijaya Empire started declining from that point and collapsed in the 13th century under pressure of the Majapahit Empire. Jayavarman established his capital Hariharalaya,later known as Angkor north of the lake Tonlé Sap. Jayavarman was declared Chakravartin (king of the world) and was crowned King of the Kingdom of Kambujadesa. Later,Indravarman renamed Hariharalaya Angkor. He began construction of barays,a Khmer aquaduct system and also large temples. Indravarman also met with Empress Yangchen and he agreed to pay tribute to the Tibetan Empire.

Suryavarman II
The Golden Age of the Khmer Empire came when Suryavarman II the Great ascended the throne. He killed his uncle and was crowned king of the Khmer at the age of 14 in 1114 and married Princess Suryavana Devi of Champa. He immediately set out to consodilate his empire. He started campaigns against the neighbouring kingdoms of Champa,Haripunjaya and Lavo. He was a great strategist and succesfully conquered and subjugated the kingdoms and peoples. He began construction of the greatest temple and his mausoleum:Angkor Wat, he chose the Hindu God Vishnu as his patron. He was treated a a god on Earth by his people and had all the power in the government. He maked Angkor the biggest city in the world with glorious temples,monuments and grandeur,competing with Lhasa for this title. He also conquered Malaysia and Dai Viet,but his biggest obstacle was the Kingdom of Pagan. The Pagan Empire was the biggest rival of the Khmer Empire,but Suryavarman was detemined to conquer and unify South East Asia. After a campaign of 10 years he finally conquered the kingdom and took king Alaungsithu prisoner. He has now control over Mainland Southeast Asia and an empire which covers more then 2,500,000 km2. He was crowned God-Emperor of the Khmer Empire. But it wasn't enough he set out to conquer the Holy city of Varanasi and all of India and more...

He invaded the Sena Empire and conquered Bengal after a 2 years campaign. In 1145 He set out for Varanasi but was killed in the battle,leaving his wife,Suryavana and his only son,Suryavarman III to reign the empire. He was buried in Angkor Wat.

Suryavana and Suryavarman III
Suryavarman III was only 10 years old when his father died,Suryavarman named Suryavana his successor,but the law prohibits women to ascend the throne. Suryavana changed the law and became Empress regnant of the Khmer Empire. She reigned 10 years alone and 5-years with Suryavarman III,she abdicated in 1160. In the period where she reigned she continued to expand the empire north into Yunnan and South into Borneo. Suryavarman III had the same ambitions as his father,he conquered Varanasi and East India. He conquered parts of Sumatra on the Srvijaya Empire and started an alliance with Singhasari.

to be continued...