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106 to fall apart, a situation that persists to the present day.” (“The Customs of Cambodia,” Village Article). The principal cause for the decline and devastation of the Angkor dynasty was the war with the early Ayutthaya dynasty after the middle of the 14th century, which lasted for around 80 years. According to Thailand’s “Ayutthaya Dynasty Chronicles,” it is said that around 1351 and 1369 the Angkor area was assailed. The details here are unknown, but around 1431 the army of early Ayutthaya faced fierce resistance from the Cambodian army, and although they withdrew once, they were fortified by reinforcements and challenged them to a decisive battle. Centered on powerful war elephant units the army broke through some Cambodian lines of defense, and after encircling the Angkor capital they effected a thorough scorched-earth operation. Within the capital enclosure the lofty wooden towers, the royal palace, the rear palace, warehouses, stilt houses of high-ranking officials, guard houses, and so on were all set on fire, and it is said that there was a total onslaught wherein all were killed. As an outcome of this, the castle town of the Angkor dynasty which had lasted for around 600 years, was returned to dust. The abandonment of the Angkor capital was the end of an era. Since the rammed-earth embankment (royal road) with magnificent stone bridges, which was built at the height of the Angkor dynasty, also led to the Ayutthaya area, the army of the early Ayutthaya dynasty dispatched a large army before the Cambodian side had readied their defenses, and overcame them. It is said the victorious army of early Ayutthaya brought back large amounts of plunder from the Angkor capital, particularly tens of thousands of prisoners of war including surviving Cambodian bureaucrats. The plunder also included costly bronze statues of Gods and Buddhas, products of crafts, precious metals, and so on. The statues of the Gods and Buddhas were carried to the Ayutthaya capital, and after