| Ang Mey | |
|---|---|
| Queen of Cambodia | |
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| Reign | 1835-1841 and 1844-1845 |
| Predecessor | Ang Chan II |
| Successor | Ang Duong |
| Issue | |
| 20 sons and daughters | |
| Father | Ang Chan II |
| Mother | Anak Moneang Krachap |
| Born | 1815 |
| Died | December 1874 Udong, Cambodia |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
Ang Mey (Khmer: ក្សត្រីអង្គមី) was the 97th Monarch ruler during the Udong era of Cambodia.[1] She is famous for being one of few female rulers in Cambodia's History. Installed on the Cambodian throne by the Vietnamese, she reigned during the domination of Siamese-Vietnamese War (1841-1845)
Queen Ang Mey Also known as Queen Ba-cong-chua or Ksat Trey, she was proclaimed on the death of her father by the Vietnamese faction at court with the title of My-lam-quan-chua in January 1835, and deposed in August 1840. She was reinstated in 1844, and again deposed by the Vietnamese and taken to Huế with her sisters in 1845.[2]
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Her official title is Her Majesty Samdech Preah Maha Rajini Ang Mey.
Ang Mey was born in 1815 as the second daughter of H.M. Brhat Pada Samdach Brhat Rajankariya Brhat Udayarajadhiraja Ramadipati Brhat Sri Suriyapura Parama Surindra Maha Chakrapatiratta Paramanatha Bupati Sadithpen Isvara Kambujaratta Chau Brhat Jatha Varavarman Damramsa Krung Kambuja Adipati Sri Sudhana Negara Indrapati Kururajapuri Rama Uda Maha Sadhana known as Ang Chan II, King of Cambodia during the Oudong period, by his second wife, Anak Munang Krachap.[3]
After King Ang Chan II died in 1834, there was no heir apparent to the Khmer throne; for the king had no son but four daughters, Princess Baen, Mey, Peou and Sngon.[4] This delighted both Vietnam and Siam who wanted to eliminate the royal rulers in Cambodia. Although, Ang Chan's surviving brothers, Ang Im and Ang Doung, immediately laid claim to the throne but couldn't succeed as Vietnam who were occupying Cambodia, did not approve.[5]
In contrast, Vietnamese emperor and Cambodia OKha wished to install Ang Chan's eldest daughter, Princess Ang Baen as the sovereign, but she was passed over due to her being sympathetic to Thai interests and her refusal to marry the emperor's son.[6] Ang Mey was an alternative to her sister, Baen. A Thai manuscript stated that the Vietnamese had tried to persuade Ang Mey to marry the son of emperor Gia Long in order to facilitate the incorporation of Cambodia into Vietnam's state but gave up in vie of strong objections from the Cambodian noblemen.[7]
In May 1835, Ang Mey was crowned with the title of quan-chua bestowed by Húe. Her three sisters were given the title huyen quan, "sub-prefecture rulers".[8] The Cambodian people, not accustomed to be ruled by a Queen and despairing of the "Vietnamization" of their country, asked the Siamese to bring back their male ruler Ang-Duong.[9] The Vietnamese kept close guard over the Ang princesses. Queen Ang Mey had two companies of soldiers, 100 men in total, for her personal protection. The other three Cambodian princesses, were each assigned thirty soldiers. Ostensibly for their safety, the guards were in reality assigned to ensure that they did not escape.[10] In outside society, all women were ordered to wear trousers instead of the Khmer Sampot, and had to grow their hair long in Vietnamese style.[11] The market sold only Vietnamese food. Khmer classical dance had assimilated elements of Vietnamese and Chinese tradition. Cambodian officials had to don Vietnamese ceremonial garb. Wats were destroyed in order to eradicate the Khmer identity.[12] Places also received Vietnamese names. The area around Phnom Penh was renamed from Annam to Tran Tay, or "Western Commandery".[13]
The elder sister of Ang Mey, Princess Baen, suffered a similar fate. After the Vietnamese discovered her relation with her mother and uncle who were living in Battambang and her plans to escape to them, she was imprisoned, pending her trial in Phnom Penh. The Vietnamese emperor, Minh Mạng, demoted Mey and the other princesses. In August 1841 they were all arrested and deported to Vietnam with the royal regalia.[14] Around that time, some of Ang Mey's relatives were imprisoned on the island of Poulo Condore. According to Thai and Cambodian sources, Ang Baen was drowned in the Mekong river, although Khin Sok, states that Baen was tortured to death by the Vietnamese general and her body thrown in the river.[15]
Many Cambodian Okha and their followers had ready revolt against Vietnamese polices depend on the death of Princess Ang Baen and The absence of their queen ang mey. Vietnamese Official in Phnom Penh had called for Mey to be return in Cambodia to quit the rebellion but Ming Mang refused. However, in March 1841, Upon her return to Phnom Penh issue a letter to provincial official and leader asking for their support of her reign. At that times, Doung was issuing similar call for help from Oudong.[16] Queen Ang Mei was reinstated as a queen and her sisters, Poeu appointed for the heir parents in 1844. However, most of Cambodian Court remain under Vietnamese control until October 1846 when Vietnamese release the daughter of King Ang Duong and another members of Cambodian to joint with him in Oudong.There were a discussion were underway between Thai and Vietnamese for the resolution for The Cambodia problem resulting in Compromise whereby both Ang Duong and Ang Mei would be rule together are co-sovereigns. However, a simulataneous coronation was held in Bangkok and Phnom Penh in 1848 recording only Ang Duong's accession, succeed his niece, Ang Mey from Throne.[17]
Ang Mei's story is told disapassionately in The Cambodia Chronicle where she portrayed as a puppet of Vietnamese emperor and Officials. Ang Doung took care to emphasize association between Mei and Vietnamese, and blamed her who ruled during the Annamite period for the loss of indentured slaves. Most histories of the period imply that Oknha and Cambodian in general acquiesced to Ang Mey as their sovereign reluctantly holding out Forlorny for Dunong or for Ang Im and Duong to return as Sovereign.
There were even the rumour that Ang Mey was engaged in an affair with Troung Ming Giang, The Vietnamese governor in Phnom Penh. Jean Mora consulted Oknha and women of the palace who had the position at the court during the reign of Ang Mey and independent Observer told that the rumor was not true.[18] Other tempered their allegation of Ang Mey's wrong doing; the once beautiful princess who may be sold her country but not her body to the Vietnamese.[19] Yet History had construct Mey as a passive victim hardly legitimate in the eye of her own people.[20] Ang Mey also began blame as her reign seem as completely negative, during which khmer territory, culture, and Independence was almost lost. whist it can not be denied that Vietnamese was in control of Cambodia during Ang mei's reign, she inherited country that had been already been mortgaged to Húe by her father, Ang Chan. Mei was crowned Sovereign of a kingdom which The Vietnamese was already in charge. It is difficult to ascertain what course of action other than acquiescense was available to her.[21] However, Ang Mey seem to have sought of Peaceful solution to the factionalism in her country, telling envoys sent by Ang Duong that she wished for a return to peace and amicabitlity and hoping that she and her sisters would be able to live together with their uncle. This may of course had been at diplomatic respone, the Vietnamese annal described her as an intelligent young lady at the time of her accession.[22] Nothing sudden flights to Vietnam, the murder to her sisters and continued changed in her status seem to induced hysterical or untoward behaviour. Ang Mey then reportly turned mad.[23]
During Ang Mey's lived with the memory of the death and dishonour for over twenty years. Norodom left her in the care of old retainer when he and his court moved to Phnom Penh. At Oudong An Mey could still believed that she had some dignity, and her servants could placate th villagers whom she as saulted when her mind was unbalanced or pay for the goods as she took the right from the merchants in the market.[24]
During she allowed to return to Oudong after the cession of hostilities in 1847. She later married an unknown man and had two daughters[25] (This note does not verify that she had children) She and her husband died in an accident in late December 1874 but cremated at Phnom Penh in 1884.