Ngô Nhân Tịnh Ngô () is a Vietnamese surname, related to the Chinese surnames Ng, Ngo and Wu. Notable people with the surname Ngô * Ngô Văn Dụ Chairman of the Central Commission for Inspection of the Communist Party of Vietnam from 2011 to 2016 * Ngô ...

Nguyễn Văn Tồn Thống chế Điều bát Nguyễn Văn Tồn ( vi-hantu, 統制調撥阮文存, 1763–1820) was a general and official of the Nguyễn dynasty of Vietnam. He was a Khmer Krom. He was either born in Càng Long or in Trà Ôn, Cần Thơ Pr ...

, units1 =

Siamese Army The Royal Siamese Armed Forces (Thai: กองทัพหลวง) were the armed forces of the Thai monarchy from the 12th to 19th centuries. The term refers to the military forces of the Sukhothai Kingdom, the Ayutthaya Kingdom, the Thonburi ...

, units2 = Vietnamese Army

Cambodian Army The Royal Cambodian Army ( km, កងទ័ពជើងគោក, ) is a part of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. It has ground forces which numbered 85,000 divided into eleven divisions of infantry, with integrated armour and artillery supp ...

, strength1 = Unknown , strength2 = Unknown , casualties1 = Unknown , casualties2 = Unknown The Cambodian Usurpation of 1811–1812 was when an army from

Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 mi ...

(

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

) supported Ang Snguon after he overthrew his brother Ang Chan; but

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

sent a large army to help reinstate Ang Chan at

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...

Background

In 1769,

King Taksin King Taksin the Great ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew: Dên Chao; April 17, ...

of Thonburi sent messages to King Ang Ton of Cambodia, urging him to send tributes to Siam and submit. King Ang Ton refused. In 1771, King Taksin ordered Phraya Yommaraj (later

King Rama I Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok Maharaj (, 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), personal name Thongduang (), also known as Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and the first monarch of the reigning Chakri dynasty of Siam (now Thai ...

) to lead troops of 10,000 men to invade Cambodia through

Battambang Battambang ( km, បាត់ដំបង, UNGEGN: ) is the capital of Battambang Province and the third largest city in Cambodia. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is the leading rice-producing province of the coun ...

Siemreap Siem Reap ( km, សៀមរាប, ) is the second-largest city of Cambodia, as well as the capital and largest city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap has French colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old F ...

and

Pursat Pursat ( ; km, ពោធិ៍សាត់, ) is the capital of Pursat Province, Cambodia. Its name derived from a type of tree. It lies on the Pursat River. The city is famous as the place of mythical 16th century ''neak ta'' of Khleang Moeu ...

to attack

Oudong ( km, ឧដុង្គ; also romanized as Udong or Odong) is a former town of the post-Angkorian period (1618–1863) situated in present-day ''Phsar Daek'' Commune, Ponhea Lueu District, Kandal Province, Cambodia. Located at the foothill of th ...

and to bring the pro-Siamese Prince

Ang Non Batom Reachea ( km, បទុមរាជា, born Ang Non ( km, អង្គនន់); 1616–1642) was King of Cambodia from 1640 to 1642. Ang Non was the eldest son of the ''uprayorach'' ( ឧភយោរាជ, "Great Joint King") Outey. ...

to the Cambodian throne. King Taksin himself with the general Chen Lian (陳聯) led the fleet to attack

Hà Tiên Hà Tiên is a Provincial city in Kiên Giang Province, Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Its area is and the population as of 2019 is 81,576. The city borders Cambodia to the west. Hà Tiên is a tourist site of the region thanks to its beaches and la ...

, leading to the Siamese-Vietnamese War (1769–1773). King Ang Ton fled to

Saigon , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

under the protection of the

Nguyen Lord Nguyễn () is the most common Vietnamese surname. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen. Nguyên (元）is a different word and surname. By some estimates 39 percent of Vietnamese people bear this su ...

Nguyễn Phúc Thuần Định Vương Nguyễn Phúc Thuần (1754–1777) was one of the Nguyễn lords who ruled over the southern portion of Vietnam from the 16th–18th centuries. The collapse of the house of Nguyễn lords intensified during Thuần's reign, many ...

. Nguyễn Phúc Thuần sent the general Nguyễn Cửu Đàm to aid against the Siamese invasions. The Siamese were repelled with Prince Ang Non stayed behind at

Kampot Kampot may refer to: *Kampot (city), a city in southern Cambodia *Kampot, an alternative spelling of the Slavic drink Kompot *Kampot Province, province of Cambodia *Kampot Municipality, a municipality in Cambodia *Kampot Airport, an airport in Cambo ...

. Also in 1771, the Tây Sơn Rebellion arose against the rule of Nguyen Lords. King Ang Ton returned to Cambodia and negotiated with Ang Non. Ang Ton abdicated the Cambodian throne in 1775 in favor of Ang Non who became the new King of Cambodia. However, Ang Ton died in 1777, leaving Ang Non in full power in Cambodia. Cambodian nobles, led by Chauvea Tolaha Mu and his brother Oknha Decho Then, were dissatisfied with King Ang Non's pro-Siamese stance. Tolaha Mu sought support from

Nguyễn Phúc Ánh Gia Long ( (''North''), (''South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh, was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. His dynasty would rule the unifie ...

who had been fighting against the Tây Sơn from Saigon. Nguyễn Phúc Ánh sent Vietnamese army to support Tolaha Mu, who arrested and murdered King Ang Non in 1779. Tolaha Mu placed a four-year-old son of Ang Ton named

Ang Eng Ang Eng ( km, អង្គអេង ; 1773 – 5 May 1796) was King of Cambodia from 1779 to his death in 1796. He reigned under the name of Neareay Reachea III ( km, នារាយណ៍រាជាទី៣, link=no). Ang Eng was a son of Out ...

as the new king of Cambodia with himself as the regent. King Taksin, upon learning about the Cambodian regicide, was furious at Oknha Youmreach Baen who was the protector of King Ang Non. Taksin ordered Youmreach Baen arrested and imprisoned at Thonburi but Chaophraya Chakri secured his pardon and release. In 1782, Chaophraya Chakri became

of the

Chakri dynasty The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the ...

. Oknha Youmreach Baen and Oknha Kralahom Pok successfully staged a coup and killed Tolaha Mu in 1782. However, the ensuing confusion and civil war in Cambodia prompted Youmreach Baen and Kralahom Pok to bring the young king Ang Eng and his elder sisters Princess Ang Y and Ang Pen to Bangkok. King Rama I took care of King Ang Eng as his adopted son, while Princesses Ang Y and Ang Pen became consorts of Prince Surasinghanat. In Cambodia, Decho Then, the younger brother of Tolaha Mu, declared himself the ''Tolaha'' or regent and took power under the support of the Tây Sơn. King Rama I appointed Youmreach Baen as Chaophraya Aphaiphubet the regent of Cambodia. Chaophraya Aphaiphubet Baen managed to oust Decho Then in 1789 and took control of whole Cambodia for Siam. King Rama I kept Ang Eng in Bangkok away from Cambodian political conflicts. Aphaiphubet Baen was the regent of Cambodia for twelve years until 1794 when King Rama I allowed Ang Eng to assume personal rule in Cambodia. King Rama I also rewarded Aphaiphubet Baen with the northwestern part of Cambodia including Battambang and Siemreap for Aphaiphubet Baen to govern under direct Siamese suzerainty, thus annexing those territories into Siam proper. King Ang Eng died in 1796, leaving four sons Princes Ang Chan, Ang Sngoun,

Ang Em Kaev Hua III or Chey Chettha V ( km, បរម រាមាធិបតី) (1674–1731), born Ang Em, was a Cambodian king in the early 18th century (r. 1700–1701, 1710–1722, 1729–1730). Ang Em was a son of vice king A ...

and

Ang Duong Ang Duong ( km, អង្គឌួង ; 12 June 1796 – 19 October 1860) was the King of Cambodia from 1841 to 1844 and from 1845 to his death in 1860. Formally invested in 1848, his rule benefited a kingdom that suffered from several centuries ...

. Kralahom Pok, who had become Tolaha Pok, served as the regent of Cambodia until 1806 when he brought the four young Cambodian princes to visit King Rama I at Bangkok. Tolaha Pok fell ill and died at Bangkok. King Rama I installed Ang Chan as the new King of Cambodia in 1806. Emperor

Gia Long Gia Long ( (''North''), ('' South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh, was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. His dynasty would rule the unif ...

of the Vietnamese

Nguyen dynasty Nguyễn () is the most common Vietnamese surname. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen. Nguyên (元）is a different word and surname. By some estimates 39 percent of Vietnamese people bear this su ...

also invested Ang Chan as the King of Cambodia next year in 1807. The new king Ang Chan asked for the permissions for his aunts Princesses Ang Y and Ang Pen to return to Cambodia. King Rama I refused, citing that the princesses were already mothers of daughters of the late Prince Surasinghanat. On an occasion, Ang Chan visited King Rama I before returning to Cambodia. However, Ang Chan entered the royal hall without permission and prerequisite ceremonies. King Rama I strongly rebuked Ang Chan in front of Siamese officials. In 1808, Oknha Decho Meng the governor of Kampong Svay rebelled against King Ang Chan. King Rama I passed away in 1809. Chaophraya Aphaiphubet also died the same year. King Ang Chan did not attend the funeral of King Rama I at Bangkok and instead sent his younger brothers Ang Sngoun and Ang Em, along with Cambodian nobles Oknha Chakrey Pen and Oknha Kralahom Moeung, to go to Bangkok.

King Rama II Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai ( th, พระพุทธเลิศหล้านภาลัย, 24 February 1767 – 21 July 1824), personal name Chim ( th, ฉิม), also styled as Rama II, was the second monarch of Siam under the Chakri ...

granted Ang Sngoun and Ang Em the titles of ''Uprayorach'' (viceroy) and ''Ouparach'' (deputy viceroy), respectively. In the same year, the Burmese invaded Phuket and King Rama II requested supporting troops from Cambodia to defend Bangkok. King Ang Chan, however, did not comply. Chakrey Pen and Kralahom Moeung, the two pro-Siamese Cambodian ministers, then organized troops to be sent to Bangkok without the permission of the Cambodian king. Ang Chan then had Chakrey Pen and Kralahom Moeung executed for sedition on September 14, 1810. Tension arose between Ang Chan and the Siamese court. Ang Chan sent Oknha Bovorneayok to request military aid from the Vietnamese. Nguyễn Văn Nhơn the governor of Saigon led the Vietnamese troops of 1,000 men to take defensive position at Longvek against possible Siamese offensives. Prince Senanurak of the Front Palace ordered Phraya Rongmueang to station Siamese troops at Battambang. The Siamese-Vietnamese standoff lasted for four months until Nguyễn Văn Nhơn pulled the troops back to Saigon in January 1811 but Phraya Rongmueang remained in Battambang.

Siamese-Vietnamese standoff

In February 1811, Prince Ang Sngoun the ''Uprayorach'' and younger brother of Ang Chan, left the royal city of Oudong at night along with a group of pro-Siamese mandarins. Ang Sngoun rallied troops at Pursat. Ang Chan sent delegates to visit his brother Ang Sngoun at Pursat, urging him to return to Oudong but to no avail. Ang Chan then decided to ask for Vietnamese support again. Nguyễn Văn Nhơn the governor of Saigon sent Nguyễn Văn Thoại to lead Vietnamese forces of 500 men to station at Longvek. The Siamese court sent Chaophraya Yommaraj Noi to Battambang to lead the Siamese expedition into Cambodia to settle the princely struggle issues. King Ang Chan ordered his generals Oknha Bovorneayok and Oknha Thommeadecho to defend Kampong Chhnang. Chaophraya Yommaraj Noi sent his delegates to negotiate with Ang Chan at Oudong but Ang Chan gave no responses. Yommaraj Noi, along with Phraya Rongmueang at Battambang, decided to march the Siamese army of 5,000 men down, taking Prince Ang Sngoun from Pursat to attack Kampong Chhnang in April 1812, leading to the Battle of Kampong Chhnang. The Cambodians were outnumbered as Oknha Bovorneayok and Oknha Thommeadecho sent a man to inform King Ang Chan at Oudong that the Siamese came in large numbers. Ang Chan then decided to leave Oudong on April 9, 1812, along with the royal family to take refuge in

. Nguyễn Văn Thoại provided boat vessels for the Cambodian king and his family to travel at Phnom Penh. Princes Ang Em and Ang Duong, two other younger brothers of Ang Chan, decided not to join the king in flight and defected and fled back to the Siamese on April 10. Nguyễn Văn Nhơn then invited Ang Chan to seek safety shelter in Saigon. The Cambodian king and his entourage reached Saigon on April 25, 1812. Yommaraj Noi and the Siamese army arrived in Oudong to find out that the Cambodian king had escaped to Phnom Penh. The Siamese followed Ang Chan to Phnom Penh but Ang Chan and his retinue had already reached Saigon. Chaophraya Yommaraj Noi sent reconciliatory messages to Ang Chan and Nguyễn Văn Nhơn, declaring that the Siamese intention was to peacefully settle the conflicts. Both Ang Chan and Nguyễn Văn Nhơn did not respond. Nguyễn Văn Nhơn constructed a lavish place for Ang Chan and his family to reside in Saigon. Ang Chan sent Oknha Bovorneayok to Huế as an envoy to Emperor

who awarded Ang Chan with large sum of money and rice. Yommaraj Noi had been waiting for responses at Oudong. He then decided that when the dry season was over the waters would be high, suitable for Vietnamese fleet to arrive and engage. For his strategically inferior position, Yommaraj Noi burnt down and destroyed Oudong and Phnom Penh to prevent the Vietnamese from taking foothold in these cities and took the pro-Siamese Cambodian Princes Ang Sgnoun, Ang Em and Ang Duong back to Bangkok with him. Thousands of Cambodians were deported to Siamese-controlled northwest Cambodia.

Aftermath and consequences

Dowager Empress Hiếu Khang the mother of Emperor Gia Long died in 1811. On February 15, 1812, King Rama II dispatched a mission to Huế to attend the funeral. Also, the matter of Cambodian princely conflicts was raised by Siamese court through the Siamese envoy to Gia Long. The Siamese envoy told Gia Long that King Ang Chan had always been rebellious to Siam in spite of Siamese fair treatment on Ang Chan. Gia Long replied that the Prince Ang Sngoun was responsible for the incidents because he stirred up the events and was not a loyal subject to his elder brother who was also his overlord. Siamese court was then convinced that Gia Long was in support of Ang Chan. However, going into full-scale war with Vietnam was then untimely due to prospective Burmese threats from the West. Bangkok court sent another mission to Huế on January 4, 1813. Gia Long declared that he would restore the Cambodian King Ang Chan to the throne. In April 1813, Gia Long ordered

Lê Văn Duyệt Lê Văn Duyệt)., group=n (1763 or 1764 – 30 July 1832) was a Vietnamese general who helped Nguyễn Ánh—the future Emperor Gia Long—put down the Tây Sơn wars, unify Vietnam and establish the Nguyễn dynasty. After the Nguyễn came ...

and Ngô Nhân Tịnh to bring troops from Huế to Saigon to escort Ang Chan back to Cambodia. In May, Lê Văn Duyệt led the Vietnamese troop of 13,000 men to bring Ang Chan back to Phnom Penh with the Siamese envoys presented in the entourage as witnesses. When King Ang Chan returned to Phnom Penh, both Oudong and Phnom Penh had already been destroyed by the Siamese. After the Siamese envoys and officials had returned to Battambang, Lê Văn Duyệt proposed to build a new citadel and royal city for Ang Chan. Ang Chan preferred Phnom Penh over Oudong. While Oudong was susceptible to Siamese attacks, Phnom Penh was located riverine and the Vietnamese fleets could accessibly arrive in defense in case of future Siamese attacks. Lê Văn Duyệt then constructed a new citadel for Ang Chan at Phnom Penh called "Banteay Keav". Lê Văn Duyệt constructed another citadel at Lvea Aem as a Vietnamese garrison. He also ordered the construction of a shrine at Chroy Changvar dedicated to Emperor Gia Long. Nguyễn Văn Thoại was appointed as ''bảo hộ'' or Protector of Cambodia and was assigned with Vietnamese troops of 1,500 men to guard King Ang Chan. Ang Chan also rewarded his meritorious subjects with high positions, with Oknha Bovorneayok becoming Chakrey Suat and Tuan Pha, a

Cham Cham or CHAM may refer to: Ethnicities and languages *Chams, people in Vietnam and Cambodia **Cham language, the language of the Cham people ***Cham script ***Cham (Unicode block), a block of Unicode characters of the Cham script *Cham Albanian ...

general, becoming the Youmreach. King Ang Chan continued to send tributes to the Siamese court annually but also sent tributes to Huế triennially. Cambodia then came under ''de facto'' Vietnamese influence, which would remain so until the Siamese-Vietnamese War (1841-1845) for about thirty years. Twice a month, Ang Chan and his officials would dress in Vietnamese attire and conduct sacrifices at the Vietnamese shrine at Chroy Changvar to worship Emperor Gia Long.

Cambodian attempt to reclaim Battambang (1815)

In 1815, Ang Chan sent Youmreach Tuan Pha and Oknha Thommeadecho to successfully oust Oknha Decho Meng the rebellious governor of Kampong Svay. Ang Chan consulted Nguyễn Văn Thoại about the matter of Battambang. Battambang was held by the Siamese who used Battambang as an outpost and base for many incursions into Cambodia. The Siamese should be expelled from Battambang. Nguyễn Văn Thoại suggested that Ang Chan should send armies to Battambang to evaluate the situation. King Ang Chan then ordered Samdech Chauponhea Tei to lead Cambodian army to Battambang to collect

stalactite A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via ''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble an ...

s and

bat guano Guano (Spanish from qu, wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. ...

as taxes. Samdech Chauponhea Tei led the Cambodian army to Battambang in 1815 and sent Oknha Surkealok the governor of Pursat ahead as vanguard. Phraya Aphaiphubet Ros the governor of Battambang, who was the son of Chaophraya Aphaiphubet Baen, sent counter-offensive army to defeat Oknha Surkealok, who was captured to Bangkok. Samdech Chauponhea Tei then decided to retreat. King Rama II responded by having regiments from Bangkok and

Nakhon Ratchasima Nakhon Ratchasima ( th, นครราชสีมา, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, known as the "big four of Isan". The city is commonly known as Korat (, ), a shortened form of its name. It is the governmental seat of ...

stationed at Battambang under the command of his cousin the Prince ''Kromma Khun'' Itsaranurak and informed Gia Long that the Vietnamese viceroy had instigated the Cambodian to invade Battambang. Gia Long sent his delegate to conduct investigation in Cambodia and found Samdech Chauponhea Tei guilty. King Ang Chan then ordered Samdech Chauponhea Tei arrested and sent to Vietnamese court for trial. Samdech Chauponhea Tei told the Vietnamese court that he marched Cambodian army to Battambang with peaceful intentions only to collect taxes. The Vietnamese sent Samdech Chauponhea Tei back to King Ang Chan for punishment and urged the Bangkok court to punish the governor of Battambang also for his over-reaction.

Notes

;Footnote ;Citations

References

*''A History of Cambodia'' By David P. Chandler *''In Search of Southeast Asia'' By David P. Chandler, David Joel Steinberg

External links

List of the Wars of Cambodia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cambodian Rebellion (1811-12) Conflicts in 1811 Conflicts in 1812 19th-century rebellions Wars involving the Rattanakosin Kingdom Wars involving Cambodia Military history of Nguyen Vietnam 19th century in Cambodia 19th century in Siam 1811 in Asia 1812 in Asia 1811 in Siam 1811 in Cambodia 1811 in Vietnam 1812 in Siam 1812 in Cambodia 1812 in Vietnam 1810s in Siam