Cambodian History in summary :
Cambodia is a well-known country in southeast Asia, steeped in history and rich in culture but three decades of the war destroyed nearly the entirely society, including the economic infrastructure ,natural and human resources that are the key factory in development a country , in particular ,its tourism industry
* Early Khmer history of the Fou nan empire (the Pre -Angkorian )
History always begins with a legends of any each country around the globe . Here is an Indian priest or prince who named Kaudinya married a local princess Soma (Liv Yi in Chinese) , the Founan queen and what was the beginning of the dynasties of the Funanese king .The Founan name derived from the Chinese transliteration of the old Khmer word Bnom (meaning mountain) It is unknown until today what the Founanese called themselves ,probably bnom empire . This is the first Indianisation state of Kambuja and then Kampuchea.
Harder facts come from the first century B.C when likely some cities states with an Austro-Asiantic Mon population allied . The new kingdom centered in the lower Mekong delta .its capital city at the Vyadharapura (town of the hunters), probably located at Baphnom , Preyveng Province , south of Cambodia today .We know about the strong Indian influences in language , law and religion at that time .Founan was an important station on the ocean routes and it regulated the sea trade between India and China by its efficient navy. OC EO now in Vietnam ,was the most greatest seaport .The earliest facts dated to the mid-3rd century A.C.at that time Founan reached its further extends under the rule of the king Fan Shi Man. nearly all the neighbors states in Thailand ,Malaysia and southern Burma collapsed .Only the dominated Chinese empire had the strength to act as political counterbalance . Founan collapsed in the 6th century AD and was replaced by the rival Chenla kingdom .The cradle of Chenla laid in the region of Wat Phu in the south of Laos with its capital city Bhavapura .The last founanese king Bhavapura married a princess from the royal family Chen la and they became the founder of the Khmer empire .
Pre -Angkorean and Angkorean politic :
During the 3rd ,4th and 5th centuries , the Indianised states of Founan and Chenla coalesced in what is now present day Cambodia and southwestern Vietnam .these states assumed by most scholars to have been Khmer . For more than a 2000 years ,Cambodia absorbed influences from India and China ,passing them onto other southeast Asia civilization that are now Thailand ,Vietnam ,and Laos .The Khmer empire flourished in the area from 9th to 15th centuries .Around the 13th century ,Theravada Buddhism was introduced to the area through the monks from Sri lanka .from then on ,Theravada Buddhism grew and became the most popular religion .The Khmer empire declined yet remained powerful in the regions until the 15ht century .The empire center of power was Angkor , where a series capitals was formed during the empire's zenith .Angkor territory could have supported a population of up to a million inhabitants . Angkor ,the world's largest pre- industrial settlement complex .and Angkor Wat ,the most famous and best preserved religious building at its site ,are reminders of Cambodia's past as a major regional power .
Dark Era of Cambodia :
After a long series of wars with neighboring kingdoms , Angkor was sacked by the new emerged empire Ayuthaya kingdom and abandoned in 1432 because ecological failure and infrastructures breakdown .The court moved capital first to Lovek where the kingdom sought to regain its glory through maritime trades. The attempt was short -lived ,however, as continued wars with Ayuthaya and Vietnamese ,resulted in the loss of more territories and Lovek being conquered in 1594. During the next three centuries ,the Khmer kingdom alternated as a vassal state of Ayuthaya kingdom and Vietnamese king ,as well as short -lived period of relative independence .
The Rise and the fall of Angkor empire :
In 790, the Khmer ruler Jayavaraman II (AD802-850) came to power .His signaled the start of a golden age of the Khmer .His dynasty based around the city of Angkor ,lasted from the 9th to 15th century . The rulers of Angkor kingdom saw themselves as Devarajas ,or god king .the king of Angkor strove to outdo one other by expanding their territory and building splendid monuments and public works . One of the greatest monarchs was Suriyavaraman II (AD 1113-1150) , who built the temple complex of Angkor Wat .At its greatest extent ,the Angkor empire controlled much of present day mainland of southeast Asia . After the death of its last great rulers ,Jayavaraman VII (AD 1181-1219) ,Angkor empire began to fall a part .The final blow came in 1431 ,when Siam (Thailand today) conquered the last capital ,Angkor Thom .Cambodia's royal capitals were alternatively subject to Siamese or Vietnamese invasion or interference almost five centuries .
The French and world war II :
In 1864 ,Norodom became king . In 1884 ,the french persuaded king Norodom to accept protectorate status on Cambodia ,saving the country from being divided between its two neighbors .Cambodia became part of Indochina , along with Laos and Vietnam ,and gained stability .The French did little develop Cambodia as part as of its colony of its Indochina ,however, they built the roads and established rubber plantations in the country .Japanese forces briefly occupied Cambodia during the world war II (1939-1945). After the war ,the French reclaimed Indochina ,and 1945 ,French granted Cambodia autonomy . The french protectorate ceded independence to Cambodian in 1953 ,9th November .
Civil War in Cambodia and Vietnam :
In 1970 , General Lon Nol ,the king Sihanouk's closed defense minister overthrew Sihanouk , sparking the 5 years Cambodia civil war .Sihanouk established a government in exile in China and allied himself with Cambodia communist forces led by Saloth Sar ,better known as Pol Pot (Politic Potential -the brother number one of the Khmer Rouge group). In early 1970s ,the Vietnam civil war between south Vietnam and communist north Vietnam spilled into Cambodia when the United States ,which supported south Vietnam began a massive campaign to destroy north Vietnam border stationed in Cambodia .The bombing campaign brought a vast destruction in Cambodia ,and approximately haft a million Cambodian loss their lives .
The United State's bombing campaign also resulted in increasing support for Lon Nol forces .In 1975 ,Lon Nol government collapsed ,and the communist party of Kampuchea took control of Phnom Penh and country .King Sihanouk returned to became Cambodia's head of state but resigned one year later(1976) .
The Khmer Rouge regime :
From 1975 -1979 , when Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia ,the country experienced the darkest in its history ,led by Pol Pot as prime minister ,the Khmer Rouge ,the aimed wing of the communist of Kampuchea - turned Cambodia into a labor camp .there was regime of terror , Genocide and attempted cultural annihilation from which the country is still recovering .An estimated more than 2 millions Cambodian died during the Khmer Rouge years, from execution ,starvation ,torture ,illnesses and over work .the educated and professional classes were practically wiped out .
In late1978 -1979 , Vietnamese troops entered Cambodia and pushed the Khmer Rouge toward to Thai border .The Khmer Rouge ,however ,continued to attack Cambodia and planted thousand of landmines that continued to kill and maimed Cambodians today .After 1979.Cambodians struggled to restore their country but miserable conditions forced thousand to leave the country ,most ended up in refugee camps along the Thai border .
From 1979 -1989 -Cambodia was under the control of the Vietnamese communist .The Vietnamese troops pulled out of Cambodia in September 1989 .The war was not finished yet after the Vietnamese pulled out of Cambodia .It was also fierce fighting between the Khmer Rouge militants plus the other two factions and the Hun Sen government .
In 1991 - The king Sihanouk returned to country after living exiled for many years in China ,However ,the communist party in Cambodia that were last time supported by Russia and Vietnam has gone and in contrast , the monarchy and the democracy society were brought back to Cambodia since then , and the civil war continued until 1998 .
The Brief History of Pol Pot :
Pol Pot (Politic Potential ) ,who blamed responsible for the deaths of a over 2 millions of his own people .was born, Saloth Sar inhabited in a small Cambodia village(Kompong Thom Province) about 140 km ,north of Phnom Penh , his date of birth is unclear but born in 1925 .His father was a wealthier landlord . At age sixth he went to live with his brother at the royal household in Phnom Penh .Here he learned precepts and discipline . At age eight ,he went to a catholic primary school ,where he remained for six years .It was here that he picked up the basics of western cultures , as well as the French language .
In 1949, Pol Pot went to study in Paris on a government scholarship but he hasn't received the certificate from there it was here again that he got his introduction to communist ,joining the french communist party .After four years of exposure to stalinist communism ,he returned to Cambodia in 1953 .within a month he had joined the communist resistance , becoming a member of Indochina communist party which was dominated by Vietminh .
The 1954 Cambodian election saw the communist throw in support with the democrats .The Democrats were soundly defeated ,however by the incumbent government of Paris Sihanouk who know held absolute power .Pol Pot now took up a post as a teacher in a private college .He also spent his time recruiting the educated classes to the communist cause .The government ,however , began a communist crackdown and Pol Pot was forced to flee to the jungle hiding from the police tracking .
Over the ensuring years ,the communist bide their time as they built up their strength for take over attempt .they were bolstered by the north Vietnam who were waging warfare against the Cambodian government .A major Vietnamese victory in 1971 allowed the communist to take control the certain areas of the country . In 1973 the communist launched a major attack on the government but this was halted by American bombing . A final communist assault began in January 1,1975 . This time they were victorious . On April 17, communist forces entered Phnom Penh .Within 24 hours they had ordered the entire city evacuated . This process was repeated in other cities resulting in more than 2 millions Cambodians being forced out their homes . many of them starved to death.
Pol Pot was now prime minister of Cambodia ,which he promptly renamed Kampuchea .In August 1976 he unveiled his four years plan ,which detailed the collectivization of agriculture, the nationalization of industry and the financing of the economy through increased agriculture exports. This plan caused untold misery to the nation with many thousands dying in the paddy fields . Crops need to feed the population were marked for export. Malnutrition was rampant ,made worse by the communist insistence on traditional Cambodian medicine .Pol Pot also started the infamous S-21 interrogation center where more than 20.000 men, women and children were tortured to death .
Throughout 1976 and 1977 skirmishes with Vietnam continued .In December 1977 the Vietnamese made real inroad in Kampuchea .Pol Pot ,however, held on for other year . By January 1979 ,the Vietnamese forces had actually reached Phnom Penh .Kampuchea government fled train while Pol Pot was taken by helicopter to Thailand .His last public appearance was an interview in December 1979.For the next 19 years he remained in exile in the jungle .Pol Pot died on 15 April in 1998 and cremated on 17 April 1998 near Cambodian-Thai border to north of Siem Reap .
* Early Khmer history of the Fou nan empire (the Pre -Angkorian )
History always begins with a legends of any each country around the globe . Here is an Indian priest or prince who named Kaudinya married a local princess Soma (Liv Yi in Chinese) , the Founan queen and what was the beginning of the dynasties of the Funanese king .The Founan name derived from the Chinese transliteration of the old Khmer word Bnom (meaning mountain) It is unknown until today what the Founanese called themselves ,probably bnom empire . This is the first Indianisation state of Kambuja and then Kampuchea.
Harder facts come from the first century B.C when likely some cities states with an Austro-Asiantic Mon population allied . The new kingdom centered in the lower Mekong delta .its capital city at the Vyadharapura (town of the hunters), probably located at Baphnom , Preyveng Province , south of Cambodia today .We know about the strong Indian influences in language , law and religion at that time .Founan was an important station on the ocean routes and it regulated the sea trade between India and China by its efficient navy. OC EO now in Vietnam ,was the most greatest seaport .The earliest facts dated to the mid-3rd century A.C.at that time Founan reached its further extends under the rule of the king Fan Shi Man. nearly all the neighbors states in Thailand ,Malaysia and southern Burma collapsed .Only the dominated Chinese empire had the strength to act as political counterbalance . Founan collapsed in the 6th century AD and was replaced by the rival Chenla kingdom .The cradle of Chenla laid in the region of Wat Phu in the south of Laos with its capital city Bhavapura .The last founanese king Bhavapura married a princess from the royal family Chen la and they became the founder of the Khmer empire .
Pre -Angkorean and Angkorean politic :
During the 3rd ,4th and 5th centuries , the Indianised states of Founan and Chenla coalesced in what is now present day Cambodia and southwestern Vietnam .these states assumed by most scholars to have been Khmer . For more than a 2000 years ,Cambodia absorbed influences from India and China ,passing them onto other southeast Asia civilization that are now Thailand ,Vietnam ,and Laos .The Khmer empire flourished in the area from 9th to 15th centuries .Around the 13th century ,Theravada Buddhism was introduced to the area through the monks from Sri lanka .from then on ,Theravada Buddhism grew and became the most popular religion .The Khmer empire declined yet remained powerful in the regions until the 15ht century .The empire center of power was Angkor , where a series capitals was formed during the empire's zenith .Angkor territory could have supported a population of up to a million inhabitants . Angkor ,the world's largest pre- industrial settlement complex .and Angkor Wat ,the most famous and best preserved religious building at its site ,are reminders of Cambodia's past as a major regional power .
Dark Era of Cambodia :
After a long series of wars with neighboring kingdoms , Angkor was sacked by the new emerged empire Ayuthaya kingdom and abandoned in 1432 because ecological failure and infrastructures breakdown .The court moved capital first to Lovek where the kingdom sought to regain its glory through maritime trades. The attempt was short -lived ,however, as continued wars with Ayuthaya and Vietnamese ,resulted in the loss of more territories and Lovek being conquered in 1594. During the next three centuries ,the Khmer kingdom alternated as a vassal state of Ayuthaya kingdom and Vietnamese king ,as well as short -lived period of relative independence .
The Rise and the fall of Angkor empire :
In 790, the Khmer ruler Jayavaraman II (AD802-850) came to power .His signaled the start of a golden age of the Khmer .His dynasty based around the city of Angkor ,lasted from the 9th to 15th century . The rulers of Angkor kingdom saw themselves as Devarajas ,or god king .the king of Angkor strove to outdo one other by expanding their territory and building splendid monuments and public works . One of the greatest monarchs was Suriyavaraman II (AD 1113-1150) , who built the temple complex of Angkor Wat .At its greatest extent ,the Angkor empire controlled much of present day mainland of southeast Asia . After the death of its last great rulers ,Jayavaraman VII (AD 1181-1219) ,Angkor empire began to fall a part .The final blow came in 1431 ,when Siam (Thailand today) conquered the last capital ,Angkor Thom .Cambodia's royal capitals were alternatively subject to Siamese or Vietnamese invasion or interference almost five centuries .
The French and world war II :
In 1864 ,Norodom became king . In 1884 ,the french persuaded king Norodom to accept protectorate status on Cambodia ,saving the country from being divided between its two neighbors .Cambodia became part of Indochina , along with Laos and Vietnam ,and gained stability .The French did little develop Cambodia as part as of its colony of its Indochina ,however, they built the roads and established rubber plantations in the country .Japanese forces briefly occupied Cambodia during the world war II (1939-1945). After the war ,the French reclaimed Indochina ,and 1945 ,French granted Cambodia autonomy . The french protectorate ceded independence to Cambodian in 1953 ,9th November .
Civil War in Cambodia and Vietnam :
In 1970 , General Lon Nol ,the king Sihanouk's closed defense minister overthrew Sihanouk , sparking the 5 years Cambodia civil war .Sihanouk established a government in exile in China and allied himself with Cambodia communist forces led by Saloth Sar ,better known as Pol Pot (Politic Potential -the brother number one of the Khmer Rouge group). In early 1970s ,the Vietnam civil war between south Vietnam and communist north Vietnam spilled into Cambodia when the United States ,which supported south Vietnam began a massive campaign to destroy north Vietnam border stationed in Cambodia .The bombing campaign brought a vast destruction in Cambodia ,and approximately haft a million Cambodian loss their lives .
The United State's bombing campaign also resulted in increasing support for Lon Nol forces .In 1975 ,Lon Nol government collapsed ,and the communist party of Kampuchea took control of Phnom Penh and country .King Sihanouk returned to became Cambodia's head of state but resigned one year later(1976) .
The Khmer Rouge regime :
From 1975 -1979 , when Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia ,the country experienced the darkest in its history ,led by Pol Pot as prime minister ,the Khmer Rouge ,the aimed wing of the communist of Kampuchea - turned Cambodia into a labor camp .there was regime of terror , Genocide and attempted cultural annihilation from which the country is still recovering .An estimated more than 2 millions Cambodian died during the Khmer Rouge years, from execution ,starvation ,torture ,illnesses and over work .the educated and professional classes were practically wiped out .
In late1978 -1979 , Vietnamese troops entered Cambodia and pushed the Khmer Rouge toward to Thai border .The Khmer Rouge ,however ,continued to attack Cambodia and planted thousand of landmines that continued to kill and maimed Cambodians today .After 1979.Cambodians struggled to restore their country but miserable conditions forced thousand to leave the country ,most ended up in refugee camps along the Thai border .
From 1979 -1989 -Cambodia was under the control of the Vietnamese communist .The Vietnamese troops pulled out of Cambodia in September 1989 .The war was not finished yet after the Vietnamese pulled out of Cambodia .It was also fierce fighting between the Khmer Rouge militants plus the other two factions and the Hun Sen government .
In 1991 - The king Sihanouk returned to country after living exiled for many years in China ,However ,the communist party in Cambodia that were last time supported by Russia and Vietnam has gone and in contrast , the monarchy and the democracy society were brought back to Cambodia since then , and the civil war continued until 1998 .
The Brief History of Pol Pot :
Pol Pot (Politic Potential ) ,who blamed responsible for the deaths of a over 2 millions of his own people .was born, Saloth Sar inhabited in a small Cambodia village(Kompong Thom Province) about 140 km ,north of Phnom Penh , his date of birth is unclear but born in 1925 .His father was a wealthier landlord . At age sixth he went to live with his brother at the royal household in Phnom Penh .Here he learned precepts and discipline . At age eight ,he went to a catholic primary school ,where he remained for six years .It was here that he picked up the basics of western cultures , as well as the French language .
In 1949, Pol Pot went to study in Paris on a government scholarship but he hasn't received the certificate from there it was here again that he got his introduction to communist ,joining the french communist party .After four years of exposure to stalinist communism ,he returned to Cambodia in 1953 .within a month he had joined the communist resistance , becoming a member of Indochina communist party which was dominated by Vietminh .
The 1954 Cambodian election saw the communist throw in support with the democrats .The Democrats were soundly defeated ,however by the incumbent government of Paris Sihanouk who know held absolute power .Pol Pot now took up a post as a teacher in a private college .He also spent his time recruiting the educated classes to the communist cause .The government ,however , began a communist crackdown and Pol Pot was forced to flee to the jungle hiding from the police tracking .
Over the ensuring years ,the communist bide their time as they built up their strength for take over attempt .they were bolstered by the north Vietnam who were waging warfare against the Cambodian government .A major Vietnamese victory in 1971 allowed the communist to take control the certain areas of the country . In 1973 the communist launched a major attack on the government but this was halted by American bombing . A final communist assault began in January 1,1975 . This time they were victorious . On April 17, communist forces entered Phnom Penh .Within 24 hours they had ordered the entire city evacuated . This process was repeated in other cities resulting in more than 2 millions Cambodians being forced out their homes . many of them starved to death.
Pol Pot was now prime minister of Cambodia ,which he promptly renamed Kampuchea .In August 1976 he unveiled his four years plan ,which detailed the collectivization of agriculture, the nationalization of industry and the financing of the economy through increased agriculture exports. This plan caused untold misery to the nation with many thousands dying in the paddy fields . Crops need to feed the population were marked for export. Malnutrition was rampant ,made worse by the communist insistence on traditional Cambodian medicine .Pol Pot also started the infamous S-21 interrogation center where more than 20.000 men, women and children were tortured to death .
Throughout 1976 and 1977 skirmishes with Vietnam continued .In December 1977 the Vietnamese made real inroad in Kampuchea .Pol Pot ,however, held on for other year . By January 1979 ,the Vietnamese forces had actually reached Phnom Penh .Kampuchea government fled train while Pol Pot was taken by helicopter to Thailand .His last public appearance was an interview in December 1979.For the next 19 years he remained in exile in the jungle .Pol Pot died on 15 April in 1998 and cremated on 17 April 1998 near Cambodian-Thai border to north of Siem Reap .