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Arokhayasahn (อโรคยศาล)
Thai term for the
Khmer
Arokyasala system. The Khmer word derives from
Sanskrit, and literally means ‘school of no disease’ or ‘school of health’,
related to the Thai word for disease, i.e. rohk (โรค), though is usually
translated as ‘house of health’ or ‘place of healing’. It refers to a
state-sponsored network of hospital sanctuaries established throughout the Khmer
Empire during the reign of King
Jayavarman VII (fig.)
in the late 12th to early 13th centuries AD. According to inscriptions at the
Ta Prohm
temple (fig.),
he ordered the construction of 102 such facilities across his cities, of which
30 were located in present-day
Thailand,
such as
Koo Pohn Rakhang
(fig.)
in
Roi Et.
These institutions functioned as integrated centres of medical care, religious
practice, and royal administration. Academically, the Arokyasala system is
understood as a distinctive manifestation of
Mahayana Buddhist state ideology,
combining practical healthcare with spiritual healing. Each Arokyasala typically
consisted of a standardized architectural complex, including a main sanctuary
dedicated to
Bhaisajyaguru,
the Healing
Buddha (fig.),
auxiliary buildings such as a
library,
enclosing walls, and a
gopura,
i.e. a formal
entrance gateway (fig.).
Inscriptions indicate that these hospitals were staffed by medical personnel and
supported by state resources, including medicinal supplies and ritual
specialists. The system represents one of the earliest known examples of an
empire-wide public healthcare network in Southeast Asia. It reflects King
Jayavarman VII’s conception of kingship as compassionate and protective, in
which the alleviation of suffering was both a religious duty and a political
responsibility. Through the Arokyasala system, healthcare, Buddhist ethics, and
imperial governance were institutionally linked, reinforcing royal authority
while addressing the physical and spiritual well-being of the population. In
archaeological and historical scholarship, the Arokyasala system is therefore
interpreted not merely as a collection of hospitals, but as a coordinated
imperial programme that materialised Mahayana Buddhist ideals within the
administrative and spatial framework of the
Khmer
Empire.
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