Angkor's Silent Fall: The Monastic Schism That Broke Khmer Power

For decades, historians pointed to drought and war as the reasons Angkor fell. But a deeper fracture was happening inside the kingdom’s spiritual heart. This episode explores the intense rivalry between Mahayana Buddhist monasteries and the rising Theravada sangha in the late thirteenth century. We look at how King Indravarman III’s attempt to balance both traditions failed, leading to a bureaucratic crisis where land grants evaporated and tax revenue collapsed. By examining the copper-plate inscriptions and the shifting loyalty of the elite, we see how a religious schism drained the state’s ability to maintain its massive irrigation networks. It wasn't just that the water stopped flowing; it was that no one had the authority or resources left to fix the channels when it did.

#Angkor #KhmerEmpire #TheravadaBuddhism #MahayanaBuddhism #IndravarmanIII #JayavarmanVII #Sangha #Devaraja #SoutheastAsiaHistory #CambodiaHistory #MonasticSchism #CopperPlateGrants #AngkorWat #Yasodharapura #LiDAR #TonleSap #HistoryPodcast #FexingoHistory #AncientCivilizations

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