71 the nation, and a royal palace. As a new monarch, erecting these three structures was for him a top priority. Construction of the massive temple in the Angkor area entailed a lengthy period of time, tens of thousands of “people,” and vast amounts of material. Besides, to accomplish the task of construction, the continuance of peace and safety in society was an indispensable condition. A mammoth temple cannot be erected unless a situation of peace endures. Conciliating people involved in foreign and civil wars entailed a good deal of time, and besides vast numbers of individuals had to be mobilized. Peace implies an enduring and stable interval of time, under the control of a dominant monarch. As regards Angkor, we are aware of two occasions when the dynasty’s rule was pacific and lasting. The first Pax Angkorica was the era when the Pre Rup temple (961) and Banteay Srei temple (967-993) were erected, and this lasted approximately a hundred years, from 944 to 1050. As noticed in Banteay Srei, beautiful and elegant Devata (goddesses), so striking that they are referred to as “Mona Lisas of the Orient” were created as sacred items, and we have also the completion of the Baphuon temple, with the story of the Ramayana engraved on elegant panel embossing. Ethnic culture flourished for around 100 years against this setting of peace. The concept of Pax Angkorica accumulates the ages of temples erected during those peaceful times, and argues on the basis of that data. This is not to say a couple of cases of foreign invasions or domestic rebellions did not arise during those periods. Yet relatively peaceful eras lasted for quite some time, and under the rule of powerful kings erecting large temples became a possibility. At the same time, the development of social infrastructure steadily progressed. The existence of the God king became known to people of all regions, and concurrently the maintenance of public security and control by the “army of war elephants,” continued. The second Pax Angkorica continued around 100 years, from 1118 to 1218. Although foreign as well as civil conflicts persisted, such as the occupation of the
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