Roles and Relationships

The King - Status and Power

To understand the power the king had in the Khmer civilisation, it is important to first understand the term Indianisation. This term was used during the Khmer empire, to explain the continued acceptance and encouragement of 'aspects of Indian culture and ideas, including religious influences' across the southern sections of Asia. This is important to know because the Kings heavily relied upon the idea of devaraja.

Devaraja

Devarāja is the Hindu belief that the king who ruled, was in fact, a God-king. He was ruling because that is what the Gods wanted, and his power was an extension of the Hindu God Shivas' power, on earth. Imagine the possibilities this would have given the king - to claim he was personally selected by the Gods! This claim gave the king:

1. The right to rule over his people
2. The ability to demand the people's obedience
3. The status of a God among the people

These beliefs encouraged a willingness and devotion to serve the king.

Role of the King

As a result of Devaraja, the King could rule with almost absolute power. His role and control of his people, as King, was to:

1. Embody the Indian idea of a chakravartin, meaning someone who rules in consideration of his people and in an ethical /right manner.
2. As High Priest, he would lead ancestor worship ceremonies and rituals to ensure that there would be enough water for farming.
3. Some strong kings, demanded large building projects to be completed for their Gods. For example water management schemes and road building.
4. The kings also called people to serve in his army.

The Brahmins:

The Brahmins were the "wise men" of the empire. They acquired vast amounts of knowledge. Due to such a privileged upbringing, the Khmer kings chose them as their advisers. As a result of selecting the Brahmins, the kings gained the support of an important and well-respected group within Khmer society and also benefited from the Brahmins’ skills. They were known for their specialist knowledge of the Hindu religion and for their intelligence and discipline. Some Brahmins were Khmer born, others came from India and this gave them high status. There roles in society included to:

• Crown the king — this gave them great importance because they could choose to support someone other than the person who seemed to be the obvious contender for the throne
• Teach and advise the king on religious matters
• Teach Hindu beliefs and traditions to members of the royal family
• Conduct important religious ceremonies
• Advise the king on religious and other matters.

The influence of Buddhism:

'When Jayavarman V became king, Buddhism, which had been introduced by Indian traders, played a more important part in the Khmer empire. Buddhist expectations played a part in its rise in the Khmer empire, as they include behaving with tolerance towards all humans. Due to this, Jayavarman V allowed interest in Buddhism to spread throughout the empire. He even 'suggested that priests recite Buddhist as well as Hindu prayers during religious ceremonies, and he encouraged educated women the freedom to participate more in public life'. This meant, when Jayavarman VII gained the Khmer throne, he did so as a Buddhist'.

Anderson, M.,Keese, I. & Low, A. (2013).