Historical figure
Harshavarman I
Harshavarman I was a king of the Khmer Empire at Angkor in the early 10th century, whose reign ran from before 910 to after 922.[1] His posthumous name was Rudraloka.[1]
Reign
In Maurice Glaize's list of kings, Harshavarman I is the son of Yasovarman I and follows him on the throne, and his brother, Isanavarman II, comes after him.[1]
Michael Vickery wrote that, for the first 200 years of Angkor, the order of its kings suggests a rotation of kingship among branches of the royal family. In his view, Yasovarman and Jayavarman IV each tried to secure the succession for their own sons, instead of letting the throne pass to brothers, cousins or nephews.[2] Vickery named Harshavarman I and Isanavarman II as sons of Yasovarman. He wrote that these two and a son of Jayavarman IV would have been the most "illegitimate" of the kings of Angkor before the 11th century, and that all three had only brief reigns.[2]
Prasat Kravan
Inscriptions on the door jambs of the temple of Prasat Kravan record that a statue of the god Vishnu was set up there in 921. Glaize's notes on the temple give its date as the first quarter of the 10th century (921) and name King Harshavarman I.[1]
Later mention
Harshavarman I is among the earlier kings named in the inscription K. 468, from the Khleang monuments. Its author, an official, also named Isanavarman II and either Yasovarman or Jayavarman IV.[2]