Funan: The Earliest Maritime Kingdom of Southeast Asia

A kingdom with an impressive wealth and an extraordinary network, the Funan Kingdom stood as one of the earliest most powerful kingdoms in Southeast Asia. With the capital in Vyadapura or the City of Hunters in Khmer language, it dominated the area that composed Cambodia, Vietnam, and parts of the Malaya Peninsula and Thailand. It ruled the area from the 3rd and up to the 7th century. But with the changing in the maritime trade of Asia, Funan felt the effects catastrophically, leading eventually into its assimilation with its neighboring kingdom.

Monuments of Southeast Asia: Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat (Drawing by Henri Mouhot)

Lying in the center of marsh and jungle, the Angkor Wat stood as one of biggest temple in the world. Cambodia took pride of this temple and depicted it in its national flag, lying in its center. It became a monument of Hindu influence to Southeast Asia and to the belief that Kings become Gods once they died. But most importantly, Angkor Wat stood as legacy of the once mighty Khmer Empire.

The Fall of Cambodia to France

King Norodom

Cambodia lays in the center of the mainland Southeast Asia. In the past, it hosted once the powerful Khmer Empire. But in the 19th century, Cambodia became only a shadow of the glory days of the Khmer Empire. More powerful neighboring countries battled for supremacy and influence over Cambodia. But the most formidable appeared as the most farthest yet the most powerful country to dominate Cambodia – France. France’s imperial ambition in east led to its conquest of Cambodia.

French Conquest of Indochina

The extent of French Indochina (Yellow)

France was one of the greatest powers in the world. Along with its European rivals, it acquired a huge empire that comprised territories from the Africa to Asia. In the region of Southeast Asia, France became a major player in its politics during the 19th century. In competition with Great Britain, it exerted a lot of effort in order to acquire lands as much as possible. At the end, France managed to obtain the region known as Indochina. And for the countries, of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, it was a start of a half a century of colonization and exploitation.