Cambodia -Gained independence and conquered

Funan
Vyadhapura (Angkor Borei) – the earliest
-when the king governing this empire
recorded capital of Cambodia on the lower
(Jayavarman I) died, the kingdom was
reaches of the Mekong River, 200km from the
divided into Land Chenia and Water
sea and the port of Oc Eo.
Chenia
It was an agglomeration of wooden houses on 4. Khmer Period / Angkorian Era (9th – 14th
piles, connected by the little canals linked to a Century A.D.)
larger waterways capable of taking sea-going -King Jayavarman II bought the remnants
ships. of Chenla together under his control an
founded the unified Angkor Kingdom
Funase and early Khmer architectural with the first city Phnom Kulen
development was centered upon Sambor and -The famous Angkor Wat was built
Prei Kuk. during this era by King Jayavarman II as a
Wooden buildings gave way to more substantial devotion to hind god, Vishnu
brick and stone imitations of timber prototypes, -Jayavarman VII was another king that
which shows a mixture of Indian forms grafted existed during this era
on the indigenous elements, and rich decorative -Around 13th century, Theravada
sculpture derived from wood carving. Buddism was introduced bvy monks
from Sri-Lanka which eventually became
Periods in Cambodian Architecture the prominent religion in Cambodia.
1. Prehistory (4200 B.C. – 1st Century A.D.) 5. Dark Ages of Khmer Kingdom (14th – 19th
-Evidence of pots dating back 4200 B.C. Century A.D.)
-Stable, organized societies that spoke -After the death of king Jayavarman VII,
languages similar to present day Khemer the empire experienced great decline
by 1st Century A.D. -Khmer kingdom lost control of the
- Khmer people were some of the first peripheries
people to adopt religious and political -Involved in power struggle between
ideas from India. Annam/Champa (Vietnam) and Siam
(Thailand)
2. Furnanese Period (2nd – 6th Century 6. French Colonial Period (19th - 20th
A.D.) Century A.D.)
-Early Indo-China consisted of many -1863 – King Norodom signed treaty with
small states which ultimately took shape French to establish protectorate and
as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos eventually became a colony in France
and Vietnam, of which Cambodia is the -World War II also occurred. The
oldest. Japanese empire occupied much of
-Funan was a major sea port – major role Cambodia during 941-1945
in transmission of culture into Cambodia -1953 – Cambodia gained the
including the introduction of Hinduism independence from the French
7. Khmer Rouge (20th Century A.D.)
3. Chenla Period (7th – 8th Century A.D.) Pol pot – leader of Khmer Rouge;
-Another one of the states that existed member of French Communist Party;
during the Furnanese period leader of Cambodia in 1975
 -Attempts at agriculture reform which Materials
led to famine, disease and death Angkorian builders used brick,
-Killed many intellectual s, city dwellers. sandstone, laterite and wood as their
Minority people. Approximately 2.1 M materials. The ruins that remains are of
people died (21% of Cambodia’s brick, sandstone and laterite, the wood
population) elements having been lost to decay and
8. Year Zero (Khmer Rouge) (20th Century other destructive process.
A.D.)
Drastic revolution: All moved to Structures
countryside to become agricultural a. Central Sanctuary – the central
workers. Money becomes worthless, sanctuary of an Angkorian temple
basic freedom are curtailed and religion was home to the temple’s primary
is banned. deity, the one to whom the site was
9. Uneasy Peace (20th Century A.D.) dedicated: typically Shiva or Vishnu
1980 – Vietnamese troops withdraw and in the case of a Hindu temple,
the country was renamed as the state of Buddha or a Bodhisattva. In the case
Cambodia of Buddhist temple. The deity was
1993 – The monarchy was restored. The represented by a statue.
country was renamed again as the b. Prang – it is the fall finger-like spire,
Kingdom of Cambodia usually richly carved, common to
1998 – Pol Pot died much Khmer religious architecture.
2005 – Khmer Rouge leaders are tried c. Enclosure – it is typically enclosed by
and given varies punishments a concentric series of walls, with the
central sanctuary in the middle: this
Geographical arrangement represented the
This region of southern Indo-China mountain ranges surrounding
covers the areas of the Mekong River Mount Meru, the mythical home of
delta and the China sea to the south and the gods. This are the spaces
the Midwest Mekong region bordering between these walls and between
the Gulf of Thailand in and in the North the innermost wall and the temple
by Mountains of Central Laos. itself.
d. Gallery – it is a passage running
Geological along the wall of an enclosure or
Timber was the primary building along the axis of a temple, often
material in the delta area, together with open or both sides.
laterite, sandstone and a terra-cotta e. Gopura – it is an entrance building
brick in the hinterland. f. Hall of Dancers – it is a rectangular
building elongated along the
Climactic temple’s east axis and divided into
The cooling rain and wind of the south- four courtyard by galleries.
west monsoon provides the only break g. House of fire or Dharmasala – it is
in the tropical humid heat. the name given to a type of building
found only in temples constructed
 during the reign of lathe monarch It was the first majaor temple made of
Jayavarman VII sandstone
h. Library – it is a common feature of e. Angkor Wat
Khemer temple but their true The world’s largest religious monument
purpose was unknown f. Preah Khan
i. Srah and Baray – reservoir, A labyrinth of pavilions
generally created by excavation and g. Bayon
embankment respectively. Sweeping bas-relief murals in this
temple immortalize victorious battle and
common Khmer life: childbirth,
Elements gambling, the marketplace, etc.

a. Bas-reliefs – individual figures, groups of

figure, or entire scenes cut into stone
walls.
b. Blind door or window – frequently
opened in just one direction, to the east
c. Colonatte – were narrow decorative
columns that served a supports for the
beam and lintels above doorways or
windows.
d. Corbelling – used in order to construct
room, passageways and openings in
building.
e. Lintel – a horizontal beam connecting
two vertical columns between which
runs a door or passageway.
f. Pediment – is a roughly triangular
structure above a lintel
g. Tympanum – is the decorates surface of
a pediment
h. Stairs – Angkorian stairs are notoriously
steep.

Examples

a. Phnom Bakheng
Constructed on a natural hill. It was the
first temple of Angkor.
b. Prasat Kravan
Constructed by high court officials
c. Phimeanakas
A single pyramid of laterite
d. Ta Keo