Jayavarman III

Very little is known about Jayavarman III (Khmer: ជ័យវរ្ម័នទី៣), the second ruler of Angkor.

Jayavarman II's son and successor, Jayavarman III reigned from 835 to 877.

Jayavarman means "victorious protector".  "Jaya" literally means "victorious", and "varman", a suffix used in the reign-names of the overlords of Funan and Chenla, and throughout Cambodian history, means “armour”; hence, “protection”.

An inscription from Prasat Sak describes: "When he failed to capture a wild elephant while hunting, a divinity promised that he would secure the animal if he built a sanctuary."  There are some temples dated to his reign though none said that they belonged to him.  He may have begun a small construction project which was overshadowed by his successor, the more ambitious builder, Indravarman I.  He died in 877, probably from chasing a wild elephant!