Jayarajadevi (fl. 1181), was the first queen consort of King Jayavarman VII of the Khmer Empire.
She was the daughter of âÂÂkshatriyas, amongst the elite of the royal familyâÂÂ, and the younger sister of queen Indradevi. She and her sister were well-educated Buddhists. Indrani later stated that their father was âÂÂJa ⦠âÂÂ, descended from âÂÂRudravarmanâ and a woman entitled âÂÂqueenâÂÂ, and their mother was a descendant of Rajendradevi.
Her spouse became king in 1181, making her queen. Her sister Indradevi are said to have âÂÂinitiated [Jayarajadevi] into the peace and tranquillity of the teachings of the Buddha, away from the fire of tormentâÂÂ. After her conversion, queen Jayarajadevi became a teacher herself and:
She trained the students to perform scenes from the Jataka as a means of instruction to others. When Jayavarman VII succeeded to the throne, queen Jayarajadevi was praised for donating all her property to the poor.
Jayarajadevi died early on in her husband's reign. After her death, the king married her sister, Indradevi, who became the next queen. Queen Indradevi also took over her sister's schools and was appointed head of Nagendratunge, Tilakottare and Narendraà Ârama, the three âÂÂcollegesâ of Buddhist doctrine and other sciences, which appeared to have been particularly for women and girls, maybe primarily from elite families.