The Civilization of Angkor

Out of a desire to learn more about Angkor, we recently read Charles Higham's The Civilization of Angkor. Eager to read an overview of this ancient Khmer civilization less outdated than that of Georges Coedes, who heavily relied on inscriptions and was somewhat dismissive of "pre-Indianized" peoples in the region, Higham's short account establishes the deeper roots of the civilization that produced Angkor. Indeed, the degree of long-distance trade and social inequality already in place, detected through archaeology, indicates that "Indianization" was a local adoption and adaptation of Indic religious and cultural practices. What was more surprising to learn was the strong evidence against older interpretations of Angkor's authority being rooted in royal control of irrigation networks. Indeed, Higham suggests the various dynasties of this Khmer civilization were perhaps more akin to the type of "galatic polity" described by Tambiah. In other words, central authority was weak in the provinces and conflict within the court or the center common. Nonetheless, it looks like Coedes and past scholars were correct about the role of the Shiva cult, institution of devaraja, and temple complexes and merit-making as core components of state authority and ideology. Indeed, this is perhaps another parallel with the type of state "networks" described by Kenneth Hall for precolonial Southeast Asian states. We only wish more was known of Funan, the Chenla polities, and the nature of slavery and bonded labor.