by Brahmans: their descendants continued to bear Indian
names and to give them to all places of importance: Sanskrit was the
ecclesiastical and official language, for the inscriptions written in
Khmer are clearly half-contemptuous notifications to the common
people, respecting such details as specially concerned them:
_Asramas_ and castes (_varna_) are mentioned[273] and it is
probable that natives were only gradually and grudgingly admitted to
the higher castes. There is also reason to believe that this Hindu
civilization was from time to time vivified by direct contact with
India. The embassy of Su-Wu has already been mentioned[274] and an
inscription records the marriage of a Cambojan princess with a Brahman
called Divakara who came from the banks of the Yamuna, "where
Krishna sported in his infancy."

During the whole period of the inscriptions the worship of Siva seems
to have been the principal cultus and to some extent the state
religion, for even kings who express themselves in their inscriptions
as devout Buddhists do not fail to invoke him. But there is no trace
of hostility to Vishnuism and the earlier inscriptions constantly
celebrate the praises of the compound deity Vishnu-Siva, known under
such names as Hari-Hara,[275] Sambhu-Vishnu, Sankara-Narayana, etc.
Thus an inscription of Ang-Pou dating from Isanavarman's reign says
"Victorious are Hara and Acyuta become one for the good of the world,
though as the spouses of Parvati and Sri they have different
forms."[276] But the worship of this double being is accompanied by
pure Sivaism and by the adoration of other deities. In the earliest
inscriptions Bhavavarman invokes Siva and dedicates a linga. He also
celebrates the compound deity under the name of Sambhu-Vishnu and
mentions Uma, Lakshmi, Bharati, Dharma, the Maruts, and Vishnu under
the names of Caturbhuja and Trailokyasara. There appears to be no
allusion to the worship of Vishnu-Siva as two in one after the seventh
century, but though Siva became exalted at the expense of his partner,
Vishnu must have had adorers for two kings, Jayavarman III and
Suryavarman II, were known after their death by the names of
Vishnu-loka and Parama-Vishnu-loka.

Siva became generally recognized as the supreme deity, in a
comprehensive but not an exclusive sense. He is the universal spirit
from whom emanate Brahma and Vishnu. His character as the Destroyer
is not much emphasized: he is the God of change, and therefore