Yasovarman
Encyclopedia
Yasovarman I was an Angkorian
king who reigned in 889–910 CE.
, a succession war was fought by his two sons. It's believed that the war was fought on land and on sea by the Tonle Sap. In the end Yasovarman I prevailed. Because of his father had sought to deny his accession, according to inscriptions cited by L.P. Briggs, "Yasovarman I all but ignored his claim to the throne through his father, Indravarman I
, or through Jayavarman II
, the founder of Angkor dynasty, and built up an elaborate family tree, connecting himself through his mother with ancient kings of Funan and Chenla
.
. Simultaneously, he started to dig a huge reservoir at his new capital (describe below). This new artificial lake, the Yashodharatataka or the Eastern Baray, was eight times bigger than the previous one.
Yasovarman I was one of the great Angkorian kings. His greatest achievement was to move the capital from Hariharalaya to Yashodharapura where it remained there for 500 years. It was at this new capital where all of the great and famous religious monuments were built, e.g. the Angkor Wat
. There were many reasons for the move. For one the old capital was crowded with temples built by the previous kings. Thus, the decision was religious: In order for a new king to prosper, he must build his own temple and when he died it must become his mausoleum. Second, the new capital was closer to the Siem Reap River and is halfway between the Kulen hills and the Tonle Sap
. By moving the capital closer to the sources of water the king could reap many benefits provided by both rivers. He also constructed a road linking the old capital to the new one.
The Lolei
, Phnom Bakheng
, and the East Baray
reservoir are monuments to this ruler, all located near Cambodia
's national treasure, a later construction, Angkor Wat
. Phnom Bakheng was one of three hilltop temples created in the Khmer Empire
's Angkor
capital region during Yasovarman's reign, the other two being Phnom Krom
and Phnom Bok
.
Khmer Empire
The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia. The empire, which grew out of the former kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalized parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, and Malaysia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of the capital city...
king who reigned in 889–910 CE.
Early years
After the death of Indravarman IIndravarman I
Indravarman I was a ruler of Khmer Empire who reigned from Hariharalaya between 877/78 and 889/890 AD.-Indravarman's ancestors:According to the inscriptions of the Práḥ Kô temple, consecrated on Monday, the 25th January 880 AD Indravarman I was a ruler of Khmer Empire who reigned from Hariharalaya...
, a succession war was fought by his two sons. It's believed that the war was fought on land and on sea by the Tonle Sap. In the end Yasovarman I prevailed. Because of his father had sought to deny his accession, according to inscriptions cited by L.P. Briggs, "Yasovarman I all but ignored his claim to the throne through his father, Indravarman I
Indravarman I
Indravarman I was a ruler of Khmer Empire who reigned from Hariharalaya between 877/78 and 889/890 AD.-Indravarman's ancestors:According to the inscriptions of the Práḥ Kô temple, consecrated on Monday, the 25th January 880 AD Indravarman I was a ruler of Khmer Empire who reigned from Hariharalaya...
, or through Jayavarman II
Jayavarman II
Jayavarman II was a 9th century king of Cambodia, widely recognized as the founder of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of the Southeast Asian mainland for more than six hundred years. Historians formerly dated his reign as running from 802 AD to 850 AD, but some scholars now have set it back to...
, the founder of Angkor dynasty, and built up an elaborate family tree, connecting himself through his mother with ancient kings of Funan and Chenla
Chenla
Chenla is the Chinese designation for Cambodia after the fall of Funan. That name was still used in the 13th century by the Chinese envoy Zhou Daguan, author of the Manners and Customs of Cambodia...
.
Yasovarman I's achievements
During the first year of his reign, he built about 100 monasteries (ashrams) throughout his kingdom. Each ashram was used as a resting place for the ascetic and the king during his trips. In 893 he began to construct the Indratataka Baray (reservoir) that was by started by his father. In the middle of this lake (now dry), he built the temple LoleiLolei
Lolei is the northernmost temple of the Roluos group of three late 9th century Hindu temples at Angkor, Cambodia, the others members of which are Preah Ko and the Bakong. Lolei was the last of the three temples to be built as part of the city of Hariharalaya that once flourished at Roluos, and...
. Simultaneously, he started to dig a huge reservoir at his new capital (describe below). This new artificial lake, the Yashodharatataka or the Eastern Baray, was eight times bigger than the previous one.
Yasovarman I was one of the great Angkorian kings. His greatest achievement was to move the capital from Hariharalaya to Yashodharapura where it remained there for 500 years. It was at this new capital where all of the great and famous religious monuments were built, e.g. the Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...
. There were many reasons for the move. For one the old capital was crowded with temples built by the previous kings. Thus, the decision was religious: In order for a new king to prosper, he must build his own temple and when he died it must become his mausoleum. Second, the new capital was closer to the Siem Reap River and is halfway between the Kulen hills and the Tonle Sap
Tonlé Sap
The Tonlé Sap is a combined lake and river system of major importance to Cambodia.The Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997....
. By moving the capital closer to the sources of water the king could reap many benefits provided by both rivers. He also constructed a road linking the old capital to the new one.
The Lolei
Lolei
Lolei is the northernmost temple of the Roluos group of three late 9th century Hindu temples at Angkor, Cambodia, the others members of which are Preah Ko and the Bakong. Lolei was the last of the three temples to be built as part of the city of Hariharalaya that once flourished at Roluos, and...
, Phnom Bakheng
Phnom Bakheng
-See also:* Angkor* Architecture of Cambodia* List of archaeoastronomical sites by country-References:* Goloubev, Victor. Le Phnom Bakheng et la ville de Yasovarman. Bulletin de l'EFEO , 33 : 319-344....
, and the East Baray
East Baray
The East Baray is a now-dry baray, or artificial body of water, at Angkor, Cambodia, oriented east-west and located just east of the walled city Angkor Thom. It was built around the year 900 AD during the reign of King Yasovarman...
reservoir are monuments to this ruler, all located near Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
's national treasure, a later construction, Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...
. Phnom Bakheng was one of three hilltop temples created in the Khmer Empire
Khmer Empire
The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia. The empire, which grew out of the former kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalized parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, and Malaysia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of the capital city...
's Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...
capital region during Yasovarman's reign, the other two being Phnom Krom
Phnom Krom
Phnom Krom is a 140 m high hill close to Siem Reap, Cambodia.-Location:Phnom Krom is located to 12 kilometers southwest of Siem Reap town....
and Phnom Bok
Phnom Bok
Phnom Bok is a hill in the northeast of Eastern Baray in Cambodia, with a prasat of the same name built on it. It is one of the "trilogies of mountains", each of which has a temple with similar layout...
.