Historical figure
Indravarman I
ឥន្ទ្រវរ្ម័នទី១
Indravarman I (ឥន្ទ្រវរ្ម័នទី១) was a king of the Khmer Empire who reigned from 877 to 889. He ruled from the capital Hariharalaya (ហរិហរាល័យ), in today's Roluos area east of Siem Reap, before the capital moved to Angkor.[1][2] He had the Indratataka reservoir dug and built the temples of Preah Ko and Bakong.[1]
Coming to the throne
His cousin Jayavarman III, who reigned at Hariharalaya until 877, left no son to take the throne after him. Indravarman I became king in his place in 877.[1]
Building
Soon after he became king, he had a large reservoir dug north of the capital, 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) long and 800 meters (2,600 feet) wide. It was named Indratataka (ឥន្ទ្រតដាក), and the Radio Free Asia series writes that it served farming well.[1]
In 879 he founded Preah Ko (ប្រាសាទព្រះគោ), six brick towers in two rows on a single platform.[1][3] The temple honored his ancestors: his parents, his grandparents on his mother's side, and King Jayavarman II with his chief queen.[1] Hello Angkor writes that the inscriptions show the towers were dedicated to his ancestors, and that the northwest tower was for his grandmother.[3]
In 881 he consecrated Bakong (ប្រាសាទបាគង), at the center of Hariharalaya. It was the first temple mountain built of sandstone, a stepped pyramid standing for Mount Meru of Hindu myth.[1][2] A stele found in its entrance pavilion in 1935 records the founding there in 881 of the linga Sri Indreshvara and of eight images of Shiva.[2] The series also credits him with a temple to Shiva on Phnom Bayang.[1]
His reign
The radio series writes that he set the order of ranks within the royal family and among the high officials of the court, an order that later kings kept for centuries. In his reign the kingdom was large and seems to have been at peace, and he strengthened ties with China, Champa and Java.[1]
Succession
His reign ended in 889, and he received the posthumous name Isvaraloka (ព្រះឥស្វរៈលោក). His son followed him on the throne as Yasovarman I.[1] Yasovarman I completed the brick temple of Lolei (ប្រាសាទលលៃ) in 893, in the middle of the Indratataka.[1][4] Its two main towers were for his parents, Indravarman and Indradevi.[4] Hello Angkor suggests that Indravarman may have begun Lolei himself.[3] Yasovarman later founded a new capital, Yashodharapura, at Angkor.[2][3]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Radio Free Asia Khmer, Chun Chanboth, Kings of the Angkor period, part 10 of a history series (April 2, 2014; in Khmer)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Hello Angkor, Bakong Temple (updated January 1, 2026)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Hello Angkor, Preah Ko Temple (updated January 1, 2026)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Hello Angkor, Lolei Temple (updated January 1, 2026)