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15 million (2006 est. ) |
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 Cambodia 12. The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East 5 million[1] |
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| Khmer, Vietnamese, Northern Khmer, Thai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mon, Wa, and other Mon-Khmer groups |
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The Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 13. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Khmer (ភាសាខ្មែរ or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) Northern Khmer, also called Khmer Surin is the dialect of the Khmer language spoken by the Khmer native to the Thai provinces of Surin, Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation The Mon ( Mon language: မန် or မည် မွန်လူမျိုး mùn lùmjóʊ Thai: มอญ are an Ethnic group from The Va nationality ( ဝလူမျိုး wa̰ lùmjóʊ lives mainly in compact communities in the Ximeng (in Va Mēng Ka or Si Moung) The Mon-Khmer languages are the autochthonous Language family of Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East 9 million people in the country. Part of the larger Mon-Khmer ethnolinguistic peoples found throughout Southeast Asia, they speak the Khmer language. The Mon-Khmer languages are the autochthonous Language family of Southeast Asia. Khmer (ភាសាខ្មែរ or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. The majority of the Khmer are followers of the Khmer style of Buddhism, a highly syncretic version which blends elements of Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, animism and ancestor-spirit worship. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. [2] Significant populations of Khmers reside in adjacent areas of Thailand (Northern Khmer) and the Mekong Delta region of neighboring Vietnam (Khmer Krom). Northern Khmer, also called Khmer Surin is the dialect of the Khmer language spoken by the Khmer native to the Thai provinces of Surin, The Mekong Delta (đồng bằng sông Cửu Long “Nine Dragon river delta” is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially The Khmer Krom ( Khmer:, Vietnamese: Khơ Me Crộm) - Khmer people living in the Delta and the Lower Mekong area
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History
Migrations into the mainland regions of Southeast Asia from the north continued well into historic times. Archaeological evidence indicates that parts of the region now called Cambodia were inhabited from around 1000-2000 BCE by a Neolithic culture that may have migrated from South Eastern The Khmer came with earlier waves following in the wake of the Malays. Malays (Melayu are an Ethnic group of Austronesian peoples predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast Most scholars believe they came at least 3,000 years ago, much earlier than Tai people who now inhabit many parts of what was originally Austroasiatic territory. "Thai peoples" redirects here For the subgroup of the Tai see Thai people The Tai or Tai-Kadai ethnicity refers collectively to the Ethnic The Austro-Asiatic languages are a large Language family of Southeast Asia, and also scattered throughout India and Bangladesh. The reason they migrated into Southeast Asia is generally debated, but scholars believe that Mon-Khmer were pushed down by invading Sino-Tibetans from the north as evident by Austroasiatic vocabulary in Chinese or because of agricultural purposes as evident by their migration routes along major rivers. The Mon-Khmer languages are the autochthonous Language family of Southeast Asia. The Sino-Tibetan languages form a Language family composed of at least the Chinese and the Tibeto-Burman languages, including some 250 languages of The Khmer are relatives to the Mon who settled further to the west. The Mon ( Mon language: မန် or မည် မွန်လူမျိုး mùn lùmjóʊ Thai: มอญ are an Ethnic group from
After establishment in Southeast Asia, the history of the Khmer people parallels the history of Cambodia. Archaeological evidence indicates that parts of the region now called Cambodia were inhabited from around 1000-2000 BCE by a Neolithic culture that may have migrated from South Eastern Like the other early peoples of Southeast Asia such as the Pyu and Mon, the Khmer were influenced by Indian traders and scholars, adapting their religions, sciences, and customs and borrowing from their languages. Pyu (also Pyuu or Pyus; in Chinese records Pyao) refers to a collection of City-states and their language found in the central and northern regions The Mon ( Mon language: မန် or မည် မွန်လူမျိုး mùn lùmjóʊ Thai: มอญ are an Ethnic group from The Khmer also acquired the concept of the Sivite Deva Raja (God-King) and the great temple as a symbolic holy mountain. Although Cambodian kingdoms waxed and waned and were eventually eclipsed, the Cambodian penchant for building temples of stone throughout their kingdoms left monuments still extant today.
Jayavarman II (802 – 830), revived Cambodian power and built the foundation for the Angkorean empire, founding three capitals--Indrapura, Hariharalaya, and Mahendraparvata--the archeological remains of which reveal much about his times. Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. After winning a long civil war, Suryavarman I (reigned 1002 – 1050) turned his forces eastward and subjugated the Mon kingdom of Dvaravati. Consequently, he ruled over the greater part of present-day Thailand and Laos, as well as the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. This period, during which Angkor Wat was constructed, is considered the apex of Khmer civilization. Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) (អង្គរវត្ត is a Temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II The Khmer kingdom became a great empire, and the great temples of Angkor, considered an archeological treasure replete with detailed stone bas-reliefs showing many aspects of the culture, including some musical instruments, remain as monuments to the culture of the Khmer. After the death of Suryavarman II (1113 – 1150), Cambodia lapsed into chaos until Jayavarman VII (1181 – 1218) ordered the construction of a new city. He was a Buddhist, and for a time, Buddhism became the dominant religion in Cambodia. As a state religion, however, it was adapted to suit the Deva Raja cult, with a Buddha Raja being substituted for the former Shiva Raja or Vishnu Raja.
The rise of the Tai kingdoms of Sukhothai (1238) and Ayuthaya (1350) resulted in almost ceaseless wars with the Cambodians and led to the destruction of Angkor in 1431. They are said to have carried off 90,000 prisoners, many of whom were likely dancers and musicians. [3] The period following 1432, with the Cambodian people bereft of their treasures, documents, and human culture bearers, was one of precipitous decline. In 1434 King Ponhea Yat made Phnom Penh his capital, and Angkor was abandoned to the jungle. Due to continued Siamese and Vietnamese aggression Cambodia appealed to France for protection in 1863 and became a French protectorate in 1864. During the 1880s, along southern Vietnam and Laos, Cambodia was drawn into the French-controlled Indochinese Union. For nearly a century, the French exploited Cambodia commercially, and demanded power over politics, economics, and social life.
During the second half of the twentieth century, the political situation in Cambodia became chaotic. King Norodom Sihanouk (later, Prince, then again King), proclaimed Cambodia's independence in 1949 (granted in full in 1953) and ruled the country until March 18, 1970, when he was overthrown by General Lon Nol, who established the Khmer Republic. On April 17, 1975, the genocidal Khmer Rouge led by Saloth Sar, better known by his alias, Pol Pot, came to power and virtually destroyed the Cambodian people, their health, morality, education, physical environment, and culture. Saloth Sar ( May 19, 1925 – April 15, 1998) also known as Pol Pot, was leader of the Communist movement known as On January 7, 1979 Vietnamese forces ousted the Khmer Rouge. After more than ten years of painfully slow rebuilding with only meager outside help, the United Nations intervened resulting in the Paris Peace Accord on October 23, 1992 and created conditions for general elections in May 1993, leading to the formation of the current government and the restoration of Prince Sihanouk to power as King in 1993. Nonetheless, the Khmer Rouge continued to control portions of western and northern Cambodia until the late 1990s when they surrendered to government forces in exchange for either amnesty or re-adjustment for positions into the Cambodian government, and security outside the capital remains problematic.
Geography and demographics
The majority of the world's Khmer live in Cambodia, the population of which is 90% Khmer. There are also significant Khmer populations native to Thailand and Vietnam. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially There are over one million Khmer, mainly in Surin, Buriram and Srisaket provinces, in Thailand. Surin (สุรินทร์ is one of the north-eastern provinces ( changwat) of Thailand. Buri Ram (บุรีรัมย์ is one of the north-eastern provinces ( changwat) of Thailand. Sisaket (ศรีสะเกษ transliteration of Chinese character "四色菊" literally means "Four colours chrysanthemum" is one of the north-eastern Estimates for the number of Khmer in Vietnam (known as Khmer Krom) vary from the 1. The Khmer Krom ( Khmer:, Vietnamese: Khơ Me Crộm) - Khmer people living in the Delta and the Lower Mekong area 1 million given by government data to seven million advocated by the Khmer Krom Federation. [4]
Due to the Cambodian Civil War, thousands of Khmer now reside as refugees in the United States, Canada, Australia and France as well. The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (known as the Khmer Rouge) and their allies the Democratic Republic of The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.
Culture and society
The culture of the ethnic Khmer is fairly homogeneous throughout their geographic range. Regional dialects exist but are mutually intelligible. The standard is based on Phnom Penh speech, which, due to the city's status as the national capital, has been modestly affected by recent French and Vietnamese influence. However, the variety of Khmer spoken in Battambang is more representative of the speech of the majority of the population. Battambang (pronounced /bɐtdəmbɒŋ/ (the Siamese name was Phratabong founded during the height of the Khmer empire in the 11th Other dialects are Northern Khmer, called Khmer Surin by Cambodians, spoken by the Khmer in Thailand and Khmer Krom spoken by the Khmer native to the Mekong delta regions of Vietnam adjacent to Cambodia. Northern Khmer, also called Khmer Surin is the dialect of the Khmer language spoken by the Khmer native to the Thai provinces of Surin, The Mekong Delta (đồng bằng sông Cửu Long “Nine Dragon river delta” is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties A little-studied dialect known as Western Khmer, or Cardamom Khmer, is spoken by a small, isolated population in the Cardamon Mountain range extending from Cambodia into Thailand. Although little studied, it is unique in that it maintains a definite system of vocal register that has all but disappeared in other dialects of modern Khmer. Register (sociolinguisticsIn Linguistics, a register language also known as a pitch-register language is a language which combines tone and vowel
The modern Khmer strongly identify their ethnic identity with their religious beliefs and practices which combine the tenets of Theravada Buddhism with elements of indigenous ancestor-spirit worship, animism and shamanism. [2] The majority of the Khmer live in rural villages either as rice farmers or fishermen and life revolves around the wat (temple) and the various Buddhist ceremonies throughout the year. However, if a Khmer becomes ill, they will frequently see a kru khmae (shaman/healer) whom they believe can diagnose which of the many spirits (neak ta) has caused the illness and recommend a course of action to propitiate the offended spirit, thereby curing the illness. [5] The kru khmae also is learned in herb lore and is often sought to prepare various "medicines" and potions or for a magical tattoo, all believed to endow one with special prowess and ward off evil spirits or general bad luck. Sak yant (สักยันต also called yantra tattooing, is a form of sacred tattooing practiced in Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia and [5] Khmer beliefs also rely heavily on astrology, a remnant of Hinduism. Jyotiṣa ( Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light heavenly body" also spelled Jyotish and Jyotisha in English A fortune teller, called hao-ra or kru tieay in Khmer, is often consulted before major events, like choosing a spouse, beginning an important journey or business venture, setting the date for a wedding and determining the proper location for building new structures.
Throughout the year the Khmer celebrate many holidays, most of a religious or spiritual nature, some of which are also observed as public holidays. List of Holidays observed in Cambodia. Cambodian calendar Cambodia has various dates and ceremonies that are considered to be a special The two most important are Choul Chhnam (Cambodian New Year) and Pchum Ben ("Ancestor Day"). Cambodian New Year or Chaul Chnam Thmey in the Khmer language, literally "Enter the New Year" is the name of the Cambodian holiday that celebrates Prachum Benda (បុណ្យភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ ("Ancestors' Day" more commonly known as Pchum Ben, is a Cambodian religious festival culminating in The Khmer Buddhist calendar is divided into 12 months with the traditional new year beginning on the first day of khae chaet which coincides with the first new moon of April in the western calendar. The Buddhist calendar is used on mainland Southeast Asia in the countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar (formerly Burma This article is about the lunar phase for other uses see New Moon (disambiguation. However, the modern celebration has been standardized to coincide with April 13th. The new year's celebration lasts three days, one day to mark the end of the old year, one day to welcome the spirit (tevida) of the coming year, and one day to honor one's parents as preah ros or "living gods (enlightened ones)".
Khmer culture has influenced Thai and Lao cultures. The culture of Cambodia has had a rich and varied history dating back many centuries and has been heavily influenced by India. The Culture of Thailand is heavily influenced by Buddhism. Other influences have included Hinduism, conflict and trade with Southeast Asian neighbors such as The culture of Laos has been highly influenced by Theravada Buddhism. Many Khmer loanwords are found in Thai and Lao, and the Thai Alphabet is derived from the Khmer alphabet, which in turn, is derived from the Pallava script of southern India. Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and Lao or Laotian (BGN/PCGN phasa lao IPA: pʰaːsaː laːw is a Tonal Language of the Tai-Kadai language family The Thai Alphabet (อักษรไทย àksŏn thai) is used to write the Thai language and other minority languages in Thailand The Khmer script (អក្ខរក្រមខេមរភាសា âkkhârâkrâm khémârâ phéasa informally aksar Khmer អក្សរខ្មែរ is used to write the Grantha ( Tamil: கிரந்த ௭ழுத்து Bengali: গ্রন্থলিপি Malayalam: ml ഗ്രന്ഥലിപി Sanskrit Khmer architecture, regalia, customs also served as a vehicle to transmit the influence of India to the Thai and Lao as well. The period of Angkor is the period from approximately the latter half of the 8th century A
References
- Benjamin Walker, Angkor Empire: A History of the Khmer of Cambodia, Signet Press, Calcutta, 1995. Benjamin Walker ( November 25, 1913) is the truncated pen name of George Benjamin Walker who also writes under the pseudonym Jivan Bhakar
Notes
- ^ CIA FactBook. Accessed July 25, 2006.
- ^ a b Faith Traditions in Cambodia; pg. 8; accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ Thailand 1969:151, Blanchard 1958:27
- ^ KhmerKrom.org
- ^ a b Khmer Culture
See also
- Khmer Krom
- Khmer Surin
- Khmer Loeu
- Khmer language
- Khmer script
- Khmer cuisine
- Khmer Empire
- Khmer Rouge
- List of ethnic groups in Vietnam
External links
The Khmer Krom ( Khmer:, Vietnamese: Khơ Me Crộm) - Khmer people living in the Delta and the Lower Mekong area Northern Khmer, also called Khmer Surin is the dialect of the Khmer language spoken by the Khmer native to the Thai provinces of Surin, The Khmer Loeu are the non- Khmer highland tribes in Cambodia. Khmer (ភាសាខ្មែរ or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. The Khmer script (អក្ខរក្រមខេមរភាសា âkkhârâkrâm khémârâ phéasa informally aksar Khmer អក្សរខ្មែរ is used to write the Khmer cuisine ( Khmer សិល្បៈខាងធ្វើម្ហូបខ្មែរ is another name for the food widely The Khmer Empire was the largest empire of South East Asia based in what is now Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge (ខ្មែរក្រហម Kmae Krɑhɑɑm was the Communist ruling political party of Cambodia &mdashwhich it renamed Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country with over fifty distinct groups (54 are recognized by the Vietnamese government each with its own language lifestyle and cultural heritageDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic