Ang Duong
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| Ang Duong | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | |||||
| Reign | 1841-1860 | ||||
| Predecessor | queen Ang Mey | ||||
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Preah Bat Ang Duong (Khmer: ព្រះបាទ អង្គ ឌួង) (1796-19 May 1860) (r. 1841-1844, 1845–1860) was king of Cambodia. Anga Duang was younger son of king Narayana III 'Anga Eng', who 1779-1797 was ruler of Cambodia at the then capital Oudongk, by one of his Thai consorts, Ros, 'queen Vara' (dc 1869), whom he had taken as concubine in 1793 from Bangkok.
He is regarded as the Great-King of Cambodia who protected the country from both invasion and steered it away from poverty. King Anga Duong was the son of King Ang Eng (-1796) and the father of King Norodom (1834–1904)and King Sisowath (1840–1927). He was the great-great-grandfather of king Sihanouk. He had been living in Bangkok for 27 years since he was 16 until 43.[1]
Literary works
King Ang Duong was a poet and great classical writer of Cambodian literature. His literary works, written in the forms of prose, have been used as texts in Cambodian schools long after his death. His novels, like Kakey and Kangrey, have featured prominently in the Cambodian society.
While Kakey was a novel about an unfaithful wife, Kangrey was a novel about a very faithful wife who would sacrifice her life for her husband. Many poets of later years and songwriters have used the words "Kakey" to describe a woman who is unfaithful to her husband or boyfriend and "Kangrey" was often used to describe a woman who was very faithful to her man.
Historical background
Cambodia during the reign of King Ang Duang was in danger of being swallowed by her two powerful neighbours, Vietnam and Siam. In order to protect Cambodia from being swallowed by Vietnam and Siam, King Anga Duon secretly began to make contacts with the French authority based in Asia for protection. King Ang Duong's action paved the way for France to establish a French Protectorate in 1863 which had lasted for 90 years. Preah Bat Ang Duong was responsible for Cambodia becoming a French protectorate but he died three years before the protectorate, which was established during the reign of his elder son, King Norodom.
There has been much debate over the wisdom of his action. However, due to the circumstances of the time, Preah Bat Ang Duong had probably made the right decision, since the Khmer ancient culture and customs were under threat of being quashed, and the country would be swallowed altogether, had Cambodia come under the control of the Siamese and the Vietnamese. Although by becoming a French protectorate it would mean that Cambodia had virtually lost her independence and the French rule caused many hardships for the Cambodian people, the Protectorate had ensured Cambodia's survival to this present day. Under the French Protectorate, although losing her independence, Cambodia was able to preserve her identity, culture, traditions and ways of life which would have been otherwise destroyed by the Vietnamese and the Siamese had he chosen to remain a vassalage state to both these countries.