Suryavarman II 1094 – 1150

Biography

Suryavarman II was born on January 1, 1094, in Angkor, the great capital of the Khmer Empire. He came of age during a period of significant cultural and architectural flourishing in Cambodia. Throughout his life, he remained connected to Angkor, the center of power and administration for the kingdom he would come to lead.

During his fifty-six years, Suryavarman II witnessed and participated in the development of one of Southeast Asia’s most remarkable civilizations. He spent his entire life in Angkor, where he was born and where he eventually died on January 1, 1150. His existence spans a full half-century of Khmer history, a time of considerable importance for the region.

Though specific details of his reign and accomplishments have not been preserved in the records available to us, Suryavarman II remains an important figure in Cambodian history. He lived through a formative era for the kingdom and its people. His life, marked by his birth and death in the magnificent city of Angkor, connects him forever to one of history’s most enduring centers of Asian civilization and culture.