Short Title 1

In Cambodia, Buddhism became together with the formation of the first Khmer state in II-VI centuries. It prevailed Mahayana with essential elements of Hinduism, in the era of empire Ankgorskoy (IX-XIV centuries.), This is the cult of the god-king and the bodhisattva in one person of the emperor. In the XIII century. increasingly important Theravada, eventually drive, and Hinduism, and the Mahayana. In 50-60 years. XX century. Cambodia has about 3 thousand monasteries, temples and 55 thousand of Theravada monks, most of whom were killed or expelled from the country during the reign of the Khmer Rouge in 1975-79-ies. In 1989 he declared Buddhism the state religion of Cambodia, 93% of the Buddhists. The monasteries are divided into two podshkoly: Mahanikaya and Dhammayutika-Nikaya. Vietnamese ethnic group of Cambodia (9% Buddhist population) mainly follows Mahayana.

Currently about 93% of the population practice Buddhism theravedy. Of 5-7% are Muslim (mostly Cham people). There are also minor, small groups, who worship the pagan gods. Recently, a very noticeable trend in the treatment of the local population to Christianity. In Cambodia, you can still find or buy antiques and religious utensils pertaining to the previous centuries.

The Cham of both groups typically live in villages inhabited only by other Cham; the villages may be along the shores of water courses, or they may be inland. The Cham refer to the former as play krong (river villages) and to the latter as play ngok (upper villages). The inhabitants of the river villages engage in fishing, in raising rice, and in growing vegetables, especially onions. They trade fish to local Khmer for rice. The women in these villages earn money by weaving. The Cham who live inland support themselves by various means, depending on the village. Some villages specialize in metal working; others raise fruit trees or vegetables. The Cham also often serve as butchers of cattle for their Khmer Buddhist neighbors and are, in some areas, regarded as skillful water buffalo breeders.

Short Title 2

The Cham trib in Cambodia descend from refugees of the kingdom of Champa, which once ruled much of Vietnam between Cao Ha in the north and Bien Hoa in the south. In 1471 Champa was conquered by the Vietnamese, and many Cham fled to Cambodia. Cham scholar Po Dharma points out that the Cham have survived in Cambodia since at least 1456. They settled along the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers and in Batdambang, Pouthisat, Takev, Kampot, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thum, and Kampong Chhnang provinces. At some time before the seventeenth century, the Cambodian Cham and some of those in adjacent Vietnam converted to Islam, probably as a result of contacts with their Malay kin who had embraced that religion centuries earlier.