Ancient Cambodia

Ancient Indo-China
The country which is today called Cambodia is only a small fraction of the vast Khmer Empire that controlled much of Indo-China from the ninth to the 13th century AD. At its height, the Khmer Empire consisted of today's Cambodia, Laos, most of southern Vietnam and Thailand, as well as some of the Malay peninsula. Culture
The word "Angkor" is derived Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, of "Nagara" which means "City". Angkor Wat literally means "City of Temple" and Angkor Thom "The Magnificent City".

No doubts, the ancient Khmers were great masters of stone carving. As we can see today the unarguable evidences of various Angkor temples lying on the vast plain of Siemreap, or even beyond its present-day border to the Preah Vihear at Dangrek Mountain, Phnomrung and Phimai in Thailand and Wat Phu in Laos. All these were created and carefully crafts by the ancient Khmers in successive centuries. This seems to contradict with the normal and easy-going life of the local Khmer people and villagThe study of Khmer civilization in depth is not easy and pain-taking by the historians and archaeologists. Most of the writing, found after the excavation of Angkor, were carved in the stones which became the unperishable materials against time. Although these evidences are important for us to understand the basic constituency of Khmer society and its chronology, they were mainly concerned with religious rituals, King's praise, and literature of Indian epics of "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata". There were little things saying about the ordinary life of the local people.
Interestingly, we learn about the daily way of life of the ancient Khmers, not from the Khmer themselves, but from the Chinese annals. In the middle of 13th century during Chinese Yuan Dynasty, a Chinese ambassador named Zhou Daguan traveled to Angkor, stayed with the local villagers, and explored this empire for a year before his return. He wrote in his Chinese chronicle about this amazing empire, and explain vividly how the people lives with the clear portrayal of the Khmer society during those days. Interestingly, we learn about the daily way of life of the ancient Khmers, not from the Khmer themselves, but from the Chinese annals. In the middle of 13th century during Chinese Yuan Dynasty, a Chinese ambassador named Zhou Daguan traveled to Angkor, stayed with the local villagers, and explored this empire for a year before his return. He wrote in his Chinese chronicle about this amazing empire, and explain vividly how the people lives with the clear portrayal of the Khmer society during those days. RELIGION
Since the ancient time, the Khmers had accepted the two great religions from India, i.e. Hinduism and Buddhism, by which the former one was more popular. Hinduism had played an important role in Khmer civilization as the Angkor monarchs adopted its concept of deva-raja, or "god-king", by which the king was revered as an incarnation of the god Shiva, a supreme Hindu deity who was regarded as a protector. ANCIENT ART

The idealized faces the sculptors of ancient Cambodia so skilfully managed to draw forth from stone represent strikingly realistic portraits that capture the majesty and impassivity of gods, as well as the compassion of divinities imbued with a gentle inner smile.
In their bas-reliefs, these artists devoted their talent not only to depicting the deities, but to realistically reproducing the secular world as well: the temple gallery walls are lined with military processions, raging battles, or simple everyday scenes carved with an amazing sense of movement and composition.




-MORE www.AncientWeb.org/Cambodia

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Khmer
• Indo-China

[KeraPera]

Stole it? So the Indians doesn't have it anymore?

You mean the Khmer was influenced or accepted the teaching. No one can steal gods.

[bphen]

You know what? What you need is a little taste of dharma. Your dosa (anger) is too out of this world. Go jump off a river or something! How uncivilized and ignorant! Is this what your parents are teaching you? They have done a crappy job raising on you for sure. Open your eyes and see the truth!!

[dayspeace]

it is nice to see the beautiful places in ancient Cambodia, that are still evident to us now. It is nice to know some of the history, religion, and culture of Cambodia through this video. Also, of its wonderful architecture.

[Saraswathiputra]

KHMERAZN562,how foolish you people.Is those nomadic barbarian have this kind civilization.How foolish people bereft of basic thinking power!

Update your knowledge.Aryan invasion is a fraud and lie! and never happened!

In fact,Aryans are native to North India and migrated out of India.Aryans are great creaters of civilizations.

[TUFFGUNN]

@saechaobuddha and japan owns china...

[KHMERAZN562]

Later these indo aryan speaking people moved into iran afghanistan and into northern india. The Khmer culture was influence by the kambojas who was related to these indo aryan speaking people.

[KHMERAZN562]

The Khmer civilization was influence by indo aryan speaking who came out of central asia as nomadic barbarian.

[udaydon4u]

@currylova The names Of the gods , places , religion, kings , all these are indian origin . These hav originated from south india . And yes , Indians are also well related to iranians & turks

[unknownally]

I would love to visit my native country one day. I haven't been there before.

[LostCali4niaAngel]

i just have to say, i'm khmer and for some reason i'm great in carving and designing..wonders..love my country

[currylova]

@anhkhoinguyen i agree i read some of khmer history and its said we related to turkey and iran more than india