Jayavarman VII
| Jayavarman VII the Great | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor of the Khmer Empire | |||||
| Reign | 1181–1218 | ||||
| Coronation | 1182 | ||||
| Predecessor | Tribhuvanadityavarman (prior to the Cham Invasion) | ||||
| Successor | Indravarman II | ||||
| Born | c. 1122/1125 Angkor, Khmer Empire | ||||
| Died | 1218 (aged c. 95) Yaśodharapura, Khmer Empire | ||||
| Consort | Jayarajadevi, Indradevi | ||||
| Issue | Suryakumara (mentioned in Ta Prohm) Virakumara (mentioned in Preah Khan) Srindrakumara (mentioned in Banteay Chhmar) Indravarman II Tamalinda (later became a bhikku) Sukhara Mahadevi, chief consorts of Pho Khun Pha Mueang | ||||
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| Dynasty | Varman | ||||
| Father | Dharanindravarman II | ||||
| Mother | Sri Jayarajacudamani | ||||
| Religion | Mahayana Buddhism | ||||
| Military service | |||||
| Allegiance | Khmer Empire | ||||
| Battles/wars | |||||
Jayavarman VII (Khmer: ជ័យវរ្ម័នទី៧), known posthumously as Mahaparamasaugata (មហាបរមសៅគាត, c. 1122–1218), was king of the Khmer Empire. He was the son of King Dharanindravarman II (r. 1150–1160) and Queen Sri Jayarajacudamani. He was the first king devoted to Buddhism, as only one prior Khmer king had been a Buddhist. He then built the Bayon as a monument to Buddhism. Jayavarman VII is generally considered the most powerful of the Khmer monarchs by historians. His government built many projects including hospitals, highways, rest houses, and temples. With Buddhism as his motivation, King Jayavarman VII is credited with introducing a welfare state that served the physical and spiritual needs of the Khmer people.