The history of Cambodia is so rich that it’s difficult to summarize in a few lines. However, being aware of major events will allow you to fully grasp this kingdom where ancient and modern worlds collide to create an authentic adventure atmosphere.
The first inhabitants of the Cambodian territory arrived 40,000 years ago were undoubtedly populations related to Melanesians and Australia’s aborigines
Around 5000 BC, more people came from China, Mon and Khmer ancestors.
A Mon-Khmer civilization developed under the influence of India. Sanskrit, Buddhism and Hinduism were adopted but also Indian laws and techniques.
The Khmer Empire flourished from the first century. The Khmer Kingdom of Chenla was the vassal of Funan, a kingdom of the Mekong Delta until the 6th century. In the 7th century, Jayavarman established Angkor as capital.
In the 8th century, the kingdom of Chenlabroke up into rival kingdoms, then passed under the domination of Java.
The 9th century marked the beginning of the golden age of the Khmer empire, Jayavarman II unified the Khmer princes and freed the empire from the Javanese. In the 12th century, the empire encompassed a large part of Thailand, a part of Vietnam and Laos but the struggles between Hindus and Buddhists, between monks, Khmer and Cham eventually led the kingdom to decline.
The Siamese ended up taking power in Cambodia. Apart from a brief period of prosperity in the 16th century, Cambodia saw a long decline under Siamese reign until the 19th century.
In 1863, King Norodom I accepted the protection France were offering to Cambodia.
After the Second World War, King Norodom Sihanouk negotiated the independence finally granted in 1953.
From 1968, the Khmer Communist Party took up arms. In 1970, a military “coup d'état” precipitated Cambodia in a civil war that killed more than 300,000 people.
In April 1975, the Khmer Rouge took power. As the country turned into a huge forced labor camp, Pol Pot's forces killed more than three million people.
In 1991, Norodom Sihanouk was elected president by the Supreme National Council. UN forces control the country and elections are held in 1993.
Norodom Sihanouk becomes King of Cambodia and Norodom Ranadiddh and Hun Sen shares the seat of prime minister. Khmer Rouge guerrillas will continue sporadically until 1996.