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The Khmer Empire was a Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia, centered around hydraulic cities in what is now northern Cambodia.Known as Kambuja (Old Khmer: កម្វុជ; Khmer: កម្ពុជ) by its inhabitants, it grew out of the former civilization of Chenla and lasted from 802 to 1431.
Ancient Khmer script. The people of Chenla were probably Khmer. Inscriptions prove that Khmer script, adopted from south Indian Pallava script, had fully developed and was in use alongside Sanskrit. Chenla is first mentioned in the Chinese Sui dynasty's history as a Funan vassal. The founder of the kingdom, who managed to break free from Funan ...
Khmer decorations drew inspiration from religion, and mythical creatures from Hinduism and Buddhism were carved on walls. Temples were built in accordance to the rule of ancient Khmer architecture that dictated that a basic temple layout include a central shrine, a courtyard, an enclosing wall, and a moat.
Ancient stone inscriptions describe thousands of apsara dancers assigned to temples and performing divine rites as well as for the public. [43] The Khmer classical dance was placed in 2003 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Cambodian culture has influenced Thai and Lao cultures and vice versa.
Angkor Wat (/ ˌ æ ŋ k ɔːr ˈ w ɒ t /; Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត, "City/Capital of Temples") is a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia.Located on a site measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m 2; 402 acres) within the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor, it was originally constructed in 1150 CE as a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Vishnu.
Since the 1980s, several groups, organizations and institutes in Cambodia and abroad are working for the preservation of the Khmer sastras for the future. Many of the ancient manuscripts have now been digitized. [7] [8] The effort is almost exclusively directed at preserving former Khmer sastras, very few people are crafting new ones. [6] [9]
Hinduism was the largest religion in the ancient Khmer Empire, and many temples were constructed by Khmer kings dedicated to Hindu deities, including Angkor Wat. The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland north of the Great Lake ( Tonlé Sap ) and south of the Kulen Hills , near modern-day Siem Reap city (13°24′N, 103°51′E ...
Hinduism was one of the Khmer Empire's official religions. [citation needed] Angkor Wat, the largest temple complex in the world (now Buddhist) was once a Hindu temple. The main religion adhered to in Khmer kingdom was Hinduism, followed by Buddhism in popularity. Initially, the kingdom followed Hinduism as its main state religion. [citation ...