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The Chanla Khmer Civilizations
Pre-Angkor:
Chenla (called by Chinese or "Kambuja" by Khmer) was a more direct
ancestor of the Khmer Empire. Its history first appear in the Chinese
Chronicles as a Funan's vassal state who gained its independence from
Funan around the year 550 A.D. Within the next 60 years, Chenla succeeded
to conquer its predecessor the Funan, and gradually absorbed its people as
well as inherited the Indian cultures.
The first capital of Chenla, named Isanapura, was established around 613
A.D. at Sambor Prei Kuk in Kompong Thom province of modern Cambodia.
Later on Chenla was divided into northern and southern states, of which
the Chinese Chronicles refers to as "Chenla of the Land" and "Chenla of
the Sea", respectively. The center of the northern Chenla was at the
Champassak province of today southern Laos, whereas that of the Southern
Chenla occupied the former Funan's territory along the Mekong Delta and
the coast. In 715, both Chenla states were further broken up into several
smaller states.
During the 8th century, another naval state emerged into a strong "Java
Empire" across the sea. Dispute among the historians about the center of
this Java Empire still has not been resolved, as it could be either the
Java Island of today Indonenesia or the Malay Peninsula. Java vigorously
expanded its territory and sailed to invade and finally conquered the weak
Chenla states.
Ironically, the fate of Chenla and the invasion of Java Empire planted the
actual seed for the establishment of the Angkor Empire.
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