The Rise of the Chenla Kingdom

The rise of the Chenla Empire occurred in the 6th century when they overtook the Funan Empire and absorbed the Funan people into their society. It’s believed that Bhavavarman the First and his close relative Mahendravarman the First took advantage of the slow dissolution of the Funan Empire and struck when the opportunity presented itself.

Mahendravarman took over the role as king of the Chenla Empire after Bhavavarman passed away, and Mahendravarman became one of the most well-known kings in Southeast Asia.

Eventually, the empire was loosely divided into two portions – Water Chenla and Land Chenla.

As the names indicate, Water Chenla was the part of the empire that was closest to the sea, making them effective traders, while Land Chenla was the inland portion of the empire that focused on agriculture.