Cambodia

The religious culture of the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia and the expanding Cambodian diaspora draws from a rich and dynamic Buddhist and Hindu heritage that is multifaceted, resilient, and unique. Living at the crossroads of Southeast Asia for centuries, the Khmer people of Cambodia both received from and contributed to many world cultures and continue to do so both in their homeland and in the many parts of the world where they have settled. The grand temples of Angkor Wat, Bayon, Preah Vihear, Koh Ker, and several others incorporate ideas from Indian traditions and share the architectural idiom of other monuments in Southeast Asia but in the end are uniquely and distinctively Khmer. Khmer dances showcasing stories from the epic Ramayana and other compositions include narratives known in India as well as others that are unknown there. Since the 20th century, there has been a distinctly transnational trend, as communities of the Cambodian diaspora, which now flourishes in America and in parts of Europe, regularly invite dancers and religious personnel from the home country and also celebrate festivals to showcase their culture.

Cambodia is about 95% Theravada Buddhist; Muslims and Christians form most of the religious minority population. The early recorded history of Cambodia as found in Chinese sources speaks about the Funan kingdom (third to fifth centuries CE) and the Zhenla kingdom—which may have been a collective of smaller states—in the sixth and seventh centuries CE. Extensive contact with many parts of the world is seen even at this early stage. Early inscriptions dating possibly back to the late fifth or early sixth centuries tell us about rulers with Indian/Hindu names with sectarian Vaishnavite and Shaivite affiliations. While Mahayana Buddhism was prevalent, most kings seem to have been, at least nominally, followers of the Hindu god Shiva. The Angkorean age began around 802 CE with the rule of Jayavarman II and is noted for its accelerated pace in the building of large, prestigious temples. There is general agreement that Hindu traditions declined after the 15th century CE, but the memory of the many deities and the stories of the Hindu epics have lingered, and the performing arts have been rediscovered, adapted, and reinvented through the centuries.

Cambodia and other countries of Southeast Asia had a reciprocal relationship of trade and culture with many parts of the world since the beginning of the first century CE. There were, of course, extensive connections with India, probably both by land and sea routes. The boundaries of these kingdoms in Southeast Asia have fluctuated through the centuries, and at the height of its power, the Khmer empire consisted of vast tracts of Southeast Asia, including parts of present-day [Page 172]Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and the Malay peninsula; the grand Shiva temples in Wat Phu (Laos) and Phnom Rung (near Korat, Thailand) are examples of the major temples built at the height of Khmer rule. After Thai invasions in 1431, the capital was moved south, toward Phnom Penh. After centuries of turbulent relationships with the neighboring countries, Cambodia became a French protectorate in 1863, and there has been considerable sharing of cultures between these countries. During the violent Khmer Rouge regime (1975–1979), religious activities were prohibited. In the large diaspora and resettlement that followed, political refugees took their diverse traditions with them to Europe, Canada, and the United States.

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