New insights into ‘les interminables listes nominatives d’esclaves’ from numerical analyses of the personnel in Angkorian inscriptions

Abstract

This study, based on records of thousands of individual people from over 100 Angkorian temple inscriptions, looks at changes in status among the non-elite temple labour force between the 9th and 12th centuries. The personnel have been broadly categorised as being either sanctuary or non-sanctuary workers. Indications are found of the declining importance of non-sanctuary personnel and juveniles after the early Angkorian period. This raises the question of the availability of labour and the age ranges for participation in the workforce. Overall, there are more females than males in sanctuaries. However, the sex ratios in non-sanctuary lists are close to those of natural populations. In the relative rankings of the male categories, si and gho, the si appear to have a higher status than the gho in the early Angkorian period, and to reverse after the reign of Jayavarman IV. Did he rule from Koh Ker to shore up his power base, effectively hindering an impending shift in the power structure ?