He rose to power after the abdication of his father in law Jayavarman VIII,[1]: 133 whose eldest daughter, Srindrabhupesvarachuda, he had married.
[2]: 211 Indravarman III was a follower of Theravada Buddhism and upon his ascension to power he made it the state religion.
The crown prince prepared to resist but Indravarman seized him, had his toes cut off, and then put him in prison.
[4] In August 1296, the Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan arrived in Angkor and recorded, "In the recent war with the Siamese, the country was utterly devastated".
Alongside the descriptions within several great temples (the Bayon, the Baphuon, Angkor Wat), his account informs us that the towers of the Bayon were once covered in gold; the text also offers valuable information on the everyday life and habits of the inhabitants of Angkor.