Suryavarman II Comes to Power

The yells, shouts and screams echo around inside my head, but I can't let them distract me- I have one job to do and it needs to be done perfectly. My name is Leap which means great fortune or success- and I guess in my field of work I need all the good fortune I can get. I am mahout the man who drives the war elephant and my next client is Paramavishnuloka and my orders are to drive the elephant into a battle against King Dharanindravarman I - who is, according to my sources-his great uncle.

 This is the biggest, most important battle I have ever been apart of. I push the elephant into a strong gallop much like the travellers and traders do with a horse, the elephant lowers it's head preparing to charge I do the same (I don't want my head skewered by the spear that Paramavishnu - yeesh I wish he'd change his name, I mean how do you even pronounce it?).

The smell of rotting bodies rises around us as I charge into the battle ground, my blood runs cold at the sight of all this carnage but this is no time to turn back, besides even if I did I wouldn't pull out of the charge in time. I feel like a medieval jouster as I see the opposing elephant come into view.

Para- what's his face lets out an almighty bellow and we have contact, the battle is fierce but within an hour it is over. I slowly dismount the beast to see the lifeless limp body of the once mighty and feared Dharanindravarman I. My client stands atop the elephant. "It is over my great uncle has fallen leaving me as the rightful khmer ruler and I shall be the strongest and the mightiest. I shall wield the powers of both vishnu and shiva. I am the great Suryavarman II." 

The man's speech ended as swiftly as it started, but at least I can pronounce his name now.

Jayavarman II founds the Khmer Empire

The sweet scents of jungle perfume waft through the majestic court doors as peer into the cavernous room, I see a young man no older than me kneeling before a statue of Brahman. My name is Narith meaning Manly or Masculine, which, I think, assisted in acquiring my job, I'm a guard of the Funan court- you see. It's 802 AD.

Driven by my inquisitive spirit I silently venture into the courtrooms leaving my guards post unmanned. A series of men dressed in ornate robes stand infront of me blocking my entrance, without second thought I club each of them on the head and slide them under the seats, now I can see perfectly. The young man raises a strange pointed hat to his head. The light suddenly changes my eyes scan the area - something is wrong, really wrong.

A bald man with stretched earlobes rests his arms on the sacred statue-A buddhist. The bald man moves towards the young man still kneeling at the foot of  the statue I rest my weight on my front foot preparing to run and defend this unknown  young man. Suddenly the man rises to his feet, "You think you can kill me with a simple dagger" he says holding back an obvious laugh.
"Let this be message to all who hear. The Gods have chosen me. I am Jayavarman II, The Great Devaraja! I shall build an empire strong enough to conquer the greatest nations on earth it shall be built on the foundations of hinduism. It shall be so strong not even champa will stand a chance."

At this the court fell silent everyone knew the significance of this, the birth of an empire and a man claiming he is a god-king or devaraja is not something to be taken lightly, this man whoever he is must be certain he is the chosen one. I begin to wander back to my guard post when someone yells out, "Attack three members of the high court-unconscious!"
 Everyone turns staring at me slowly meandering back to my post, and before I know it one hundred fingers are pointed at me. I am dragged down toward the Devaraja, "Ah my first man in custody- but alas I hated those court members anyway- no charges!" a small man in rags scratches the kings words on a leaf. I couldn't believe my luck.

Jayavarman VII Defeats the Champa

Blood splattered on the dirt, bodies littered across the jungle- this is all I can see for miles away. My name is Mittapheap meaning Friendship between the nations- Ha, what a joke- I'm a member of the Khmer army working under the reign of the greatest of all Khmer rulers, Jayavarman VII. I am amongst the worst of the soldiers brought in for backup, but it doesn't mean I don't have my work cut out.

Before I know it I'm surrounded men with spears aimed at me - but they don't know were trained for these situation. The men are of the Champa army we have been at war four twenty-two years, Honestly the Champa will drag any old farmer into battle!

So back to that moment, I'm surrounded but grabbing my own spear I crouch low and with a huge sweeping motion the whole group of them are on the floor. I thrust my spear into each man before they can get up, the horrible squelch of blood makes me gag with disgust. I clambered onto the back of the nearest elephant and tell the mahout to charge into the thick of the battle or lose his life ( A handy tactic to get a free taxi and you learn it all at Khmer Army training).

Once in the thick of the battle I  jump down from the elephant and draw my sword ( a fine devise cast from metal) I find myself back to back with fellow Khmer soldiers we swiftly for an impenetrable circle surrounding the injured and recovering. Then the battle of our lives. Swords here, spears there and adrenaline pumping through my body, filling me up like the river before it overflows. Without thinking, I, well to say the least went beserk.

Swiping and cutting like mad I find myself separated from the protective circle I spin madly avoiding enemy swords. Then without warning I feel an ice cold shiver run up my spine followed by a searing pain turning my head my eyes spy a dagger ploughed a centimeter into my back the world spins around me and I begin to lose consciousness.

My thoughts run wild it is nice laying here-but if I die why did I bother fighting, I need to see the victory. I awaken to the roar of the crowd-we won-after twenty two years the champa have been defeated!

Suryavarman II Builds Angkor Wat

The crisp air surrounds me as I venture and push my way through the crowds to get a glimpse of  the mighty King Suryavarman II, the year  is 1113 AD, my name is Rith it means strength and courage, yet,  I am a mere servant farmer of the great 'King'. The buzz of the crowd escalates as the first of many soldiers march into the grounds. Dust, Lots of dust - the kind that gets in your nose and fills your head with the stench of dried elephant droppings- is spews up behind the soldiers. The coughing of the crowd now drowns out the once exited buzz.

The king rides in on the very same elephant used to kill his great uncle and claim the throne, he jumps down and displays himself to the crowed before beginning an obviously well rehearsed speech: "Hello my dearest friends!" a large snort echo's through the crowd as we are all his servants and in some cases his unfairly treated slaves, "I bring news that will require many men, I have developed a scheme to please the mighty god Vishnu I order you to build a great temple call it Angkor Wat. You have heard my word now go forth and keep it."

A feeling of lose sweeps through my body- all the excitement, all the expectation- just to be told to do more work whilst the king gets to sit on his pampered throne.

The crowd begins to spread apart slithering through the grounds lake hundreds of snake hatch lings, I bend down and pick up a humongous sack of sandstone my aching back buckles under the weight (It was a good 40-50kg). I struggle over to a cart drawn by a giant elephant and deposit the huge load. I then stumble back toward the endless piles of sacks.

I  am, along with the other slaves  loaded into the cart along with 5 odd tonne of Sandstone, we are transported across the country to a place could Siem Reap the jungle is thicker here yet there is a sort of odd clearing in the middle as if Shiva  had come here and destroyed all tree's with in 2,000,000 Square Metres.  We start work lifting and stacking, it takes hours but finally we have built a small section of stacked bricks it may be small and lifeless but all of us are feeling the same thing Vishnu's really going to like this.