🇰🇭| Khmer Empire larger than the East Roman Empire from Europe as at it's height in 1143.

Angkor Empire predecessor state to modern Cambodia, was a largest Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia

Jayavarman II was the first king of the Angkorian era, though his origins are recorded in history that borders on legend. He is reputed to have been a Khmer prince, returned to Cambodia around 790CE after a lengthy, perhaps forced stay in the royal court in Java. Regardless of his origin, he was a warrior who, upon returning to Cambodia, subdued enough of the competing Khmer states to declare a sovereign and unified ‘Kambuja’ under a single ruler. He made this declaration in 802CE in a ceremony on Kulen Mountain (Phnom Kulen) north of Siem Reap, where he held a ‘god-king’ rite that legitimized his ‘universal kingship’ through the establishment of a royal linga-worshiping cult. The linga-cult would remain central to Angkorian kingship, religion, art and architecture for centuries.

》In this first map, the Khmer Empire composed of modern day Kingdom of Cambodia most of  :

[♤] Southern Vietnam (Kampuchea Krom or the Mekong Delta)

[♤] Laos

[♤] Thailand

[♤] Southern Myanmar

= Total area : 1.114.000 km2

The map shows the Khmer Empire at its greatest extent, from the 12th-13th centuries. To the left is Myanmar (Burma, with Arakan) at its border (far left). To the right are North Vietnam (Dai Viet) and South Vietnam (Champa); China (Song) at the top; and Malaysia (Srivijaya) at the very bottom of the map. Laos and Thailand are not shown on this map, because the countries did not exist at that time of The Indochinese Peninsula in the 12th-13th centuries. 

》In the second map, The Byzantine Empire often called simply Byzantium with its capital founded at Constantinople (Modern city Istanbul) by Constantine I near the Borporus and Strait of Dardanella Strait with among Black Sea and Marmaea Sea. In 1143, John II Komnenos which is famous for its mosaic at Hagia sapia, The empire territory right now included of part country :

[♤] Turkey (West)

[♤] Cyprus

[♤] Syrian Coast region

[♤] Greece

[♤] Bulgaria

[♤] Albania

[♤] Macedonia

[♤] Kosovo 

[♤] Sevastopol Russia 

[♤] South Serbia

= Total area 1000.000 km2

During most of its existence, the empire was the most powerful economic, cultural and military force in Europe. " Byzantine Empire " is a term created after the end of the realm; its citizens continued to refer to their empire simply as the Roman Empire (Greek: Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων, tr. Basileia Rhōmaiōn; Latin: Imperium Romanum), or Romania (Ῥωμανία), and to themselves as "Romans" Although the Roman state continued and its traditions were maintained, modern historians distinguish Byzantium from ancient Rome insofar as it was centred on Constantinople, orientated towards Greek rather than Latin culture and characterised by Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Credit SEA Heritage & History