 In inscriptions the town is mentioned as "Lingapura" (city of lingams) or "Chok Gargyar" (translated as "city of glance", or as "iron tree forest").Under the reign of the kings Jayavarman IV and Harshavarman II Koh Ker was briefly the capital of the whole empire (928–944 AD).Jayavarman IV enforced an ambitious building program.