Perspectives on the ‘Collapse’ of Angkor and the Khmer Empire

The apparent decline of Angkor and the Khmer Empire between the 13th to 15th centuries has long been the focus of discussion and debate. Most explanations have focused on warfare, in particular a 1431 invasion by neighbouring Ayutthaya, as the ultimate cause of Angkor’s demise. In this chapter, we offer a critical review of the literature. Drawing on new perspectives arising from the last 20 years of archaeological research, we argue that depopulation of the Angkor region was likely a slow and gradual process and not a sudden or violent event as implied by conventional notions of ‘collapse’. Recent research instead points to a constellation of social, cultural, and environmental factors that contributed to varying degrees to a shift in political power away from the Angkor region in the mid-first millennium CE, accompanied by broad demographic changes that unfolded over centuries.