Women had a high status in premodern Southeast Asia; this is constantly stated, especially in relation to discussions on the status of women today in the region. Why, then, is it that the position of women there today is far from equitable? Few studies have examined how, when, or even why this change came about.This is the first study ever to address the place of women in Cambodian history. A narrative and visual tour de force, it revises accepted perspectives in the history and geopolitical organization of Cambodia since c. 230 C.E. In so doing the book examines the relationship between women and power and analyzes the extent of female political and economic participation as revealed in historical sources, including the ways in which women were represented in art and literature.