Mindmap on the Indianization of the Khmer Empire.
- Indianization was very useful to the rulers because they were then able to pick and choose ideas they liked and combine them to form a new idea and use it.
- Although caste was never adopted in the Khmer society, the king used notions of "varna" (caste) to grade people at the royal court.
- The Ramayana is a great Sanskrit epic poem which has a big influence over Southeast Asia as it is very popular, influential, imitated and successful. Scenes from it are carved in the famous Angkor Wat and painted in the Cambodian Royal Palace.
- The Khmers are known as legendary masters of sculpturing and stone craft, and it was the Brahmans of India who taught them the art of stone carving. The Brahmans also taught them how to make irrigation systems and waterways, which helped a lot with crop production and communication links respectively.
- Even the Khmer language is very similar to Sanskrit (a sacred Indian language).
KHMER VS SANSKRIT
Top: Khmer
Bottom: Sanskrit