Social structure |
Top: King or royal court |
Like many other old culture, Khmer society was hierarchical. This means that everyone in the Khmer Empire had their own position and was either looked up to or looked down on depending on who they were and their position. Khmer society strictly revolved around kings and temples. Political and economic decisions were all based on the village temple. The local Aristrocracy administered their land and their resources through these villages. The temple acted as a storehouse for the village and also collected the produce. These village temples, in turn, owed allegiance to regional temples and to a greater or central temple that is linked to the king and the court.