Cambodia in the mid-nineteenth century : a quest for survival, 1840-1863

Abstract

This study covers a period of approximately a quarter of a century, from 1840 to 1863. Although the coverage of the 1840’s overlaps with a study already done by Dr. Chandler,^ these years are important for a comprehension of the attitude of the Cambodian people towards the Thai and the Vietnamese during the 1850’s when King Duong tried to get rid of both these enemies and suzerains by attempting to obtain help from a far-distant third power, France, to safeguard his nation. It was also during those years that the Thai had regained their preponderance over the Cambodian court after three decades of Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia and their own two earlier unsuccessful attempts at military intervention. Show more