Champa sacks Angkor
The Cham fleet sailed up the Mekong and into the Tonle Sap lake to launch a surprise attack on Angkor; the Khmer king was killed, the capital was sacked, and Champa occupied Angkor for about four years.
Belligerents
Champa
- Commanders
- Jaya Indravarman IV
- Strength
- A fleet, size not reliably recorded
Angkor (Khmer)
- Commanders
- Tribhuvanadityavarman (killed in battle)
- Strength
- No reliable record
Background
Angkor and Champa fought for a long time, and Suryavarman II had captured the Champa capital in 1145. In the second half of the 12th century the Angkorian court was torn by internal strife, and Champa seized the chance for revenge; Chinese historical sources also record that Champa attacked Chenla with a fleet.
Course of the battle
- Fleet sails upriverThe Cham fleet entered the Mekong from the sea, then turned up the Tonle Sap River to push north.
- Crossing the Great LakeThe fleet crossed the Tonle Sap lake and landed near Angkor.
- Capital fallsThe Cham army stormed Angkor, killed King Tribhuvanadityavarman, and plundered on a massive scale.
- Angkor recapturedJayavarman VII organized a counterattack; the naval battle on the lake shown in the Bayon reliefs is traditionally believed to depict this war. He recaptured Angkor in 1181 and took the throne.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1177 |
|---|---|
| Place | Angkor (modern Siem Reap, Cambodia) |
| Result | The Cham fleet sailed up the Mekong and into the Tonle Sap lake to launch a surprise attack on Angkor; the Khmer king was killed, the capital was sacked, and Champa occupied Angkor for about four years. |
| Winner | Champa |
| Casualties | No precise records exist. |
| Territorial change | Angkor for a time became territory occupied by Champa; in 1181 Jayavarman VII recaptured the capital and then counterattacked Champa, which became a dependency of Angkor from 1203 to 1220. |
Impact
This surprise attack was the most bitter defeat of the Khmer Empire, yet it also led to the restoration under Jayavarman VII: he converted to Mahayana Buddhism, built Angkor Thom and the Bayon, and Angkor's territory reached its greatest extent.
See the world in 1177 on the map →