Jayavarman VII and the Crisis of the Thirteenth Century

From the time of Suryavarman II’s death around 1150 until Jayavarman VII’s coronation in 1182, only one dated Cambodian inscription has survived. Much of what we know about this period must be filtered through inscriptions carved at Jayavarman’s behest, reflecting his view of the world as well as what he wanted people to believe about his early life. Because he was not, apparently, an entirely legitimate contender for the throne, his early years, like those of so many Cambodian founder-kings, are poorly documented.