Ponhea Yat

Ponhea Yat (Khmer: ពញាយ៉ាត, UNGEGN: Pônhéa Yat, ALA-LC: Bañā Y″āt [ˌpɔɲiəˈjaːt]; c. 1390 – 1463),^[1] also known as Borom Reachea I (Khmer: បរមរាជាទី១, UNGEGN: Bârômôréachéa ti 1, ALA-LC: Paramarājā dī 1 [ˌɓɑrɔmriəˈciə tiː muay]), was the last king of the Khmer Empire and the first Khmer king of the post-Angkor period.

Ponhea Yat Barom Reachea II
Stupa containing the ashes of Ponhea Yat.
King of the Khmer Empire
Reign	1421–1431[citation needed]
Predecessor	Ponhea Prek
Successor	Himself, as King of Cambodia
King of Cambodia
Reign	1431–1463
Predecessor	Himself, as King of the Khmer Empire
Successor	Noreay Reachea
Born	c. 1390 Yasodharapura, Khmer Empire (now in Siem Reap, Cambodia)
Died	1463 (aged 72–73) Krong Chaktomuk, Cambodia
Burial	Wat Phnom
Spouse	Sri Sraniem Tevi Kesar
Issue	Noreay Reachea Srey Reachea Thommo Reachea
Father	Sri Soryovong
Religion	Buddhism

Ponhea Yat complained to the Yongle Emperor in 1408 and 1414 of raids by the Champa King Indravarman VI.^{[2]: 114, 218} He dispatched Kun Si-li Ren-nong-la to visit China.^[3]

He was forced to flee Yasodharapura in 1431 as it was indefensible against attack by the Siamese, resettling first in Basan (Srey Santhor), but after it became flooded, fled to Chaktomuk (now part of Phnom Penh).^{[4]: 236–237}

In Phnom Penh, the king ordered the land to be built up to protect it from flooding, and a palace to be built. During his reign he also ordered the construction of six Buddhist monasteries around the city, and his remains are housed in a stupa behind the Wat Phnom.

King Ponhea Yat was succeeded on his death by his first son Noreay Reachea, who reigned until 1469 and who was succeeded in turn by Ponhea Yat's second son, Srey Reachea.

Stupa of Ponhea Yat at Wat Phnom.

See also

• History of Cambodia
• Kings of Cambodia