Jayavarman VII Expels the Chams and Is Crowned King
The empire's greatest builder-king takes the throne in his mid-fifties
Quick facts
- King
- Jayavarman VII, r. 1181-1215 CE
- Religion
- Mahayana Buddhism
- Key act
- Expelled Cham occupiers, later conquered Champa
What happened
Jayavarman VII, then in his mid-fifties, led the Khmer campaign that drove the Cham occupiers out of Angkor and was crowned king in 1181. World History Encyclopedia calls him the empire's greatest king, ruling from 1181 to 1215 CE, and credits him with restoring the realm from anarchy after the 1177 sack before turning to offense: he later invaded Champa itself, making it a Khmer dependency for roughly three decades. Unlike his Hindu predecessors, Jayavarman VII was a devout Mahayana Buddhist, and his reign marks the point where the Khmer state religion shifts decisively toward Buddhism at the highest level, even as most subjects continued a blend of Hindu and Buddhist practice.
Why it matters
Jayavarman VII's reign is the hinge between catastrophe and the empire's largest building program. Every major structure most visitors associate with Angkor today beyond Angkor Wat itself, the Bayon, Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom's walls, dates from this single 34-year reign.
How we know
His accession and military campaigns are documented through temple inscriptions from his own reign and depicted in bas-reliefs on the Bayon showing both the Cham naval battle and his subsequent conquest of Champa.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Khmer Empire · Reputable sourceworldhistory.org · The domain "worldhistory.org" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
- World History Encyclopedia. Khmer Empire Timeline · Reputable sourceworldhistory.org · The domain "worldhistory.org" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
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