Khmer Empire: Khmer Empire, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Malaysia, Hinduism, Mahayana, Theravada, Chakravartin, Phnom Kulen National Park, Ruler of Cambodia
The Khmer Empire was once one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia, based in what is now Cambodia. The empire, which grow out of former kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalized parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Malaysia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of capitals cities during the empire's zenith. Angkor bears testimony to the Khmer empire's immense power and wealth, as well as the variety of belief systems that it patronised over time. The empire's official religions included Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism, until Theravada Buddhism prevailed, even among plain folks, after its introduction from Sri Lanka as of the 13th century. Modern researches by satellites have revealed Angkor to be the largest pre-industrial urban center in the world.The history of Angkor as the central area of settlement of the historical kingdom of Kambujadesa is also the history of the Khmer from the 9th to the 15th centuries.
