Suryavarman II
Suryavarman II ruled the Khmer Empire from about 1113 to 1150 and built Angkor Wat. He took the throne by force in a period of division, killing a rival claimant — an inscription describes him leaping onto the enemy's war elephant and killing him as a bird of prey takes a snake — and reuniting the kingdom under a single ruler. He was an aggressive campaigner. He invaded Champa repeatedly and sacked its capital Vijaya in 1145, occupying it for several years, and attacked Dai Viet to the north on several occasions without lasting success. He extended Khmer influence west into the Menam valley and towards the Malay peninsula. He also restored diplomatic relations with China, sending an embassy in 1116 that resumed contact after a long interruption. His monument is Angkor Wat, begun early in his reign and worked on for several decades. It is the largest religious structure in the world, covering some 160 hectares within its moat, and it broke with Khmer precedent in two ways: it was dedicated to Vishnu rather than to Shiva, and it faces west rather than east, which has led to the argument that it was intended as his funerary temple. Its galleries carry about six hundred metres of continuous bas-relief, including scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the churning of the sea of milk, and a panel showing Suryavarman himself in procession with his army and ministers, each labelled. The building consumed enormous resources — millions of sandstone blocks floated from Mount Kulen along canals. He died around 1150, probably on campaign against Champa, and the kingdom fell into disorder.
- Lived: 1094 CE – 1150 CE
- Nationality: Khmer
- Roles: monarch, builder
