Historical figure
Rajendravarman II
រាជេន្ទ្រវរ្ម័នទី២
Rajendravarman II (រាជេន្ទ្រវរ្ម័នទី២) was a king of the Khmer Empire who reigned from 944 to 968. He brought the royal capital back to Yasodharapura (យសោធបុរៈ) at Angkor from Koh Ker, and built the temples of the East Mebon and Pre Rup.[1] His posthumous name was Shivaloka (សិវលោក).[1][2]
Coming to the throne
His mother, Mahendradevi, was a younger sister of King Yasovarman I (យសោវរ្ម័នទី១). Rajendravarman II came to the throne in 944, after the short reign of Harshavarman II.[1] The Angkor Guide calls Harshavarman his half brother.[3]
Return to Angkor
From 921 to 944 the royal city was at Koh Ker.[3] Rajendravarman II did not stay there. He took the royal linga of the devaraja back to Yasodharapura, repaired the city and added to it, and work began on the temple of Phimeanakas (ភិមានអាកាស) at its center.[1]
In 952 he built the East Mebon (ប្រាសាទមេបុណ្យខាងកើត), a temple of five towers in the middle of the East Baray reservoir.[1] Its foundation stele, dated 952, records idols of Shiva and Parvati made in the likeness of the king's mother and father, so the temple belongs among those built in memory of deified parents.[2]
In 961 he built Pre Rup (ប្រាសាទប្រែរូប), south of the reservoir, with the same five-tower plan, to house the royal linga and to honor his relatives.[1] The Radio Free Asia series explains the second temple by the difficulty of holding ceremonies at a temple set in the middle of the reservoir.[1] Pre Rup's foundation inscription lists the king's genealogy and names the temple Rajendrabhadresvara, after the linga in its central sanctuary.[3]
Religion and the court
In the Radio Free Asia account, all religions prospered and lived in harmony during his reign.[1] In 946 the architect Kavindrarimathana built the temple of Bat Chum (ប្រាសាទបាតជុំ) for a bodhisattva of Mahayana Buddhism.[1] The royal teacher Yajnavaraha began Banteay Srei north of the capital.[1] An inscription there, carved in 968, gives the date April or May 967, the last year of Rajendravarman II's reign, and The Angkor Guide writes that at least some of the building probably started under him.[4]
War with Champa
Champa had invaded Cambodia under Jayavarman IV. In 945 and 946 Rajendravarman II led an army against Champa, laid siege to its capital and carried off a gold statue of its guardian goddess, and for a time made Champa subject to the Khmer kingdom.[1]
Succession
His young son followed him in 968 as Jayavarman V. About six years later Jayavarman V took real power, taught by the Brahmin Yajnavaraha, and he built the temple of Ta Keo (តាកែវ).[5]
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, Wars over the throne among kings of the Angkor period, part 11 of a history series (April 9, 2014; in Khmer)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Maurice Glaize, The Angkor Guide, the Eastern Mebon (undated online edition)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Maurice Glaize, The Angkor Guide, Pre Rup (undated online edition)
- ↑ Maurice Glaize, The Angkor Guide, Banteay Srei (undated online edition)
- ↑ Radio Free Asia Khmer, Chun Chanboth, The works of four kings of the Angkor period, part 12 of a history series (April 23, 2014; in Khmer)