The Jayavarman VII

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Jayavarman VII, (born c. 1120/25—died c. 1220), one of the most forceful and productive kings of the Khmer (Cambodian) empire of Angkor (reigning 1181–c. 1220). He expanded the empire to its greatest territorial extent. He engaged in a building program that yielded numerous temples (including Angkor Thom), highways, rest houses, and hospitals.

Over the 37 years of his reign, Jayavarman embarked on a grand program of construction that included both public works and monuments. As a Mahayana Buddhist, his declared aim was to alleviate the suffering of his people. One inscription tells us, “He suffered from the illnesses of his subjects more than from his own. The pain that affected men’s bodies was for him a spiritual pain, and thus more piercing.”

Jayavarman VII became a kind of paradigmatic national hero. First, he was credited with establishing the full greatness of the Cambodian nation. Secondly, he bring into being a welfare state that was motivated by Buddhism. And finally, he was dedicated to serving both the spiritual and the physical needs of the Cambodian people.