The Khmers by Ian Mabbett and David Chandler is mostly an overview of over 2000 years of Cambodian history, the vast majority of the text covering the period before the fall of Angkor. Mabbett, writing an introductory overview, appears to cite secondary sources and translations of primary source materials (Chinese, Sanskrit, Old Khmer) whilst drawing on insights by archaeologists and scholars of Khmer art architecture to bring this ancient civilization to life. As it was published in the 1990s, some of the more recent advances in the field are not present here, yet Mabbett and Chandler wrote a fine introduction to the complex history of the Khmer.
Many questions still remain about the period of "Indianization" in this part of mainland Southeast Asia, but Mabbett correctly emphasizes that the rise of urbanization, trade and some degree of social stratification already occurred before Indianization. This was followed by the shadowy polities of Funan and Zhenla, who are best known from problematic external sources (mainly Chinese). If, however, scholars are correct that these were not centralized kingdoms but perhaps temporarily dominant polities in southern Cambodia, then we must wait until the late 8th century and early 9th century to see a sense of Khmer unity. Even so, Khmer provincial elites continued to assert their independence and the unity of the Khmer realm during the Angkorian period was not guaranteed. Indeed, Rajendravarman was said to be essential in the process of centralizing the state in the mid-10th century.
Unfortunately, the enigmatic fall of Angkor and what transpired in the Cambodian kingdom afterward is poorly served by our sources. Few rulers after Jayavarman VII left behind inscriptions, and the kings shifted away from grandiose Hindu and Hindu/Buddhist temples to lesss ostentatious displays of merit and piety. While Mabbett and others believe the spread of Theravada Buddhism shaped this process, much remains unknown about the decline of the Angkorian state. Conflict with Siam is attested as early as the late 13th century. The decline of irrigation systems and the complex waterworks of Angkor could have also contributed to the eventual abandonment of the site as a royal capital in the 15th century. Perhaps to better understand this period of change will require a new look at Siamese and Cambodian royal chronicles as well as an examination of the pull of trade and economic shifts to the coasts from inland centers. One also wonders if the kings and old temples endowed with thousands of servants or servile populations and lands may have also lost much of their power with the gradual shift to Theravada Buddhism, leading to a shift from wealth based on agricultural exploitation for elites to a more commercial orientation. It may be interesting to look here for clues as to the Chinese, Malay, Cham, or other traders active in the late Angkorian period and afterwards for clues.
The remainder of the text is essentially two short chapters offering a condensed version of Chandler's coverage of Cambodia after Angkor in his general history of the nation. Readers are recommended to consult that larger, more detailed work for Cambodia from c.1500 to the 1990s.
No comments:
Post a Comment