Angkor's long decline

1309

The Khmer Empire's colossal temple-city on the Tonle Sap was increasingly outmatched by rising Thai kingdoms to its north. Hydraulic works that had sustained a million-strong capital fell into disrepair as labor was diverted to endless wars. Cambodia's classical age was closing; Ayutthaya's founding in 1351 would accelerate the disintegration of Khmer power across mainland Southeast Asia.