Overview

In Angkor, the First Builders: Indravarman I and Yasovarman I, the dawn of the Khmer Empire emerges in breathtaking detail. This volume transports the reader into the ninth-century world where two extraordinary kings transformed a cluster of settlements on the Tonlé Sap floodplain into the foundations of one of humanity's greatest civilizations. Through sweeping narrative and meticulously researched archaeology, the book reveals how Indravarman I reshaped the land with visionary reservoirs, temple-mountains, and a new philosophy of kingship that fused cosmology with statecraft. His successor Yasovarman I carried the torch forward, carving cities into the landscape, expanding royal cults, and establishing Angkor's first true capital, a masterpiece of urban planning. Their reigns form the genesis of Angkor's monumental ambition-a genesis whose echoes still resonate in stone. This work blends historical scholarship, epigraphy, landscape archaeology, and cultural anthropology to uncover the human story behind the rise of Angkor. It presents not just the temples and reservoirs, but the minds, spiritual frameworks, rivalries, and innovations that fueled an age of explosive creativity. Through immersive prose, Angkor, the First Builders brings to life a civilization discovering its destiny, showing how two kings laid the ideological and architectural foundations that made Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, and Angkor Thom possible. For lovers of ancient civilizations, lost worlds, and Southeast Asian history, this book is an indispensable journey into the origins of Khmer grandeur.

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A.J. Carmichael is a renowned author and explorer noted for his expertise in ancient history, ancient mysteries, and adventure. He is passionately committed to uncovering the secrets of past cultures. From a young age, he became fascinated by the ancient Egyptians and their mysterious pyramids. As he matured, his interest in ancient history deepened, and he immersed himself in the cultures and customs of civilizations long gone. After completing his studies, A.J. set out to explore the ancient world firsthand-travelling extensively to Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome to study ruins and artifacts left behind by ancient peoples. Along the way, he made several exciting discoveries. He has published multiple bestselling books on ancient history and mysteries, including his renowned Ancient Worlds and Civilizations series, which have earned him international recognition and established him as a leading voice in popular historical writing.

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