Isanapura, the capital of the Chenla Kingdom I History outside the textbooks EP.250

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Published on Nov 19, 2024

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“Isanapura”, the center of the Chenla Kingdom, which was contemporaneous with Dvaravati in Thailand, was located in the vast fertile plains of the Stung Sen River basin in Kampong Thom Province, approximately 120 kilometers east of Siem Reap on the Tonle Sap Lake. The growth of the Chenla Kingdom occurred when the Funan Kingdom, or Funan, centered at Angkor Borei and Phnom Da Mountain near the mouth of the Mekong River in southern Cambodia, began to decline. As a result, King Bhavavarman I, the King of Chenla, who was believed to be a descendant of the Funan dynasty, and his younger brother Prince Chitrasena, declared their separation from the vassal state and began to wage war against King Rudravarman of Funan. During the reign of King Bhavavarman I, the Chenla Kingdom expanded its territory to the south in the Mekong River basin until his death. His younger brother Prince Chitrasena ascended the throne around 1145 CE under the name of King Mahendravarman, who continued his policy of creating stability for the Chenla Kingdom. When King Mahendravarman died, his son, King Isanavarman I, succeeded to the throne and built “Isanapura”, which means “the city of King Isanavarman”, as his capital. King Isanavarman I ruled from 659 to 736 CE. He was the king who truly made Chenla great. He successfully annexed the land of Funan and expanded Chenla’s power so much that it was almost as big as the current Cambodia. The Chenla Kingdom continued to flourish for another 78 years after the end of King Isanavarman I’s reign under three kings. However, Chenla eventually split into two kingdoms: Chenla Bok, located to the north of the original Chenla Kingdom, and Chenla Nam, located in the area where the ancient Funan Kingdom used to be. Chenla Nam was later occupied by the Java Kingdom around the end of the 13th Buddhist century, and the crown prince, Prince Varman II, was taken hostage. Until the beginning of the 14th Buddhist century, King Jayavarman II returned from Java and liberated the Chenla Kingdom. He united the divided states into one, along with the establishment of the Devaraja cult at Mahendra Mahabappa or Phnom Kulen in 1345 BE, which was the beginning of a new era towards the “Angkor period”, which would have a truly prosperous center of power in the Tonle Sap basin. History outside the textbooks traveled to explore the Sambor Prei Kuk temple group, which is a new name meaning “forest full of temples”. All of them are evidence of the glory that occurred during the 12th-14th Buddhist centuries of the Isanapura Kingdom, especially the unique architecture and art of Sambor Prei Kuk, which is considered a model for the reign of King Isanavarman I, which was registered as a world heritage site on July 8, 2017. It is the third group of ancient sites in Cambodia, following Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear temples.

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