Jayavarman IV.

Jayavarman IV († 941) was 928-941 king of the Khmer Empire. He did not reside in Hariharalaya ( Roluos ) or Yasodharapura (Angkor ) as its predecessors, but about 120 km northeast of Angkor in Lingapura (now Koh Ker ), also called Chok Gargyar.

Origin and Early Years

Jayavarman IV already ruled several years (at least since 921 AD) as a local ruler in Koh Ker, before he was proclaimed king of the entire Khmer Empire. In many cases, it was claimed that Jayavarman IV was a usurper; recent findings, however, indicate that he had a legitimate claim to the throne. On the one hand he was a grandson of King Indravarman I (whose daughter Mahendradevi was his mother ). Since there were no clear conditions for succession to the throne, his claims about the maternal line can be considered legitimate. On the other hand, he cemented his claim by marrying a younger half-sister of Yasovarman I. ( 889-900 ), whose sons had died without descendants ( Harshavarman I ruled from 900-922, Isanavarman II 922 -ca. 925? ).

After his reign, Jayavarman IV takeover Koh Ker raised the capital of the Khmer empire. An inscription from the year 921 states: " Jayavarman IV left the city Yasodharapura to govern at Chok Gargyar [ Koh Ker, author's note ], where he took the Devaraja with it "

Succession

Jayavarman IV died 941 His posthumous name is Paramashivapada. Following the death of Jayavarman IV was not his designated successor King. Another of his sons, Harshavarman II, tore the domination. He also resided in Koh Ker, but only briefly ( 941-944 ). Whether Harshavarman II died of natural causes, is questionable. His cousin Rajendravarman II succeeds and moved the capital back to Angkor.

The new capital

Koh Ker was first mentioned in 919 AD in an inscription and called Pura (Sanskrit for City). Koh Ker is a modern name. During Jayavarman's reign the place Chok Gargyar (City of gloss ) or Lingapura was called (City of Lingas ). After Jayavarman IV had collected 928 Koh Ker to the capital in the year, he demonstrated his power with an ambitious building program. Among the most important buildings of Jayavarman IV include the Rahal Baray ( 1,188 meters by 548 meters) and the double- shrine Prasat Thom / Prang. The Prang is a seven- and 36 -meter-high pyramid. On the top platform of the temple was originally a shrine housed a colossal linga, which was more than four meters high and weigh several tons. Both the shrine and the Linga disappeared .. The inscription K.187E designate this Linga as kamrateri jagat ta raajya, hence " god-king ". The inscriptions of Jayavarman IV praise him that his buildings have surpassed those of his predecessors .. A large number of the largest and most beautiful sculptures throughout the Khmer Empire was during the reign of Jayavarman IV carved, such as the monumental Garuda statue from the Prasat Thom, which is now in the entrance of the National Museum of Cambodia.

To date, 184 monuments have been discovered in the region of Koh Ker on an area of 81 square kilometers, but not all can be during the reign of Jayavarman IV emerged. Many sanctuaries were built before 921, after further 944 His successor Harshavarman II, who reigned for only three years ( 941-944 ), no temple can be attributed. The last sanctuary of Prasat Andong Kuk ( Prasat Sralau ) was built in the early 13th century by order of Jayavarman VII in Koh Ker. There is a resort in the style of the so-called hospital chapels.

Koh Ker remained forgotten for centuries before the French Louis Delaporte and Étienne Aymonier sought out the archaeological site in the second half of the 19th century. The two researchers the first to recognize that Koh Ker was once at a strategically important highway leading from Angkor Beng Mealea via Prasat Preah Vihear and to continue to Phimai and Wat Phu. Arrived around 1880 members of another French expedition to Koh Ker, where they removed selectively numerous sculptures and reliefs hacked off and shipped to France. These works of art are now in the Musée Guimet in Paris.