How did the Angkorian Khmer Empire collapse?

What are the major causes of this decline.

  • Thais did it

  • Environmental and infrastructural breakdown

  • Black Death (Rats did it)

  • Buddhists did it


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Anawrahta

Banned
One of the most powerful SEA states declined massively and overtaken by Burma, Thailand and Vietnam.
The major theories out there:
1. Thai invasions
2. Environmental collapse: Deforestation and large irrigation system were unstable without highly competent administration
3. Black death
4. Conversion from Hinduism to Theravada Buddhism.


My hypothesis is that nature of mandala-feudal system prevented adequate administration and integration of outlying regions of the empire, leading to underdevelopment, mismanagement and political instability allowing the Thai peoples to pose a threat to Angkor and leading to social collapse and supplanting of Hinduism by Theravada Buddhism.
However these are my thought.
Poll allows multiple answers.
 
THAILAND STRONG!

That said your assertion that the Cambodians weren't able to effectively administer their frontiers seems accurate. A couple centuries later and their western frontier was overrun by Vietnamese colonists in much the same way.
 

Anawrahta

Banned
THAILAND STRONG!

That said your assertion that the Cambodians weren't able to effectively administer their frontiers seems accurate. A couple centuries later and their western frontier was overrun by Vietnamese colonists in much the same way.
So a transition from Mandala to a Feudal or centralized system would help integrating and developing Mon regions preventing the thais from moving further south.
 
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