Cambodia History

Evidence shows that Cambodia probably had been settled by people coming from the north from 4000 BC or before.  By the first century AD, Chinese traders reported contacts with several kingdoms in the territory, some of which bore evidence of linguistic, social and religion influences from India.

800 to 1400 AD saw the dominance of the Angkor (Khmer) Empire over parts of Laos, Thailand, Malay peninsula, Vietnam and Myanmar; it also had trade with China.  The Empire was founded in northwestern Cambodia by king Jayavarman II, who united several kingdoms in the region and legitimized his rule by his supposed link to the Hindu god Shiva.  It was during this period that several Khmer kings built the Angkor temples, both Hindu and Buddhist, as well as hospitals and an irrigation system that included man-made lakes and canals that ensured as many as three rice crops a year.  The Khmer Empire had its share of internal strife with its kings often ascending to the throne by overthrowing their predecessors.  There were also rebellions and wars with neighbouring countries, the most powerful of which was the Kingdom of Ayutthaya (Thailand).  The decline of the Khmers in the 14th century was precipitated partly by a Thai invasion in 1431.

In the following centuries, the several kingdoms of Khmer, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand were constantly at war.  Cambodia was overrun at least twice; once when Myanmar invaded Ayutthaya which spilled over into Cambodia, and later in the early 19th century when Vietnam and Thailand fought to gain control of the country.  By that time, France already had colonial ambitions in Indochina.  In 1863, by agreement Cambodia became a French protectorate to prevent further intrusions by Thailand and Vietnam.  The French left Cambodian culture and institutions largely in place, but developed a civil service and gradually changed the face of Phnom Penh.  They also restored the Angkor temples and deciphered the inscriptions there, which provided Cambodians a picture of their past.

The country was occupied by the Japanese in WW II, which left the country largely untouched and, after a short period of French rule, became independent in 1953 under King Sihanouk.

After independence, Cambodia suffered tremendous turmoil and great tragedy.  It again became a pawn in the struggle among the foreign powers, i.e. the Soviets, the US, China and Vietnam.  From 1969 to 1973, the US and South Vietnamese bombed and invaded the country to try to drive out North Vietnamese bases there.  Meanwhile the North Vietnamese also attacked the country to knock out the army of the pro-western government.  It was in this environment that China and North Vietnam supported creation of the Khmer Rouge (French for "Red Khmers") in 1970.

After the Khmer Rouge regime came into power in 1975, it launched a purge of the population, leading tragically to the so-called killing fields.  Later, the Khmer Rouge turned against its former patron, the Vietnamese; which led to the invasion and occupation of the country by the latter in 1979.  The Vietnamese remained in Cambodia until 1989 towards the end of the Cold War.