In 921 he set up his own capital at Koh Ker: an inscription dated 921 states, "Jayavarman IV left the city of Yashodharapura to reign at Chok Gargyar taking the Devaraja with him.
[4] This old capital city of Jayavarman IV remained abandoned for over a thousand years before French scholars, like Louis Delaporte and Étienne Aymonier, had been visiting and studying at the end of 19th century.
"[8] A large number of the best and largest Angkorian sculptures were made during his reign, e.g. the Garuda standing in the entrance of National Museum of Cambodia.
[clarification needed] To build a magnificent city in such a short period of about 20 years, it must have required an enormous amount of wealth and labour.
The majority of Jayavarman's inscriptions are from Koh Ker, but they had been found also in sites on the borders of khmer dominion, as Nong Pang Puey (near Aranyaprathet)) and Phnom Bayang (Mekong Delta).
Labor forces were gathered from many provinces and taxes were paid in kind: such as, rice, wax, honey, elephants or cloth.