Pour une géographie historique du Cambodge

Résumé En Fr

For a Historical Geography of Cambodia. The relations which the Khmer realm had maintained with its natural environment draw the attentions of the historian and the geographer. Certainly, during the course of its period of greatest expansion the Angkor government established itself in a region of relatively low ground, corresponding to the middle and lower basins of the Mekong. But this merely expresses a generality that has no very great importance. It is, on the other hand, very, remarkable that the Angkor government did not attach much interest to what to us appears to be the main hub of central Indo-China : the confluence of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap. This site, which we believe is of tremendous importance and value, did not draw the attention of the great Angkorians ; it became the capital only after the nation had entered its decadent period. The high Khmer civilization merits the geographer's interest because it had perfected a system of landscape organization, specifically, its creation of localities, both rural and urban, of which the Angkorian complex gives us numerous examples, but which had also existed in many other parts of the Khmer world. As much by its local real estate planning as by its overall organizational abilities, the Khmer civilization has strongly showed that, if it took into consideration physical conditions, it was faithful above all to its production and managerial techniques. and Tonlé Sap. This site, which we believe is of tremendous importance and value, did not draw the attention of the great Angkorians ; it became the capital only after the nation had entered its decadent period. The high Khmer civilization merits the geographer's interest because it had perfected a system of landscape organization, specifically, its creation of localities, both rural and urban, of which the Angkorian complex gives us numerous examples, but which had also existed in many other parts of the Khmer world. As much by its local real estate planning as by its overall organizational abilities, the Khmer civilization has strongly showed that, if it took into consideration physical conditions, it was faithful above all to its production and managerial techniques.

Les rapports que le royaume khmer a entretenus avec son milieu naturel suscitent l'attention de l'historien et du géographe. Certes, lors de sa plus grande expansion, l'Etat angkorien s'est inscrit dans un domaine de terres relativement basses correspondant au bassin moyen et inférieur du Mékong. Mais c'est là une relation d'une telle généralité qu'elle est peu significative. Il est au contraire très remarquable que l'Etat angkorien n'ait pas attaché de prix à ce qui nous paraît être une articulation essentielle de l'Indochine intérieure, le confluent du Mékong et du Tonlé Sap. Ce site, dont nous croirions qu'il est d'une importance écrasante, n'a pas retenu l'attention des grands Angkoriens ; il a fixé la capitale seulement après la décadence angkorienne. Pourtant, c'est bien par le delta du Mékong, et principalement par le Bâsak, que les Angkoriens établissaient leurs relations avec la mer. La haute civilisation khmère retient enfin l'attention du géographe parce qu'elle a mis au point un système très perfectionné d'organisation du paysage : ses créations d'ensemble à la fois ruraux et urbains, dont le complexe angkorien donne de multiples exemples, mais qui ont existé aussi en bien d'autres parties du monde khmer. Aussi bien par ses aménagements locaux que par ses partis pris d'organisation générale, la civilisation khmère classique a fortement montré que, si elle tenait compte des conditions physiques, elle était fidèle avant tout à ses techniques de production et d'encadrement.