ANCIENT ANGKOR
In the regions of Southeast Asia dwell the remains of an era that far exceeded its time in developments and industrialization. This ancient city, which was mysteriously deserted in the 15th century, is known as Angkor. Located in Cambodia, Angkor was established in 802 CE as the seat of the Khmer Empire. Khmer was the largest continuous empire in Southeast Asia. Its main city of Angkor grew and developed until it was abandoned in the year 1431. Many historians theorize as to why it was abandoned, but the mystery remains.
Angkor was a city of power, industry, architecture, and cultural unity, which is why speculation surrounds its decline. The ancient Khmer city stretched over an area of nearly 120 square miles, comparable to present-day Los Angeles. Each successive ruler to the throne brought significant additions that diversified the territory. One ruler is known for constructing a baray, a massive water reservoir. Another built the imposing Angkor Wat, a temple of great proportions that survived the city’s demise and exists today as a Buddhist temple. Along with over seventy other temples in the region, Angkor was home to an expansive waterworks of marked ingenuity when nothing of its kind existed in the world. The civilization was structured around the Mekong River. Intricate and sophisticated irrigation systems were fashioned to transport water to people and fields in all parts of the city, including those removed from the central water source. For this, the city became known as the “Hydraulic City.” The people of Angkor were led by an extensive court system, made up of religious and secular nobles as well as artisans, fishermen, rice farmers, soldiers, and elephant keepers. The civilization was guarded by an army transported by elephants and ruled by shrewd and powerful kings. Yet after 600 years of existence, an abandoned shell was all that remained.
The land, buildings, and architecture were reclaimed by the surrounding forest regions until the 19th century, when French archaeologists discovered the remains and began restoring sites in the great city of Angkor. Since then, theories have evolved over time relating to the death of Angkor's civilization. The first theory states that the city fell because of war. The last two centuries of Angkor’s existence showed a decline in the Khmer Empire’s population and power. Ongoing wars with neighboring Thailand had devastated the nation. In 1431, attackers from Thai nations invaded and looted Angkor, leaving it desolate and vacant. Continuous war with Thailand culminating in a final attack on the city could have weakened the empire and led to the city's demise.
Another theory states that a change in religion ied to the country's downfall. The Khmer Empire had predominately been a Hindu nation, and the people were unified in their religion. Jayavarman VII, acclaimed as the greatest of Angkor's kings, took the throne in 1181 CE. He instituted a change in religion from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism. This action subsequently could have destroyed the unity of the people and the overall foundation of the empire.
(1) Natural disaster is another feasible possibility for the scattering of people from the Angkor region. (2) Historians say earthquakes, floods, and drastic climate changes would have been capable of stripping Angkor of its people. (3) One researcher hypothesized that the city suffered from a lack of water due to the transition from the medieval warm period to the little ice age. Others dismiss this idea. (4)
However, a recently developed theory built on the work of French archaeologist Bernard-Philippe Groslier may have shed the most light on Angkor’s demise. The theory suggests that the Angkorian civilization was "defined, sustained, and ultimately overwhelmed by over-exploitation and the environmental impacts of a complex water- management network.” Its vast waterworks proved too great for the city to manage. Also, supplying such a massive empire with water had adverse effects on the environment. Ecological problems included deforestation, topsoil degradation, and erosion due in part to clearing vegetation for cropland. Thus, the city inadvertently brought about its own environmental collapse.
With the use of aerial photography and high-resolution, ground-sensing radar, researchers were able to support Groslier’s theory with images that complete existing topographical maps. The radar detected surface structures as well as subtle variances in surface vegetation and soil moisture. This proved that environmental erosion had occurred. The combined images and ground-based investigations further revealed that Angkor was a victim of its own industrial ingenuity, a city ahead of its time and vulnerable to its own power.
* waterworks: a water system, including reservoirs, pipes, buildings, and pumps that supply water to a community
* medieval: of the Middle Ages time period
* topographical: pertaining to the features of the land