Norodom of Cambodia
Encyclopedia
Norodom I (1834–1904) ruled as king of Cambodia
from 1860 to 1904. He was the eldest son of King Ang Duong
, who ruled on behalf of Siam, and half-brother of Prince Si Votha
as well as the half-brother of King Sisowath
. Norodom is cognate with Narottam in Sanskrit
which means Best (Uttam) of men (Nar). Norodom was considered to be the first modern Khmer king. He was credited with saving Cambodia from disappearing altogether. In 1863, to prevent the two powerful neighbours, Vietnam
and Siam, from swallowing Cambodia altogether he invited France to make Cambodia its protectorate. However, he sent many letters to Siam claiming French Admiral de la Grandière had forced him into signing a false treaty. Many Cambodians believed that this brilliant act and his shrewdness did actually save Cambodia from disappearing.
When he was born, Cambodia was under Vietnamese (Annamese) and Siamese rule. The two powers had partitioned the country between them, but the royal family, being related to the Siamese, remained in the Siamese zone, as the Vietnamese were more authoritarian than the Siamese. Nonetheless, Vietnam and Siam frequently fought wars over Cambodian territory. The royal capital of Cambodia was in Oudong
(named for the first King of Ayutthaya), but the main center of the area was the capital of Siam in Bangkok
. Prince Norodom was sent by his father to study in Bangkok, where he studied Siamese (Thai), Politics, Buddhist scriptures and the ancient Pali
language.
At the same time, King Norodom inherited a major Cham rebellion against Khmer rule which his father began to put down but died before he could defeat them. In 1862, Norodom lost control over the region, abandoned the capital of Odong and fled to the safety of Battambang
(though the capital was still at Odong). He later fled Cambodia altogether and went into exile in Bangkok. Seeing that the Siamese and Vietnamese overlords had gotten Cambodia into civil strife, the French forced King Norodom to return to Odong in 1863 and sign a treaty of protection with France. This transferred the country from Siamese and Vietnamese to French colonial rule. Cambodia thus became an independent French protectorate, though it was highly autonomous.
With Cambodia a French Protectorate, the Siamese royal court agreed to let Norodom be crowned king. In 1864 Norodom was crowned, the coronation being supervised jointly by the French and Siamese officials. Nonetheless, the young king began his rule over a country in civil turmoil. The Siamese and the Vietnamese had traditionally treated Cambodia as a buffer state, but France
encroached on both Siamese and Vietnamese territory. However, the country was weak and subject to the power struggles between France
and Siam. Not only were there rebel groups intent on getting the Siamese and the Vietnamese out of Cambodia, but also bandit groups.
Nonetheless, in 1884, France took control of Laos and overran Vietnam. France and Siam entered into the Franco-Siamese War (1893) over Laos, ending with a treaty ceding Laos to France after the French blockade of Bangkok. In 1907, Siam ceded Battambang
and Siem Reap
, its last claim in Cambodia after continued pressure from France.
Following the Sino-French War
(1884–1885), French Indochina
was formed in October 1887 from Annam
, Tonkin
, Cochinchina
(who together form modern Vietnam
) and the Kingdom of Cambodia.
For the remainder of his rule Norodom was a puppet of the French. Before he died in 1904, he appointed his son, Prince Yukanthor, as heir apparent to the throne. But Yukanthor had a fall-out with the French and did not succeed to the throne. The French moved the capital from Oudong to Phonm Penh. Norodom could do nothing to prevent this, and died in 1904 in Phnom Penh. His body was cremated in the traditional Buddhist fashion in 1906.
He was succeeded by his half-brother and the Crown Prince, Prince Sisowath
.
He is considered to be the first modern king of Cambodia.
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
from 1860 to 1904. He was the eldest son of King Ang Duong
Ang Duong
Ang Duong was king of Cambodia.Ang Duong was younger son of king Ang Eng, who 1779-1797 was ruler of Cambodia at the then capital Oudong, by one of his Thai consorts, Ros, 'queen Vara' , whom he had taken as concubine in 1793 from Bangkok.He is regarded as the Great-King of Cambodia who...
, who ruled on behalf of Siam, and half-brother of Prince Si Votha
Si Votha
Si Votha was a Cambodian prince who was briefly a contender for the throne. He spent his entire life fighting his half brother King Norodom for the throne, and died without coming close to toppling his half brother from the throne.Si Votha was a grandson of King Ang Eng and a son of King Ang...
as well as the half-brother of King Sisowath
Sisowath of Cambodia
Sisowath I was king of Cambodia from 1904 to his death in 1927.Sisowath was born in Battambang in Cambodia. He was the son of King Ang Duong and half brother of Prince Si Votha and King Norodom....
. Norodom is cognate with Narottam in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
which means Best (Uttam) of men (Nar). Norodom was considered to be the first modern Khmer king. He was credited with saving Cambodia from disappearing altogether. In 1863, to prevent the two powerful neighbours, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and Siam, from swallowing Cambodia altogether he invited France to make Cambodia its protectorate. However, he sent many letters to Siam claiming French Admiral de la Grandière had forced him into signing a false treaty. Many Cambodians believed that this brilliant act and his shrewdness did actually save Cambodia from disappearing.
When he was born, Cambodia was under Vietnamese (Annamese) and Siamese rule. The two powers had partitioned the country between them, but the royal family, being related to the Siamese, remained in the Siamese zone, as the Vietnamese were more authoritarian than the Siamese. Nonetheless, Vietnam and Siam frequently fought wars over Cambodian territory. The royal capital of Cambodia was in Oudong
Oudong
Udong is a town in Cambodia, situated in the north-western part of Kandal Province. The town is located on top of the mountain Phnom Udong, about 40 km northwest of the capital Phnom Penh...
(named for the first King of Ayutthaya), but the main center of the area was the capital of Siam in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. Prince Norodom was sent by his father to study in Bangkok, where he studied Siamese (Thai), Politics, Buddhist scriptures and the ancient Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
language.
Rule
In 1860, when King Ang Duong died, Norodom became his successor but remained uncrowned because the Siamese royal court refused to release the Cambodian royal regalia, which made Norodom only a viceroy of the Siamese king.At the same time, King Norodom inherited a major Cham rebellion against Khmer rule which his father began to put down but died before he could defeat them. In 1862, Norodom lost control over the region, abandoned the capital of Odong and fled to the safety of Battambang
Battambang
Battambang is the capital city of Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia.Battambang is the second-largest city in Cambodia with a population of over 250,000. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is well known for being the leading rice-producing province of the country...
(though the capital was still at Odong). He later fled Cambodia altogether and went into exile in Bangkok. Seeing that the Siamese and Vietnamese overlords had gotten Cambodia into civil strife, the French forced King Norodom to return to Odong in 1863 and sign a treaty of protection with France. This transferred the country from Siamese and Vietnamese to French colonial rule. Cambodia thus became an independent French protectorate, though it was highly autonomous.
With Cambodia a French Protectorate, the Siamese royal court agreed to let Norodom be crowned king. In 1864 Norodom was crowned, the coronation being supervised jointly by the French and Siamese officials. Nonetheless, the young king began his rule over a country in civil turmoil. The Siamese and the Vietnamese had traditionally treated Cambodia as a buffer state, but France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
encroached on both Siamese and Vietnamese territory. However, the country was weak and subject to the power struggles between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Siam. Not only were there rebel groups intent on getting the Siamese and the Vietnamese out of Cambodia, but also bandit groups.
Nonetheless, in 1884, France took control of Laos and overran Vietnam. France and Siam entered into the Franco-Siamese War (1893) over Laos, ending with a treaty ceding Laos to France after the French blockade of Bangkok. In 1907, Siam ceded Battambang
Battambang
Battambang is the capital city of Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia.Battambang is the second-largest city in Cambodia with a population of over 250,000. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is well known for being the leading rice-producing province of the country...
and Siem Reap
Siem Reap
Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia, and is the gateway to Angkor region.Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market...
, its last claim in Cambodia after continued pressure from France.
French Protectorate
In 1884, the French authorities forced King Norodom to sign a treaty giving the French Protectorate virtually complete administrative control over Cambodia, including finances, a life line of Norodom's rule. Norodom resisted but with the French gunboats anchored outside the front gate of the royal palace he had no choice but to sign. The French actions cause widespread popular anger. In 1885 and 1886 Prince Si Votha, Norodom's half brother led a revolt against the French rule. The French suspected that Norodom was secretly supporting Si Votha's actions and the French blamed him for inciting the revolts. The revolt ended when the Cambodians were assured by King Norodom that the French had offered concessions to him. After the restoration of the calm of 1885-1886 revolt, Norodom was in a position of temporary strength. To prevent another revolt, the French was less inclined to force the king to the wall once more.Following the Sino-French War
Sino-French War
The Sino–French War was a limited conflict fought between August 1884 and April 1885 to decide whether France should replace China in control of Tonkin . As the French achieved their war aims, they are usually considered to have won the war...
(1884–1885), French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
was formed in October 1887 from Annam
Annam (French Colony)
Annam was a French protectorate encompassing the central region of Vietnam. Vietnamese were subsequently referred to as "Annamites." Nationalist writers adopted the word "Vietnam" in the late 1920s. The general public embraced the word "Vietnam" during the revolution of August 1945...
, Tonkin
Tonkin
Tonkin , also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is the northernmost part of Vietnam, south of China's Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, east of northern Laos, and west of the Gulf of Tonkin. Locally, it is known as Bắc Kỳ, meaning "Northern Region"...
, Cochinchina
Cochinchina
Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam whose principal city is Saigon. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bộ...
(who together form modern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
) and the Kingdom of Cambodia.
For the remainder of his rule Norodom was a puppet of the French. Before he died in 1904, he appointed his son, Prince Yukanthor, as heir apparent to the throne. But Yukanthor had a fall-out with the French and did not succeed to the throne. The French moved the capital from Oudong to Phonm Penh. Norodom could do nothing to prevent this, and died in 1904 in Phnom Penh. His body was cremated in the traditional Buddhist fashion in 1906.
He was succeeded by his half-brother and the Crown Prince, Prince Sisowath
Sisowath of Cambodia
Sisowath I was king of Cambodia from 1904 to his death in 1927.Sisowath was born in Battambang in Cambodia. He was the son of King Ang Duong and half brother of Prince Si Votha and King Norodom....
.
He is considered to be the first modern king of Cambodia.
Honours
- Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
-1872 (Grand Officier-1869) (Chevalier-1865) (France) - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White ElephantOrder of the White ElephantThe Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant is the most awarded order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam.The Order consists of eight classes:...
(Siam) - Knight of the Order of the Maha Chakri (Siam)