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| King Norodom |
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| Statue of King Norodom in the royal palace |
Monday, May 25, 1896
London Times
A Curious Country in the East and Its Queer Old Potentate.
The night after my arrival in Pnom-pehn, there was a reception in state at the French residency. It was known that the king was to be present, and 28 of his loyal subjects crouched in the shade opposite the residency to witness his reception. A body of native militia, the Milliciens Cambodians, kept untidy guard in the street, and when the king drove up in a Victoria, escorted by 11 Cambodians on ponies and followed by the victorias of a selection of his sons, there was considerable enthusiasm. His majesty was received with “Present arms!” and the fanfare of a cornet that was not in tune. Music was played during the reception by the royal band of Manilla, men who would have played, perhaps with more spirit had their wages been less in arrears.
King Norodom is quite a curiosity. He is a little wizened up man, with gray hair and a stoop and with that peculiar expression of feature which is usually – I write with that respect – associated with the higher anthropoid apes. All the royal family live in Pnom-penh, in a kind of mock palace, a rambling pile of disjointed buildings of different shapes, scattered over a large inclosure, surrounded by a wall of brick and plaster. Where there is plaster it is falling off in flakes, where there is wood it is eaten and rotten, where there is any iron it is rusting and useless. It is a palace fit for such a king. At the main entrance to the palace two Cambodian militiamen keep guard with their hats awry, their khaki coats in rags, their rifles held like brooms. On the river bank in front of the palace there is an old flagstaff, while drawn above the water line there is a royal state barge, with dragon head and seven forked tail; but the paint has peeled off and the craft is no longer sea worthy.
King Norodom has reigned in his own peculiar way in Cambodia since 1860, but since 1867 he has the advantage of being directed and protected by the French. It was in 1867 that France entered into a treaty with Siam, by which she agreed that the two provinces of Angkor and Batambang should remain in Siamese possession, and by the same treaty Siam formally recognized the French protectorate in Cambodia. Since 1867, then, we are always told that Siamese influence was withdrawn from the councils of Cambodia. As an actual fact, however, Siamese influence still counts for something, thought the French will not allow that it is so in the Cambodian court. Norodom passes his early years in Bangkok and spoke Siamese before he spoke Cambodian. It was Siam which gave the crown of Cambodia to his father, Ang-Duong, and it was Siam which elected him king on the death of his father. The king is not a prince of high moral character. He has probably never attempted to escape from the trammels of his environment. He will even on occasions mock at Buddha, but, none the less, he cannot forget that for him the highest living object of religious veneration must be the king of Siam. In Pnom-pehn there are nearly 40 Siamese employed by the king in positions of more or less confidence, and I have it on authority which is beyond cavil that the most intimate personal friends of the king and his only confidants are Siamese, and that Siamese is the language which the royal lips speak from choice.
King Norodom is a very much married man, his establishment comprising at least 800 wives and concubines. He has 56 sons and daughters, who are recognized by the French as his lawful progeny. Of this number more than half are sons, so that the succession, if ever the French permit him to have a successor, is well assured. King Norodom came to the throne in 1860, and the same year a statue in his honor was erected in Pnom-pehn. It is an equestrian statue and is the only public monument in the city. It was of course made in France and represents the king dressed as a French general, mounted on a charger and saluting the armed hosts of Cambodia [KI-Media will provide more details on the origin of this statue at a later date]. Rarely have I seen a more impressive work of art, and it is unfortunate that, left neglected in some waste land, it has become overgrown with jungle. On the pedestal there is an inscription which testifies that the statue was erected to Norodom by his “grateful mandarins and subjects.” The statue, we are told, was the spontaneous offering of a grateful people, and one can well believe it, though it surely has not often happened that indigenous tribes in Asia have ordered from Paris equestrian effigies of their newly crowned kings. – London Times.
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14 comments:
This is an incredible historical find, thanks for sharing. it is invaluable.
king ang doung and his sons were credited for modernizing cambodia. god bless cambodia.
We should never let a lowly opinion of a goner white honkey be a distraction to our GREAT King Norodom at all. If anything at all, it is the white honkeys who are related to the hairy monkeys and pigs. Have you looked closely at their hairy bodies and lanky limbs lately. Enough said on those two points about them white honkeys already.
Here is a little information on His Majesty Norodom the First: "He was the eldest son of King Ang Duong. 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. Many Cambodians believed that this brilliant act and his shrewdness did actually save Cambodia from disappearing.
Prince Norodom was sent by his father to study in Bangkok, where he studied Siamese (Thai), Politics, Military, Buddhist scriptures and the ancient Pali language."
So a million thanks to the great King Norodom the First for outsmarting the YOUNs and the Siems and of course the French as well. At the end, later generations of Cambodians still enjoy the Khmer Kingdom saved and safeguarded by his Majesty Norodom the first. If anyone thinks that it was so uncool for his Majesty to be speaking the Siem language, well guess he got his education in the Siem language therefore he was well versed in that language and it was his free choice to speak in language that he wanted. What about the lowly speakers of English in England who had to speak some smattering dominant French language just to elevate their pathetic existence. It used to be in England that English was the langauge of the most depraved wretchful slaves while the French langauge was of the ruling dominant class and culture. So f*ck that goner white honkey for his retarded opinion.
King Norodom was an addicted fucker.
He had 800 wives and concubines.
Ah Sihanouk has had a lot of wives
and concubines. Monique is a mixed
Vietnamese -Italian so ah Sihanouk
is loving her so much and he killed
three million Khmer people and Khmer Krom land to Vietnam in 1949
How evil this royal family line!
Why U so jealous of Monique, 11:08. U talk as if you are of the flat assed monkey family. Lol.
Written from a Brit. I'm not surprised they tend to look down on us.
Oh come on! Why take this article to the heart! The British and the French were in fierce competition to dominate and colonize Southeast Asia for economic and natural resources! Since the British can't take over Cambodia and what is the fucking point for the British to glorify about Cambodia?
I do agree without the French protectorate the Siam and the Viet would divide Cambodia among themselves! But even with the French protectorate the French and the Viet were exploiting Cambodia for their own benefits which give rise to Cambodian nationalism such as the Khmer Rouge!
I must say the Spanish and the Portuguese were much smarter than the British and the French because at the end the British and the French did not have anything to claim in Southeast Asia. But for the Spanish and the Portuguese they divided the whole South America continent to themselves!
Yes...Maybe Cambodian King is the higher anthropoid apes but it is the British naturalist "Charles Robert Darwin, FRS (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) who established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors.
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin
It is Charles Darwin who said that man evolved from monkey! So far the finding and scientific evidence proven to be true!
12:48PM what a load of raw peanuts
To 1:39PM
Is that all you have to say? Prove me wrong!
I bet this writter have kissed Thai king ass and insulted Cambodian King because of the loss of Siemreap.
11:08 AM
You forget that history wrote: Kings of Thailand had wives and concubines more than King Norodom. Most Kings on earth practiced polygamy.
About Monique, you forgot that she is not Vietnamese but a French-Italian-Khmer who was born in her country (French states) not Cambodia not Laos and not Vietnam. Back then Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam were not countries but states of French (Napoleon III). The French used South as their capital of French-Indochina having good French schools and good Hospital, because it was easy for Navy ships to transport. She was born in Southern of French State not Vietnam.
Her mother (Pomme Peang)was not Vietnamese but a Khmer as some of evil haters claimed. But because her behavior of having many husbands the Khmer Royal family hated her and yet they made up lies against her and her daughters.
Did GOD help you and those who attack her and her daughters? No. They (including yourself) are too evils, but what you all end up now? Miserable and die alone like Norodom Norleak (Srey Pov) who many years attempted to destroy Monique. Pov is today in Paris alone after sleeping with too many African men whom she claimed to satisfy her needs for having big organs. Cambodians keep this true story to die out because they are so embarrassed for what she did.
The Americans looked down on stupid jealous Cambodians such as yourself, articles flashing all over in the US said "the Cambodian hate Monique and her mother, they blamed her for everything bad in Cambodia except a common cold".
This article of King Norodom wrote by a British reporter is BIAS. How many thousand times you all need to be reminded that Thailand is British's client?
If the hater/attacker (bias British reporter) wrote so low about Cambodians, why don't you or others write about British monarchy also? Henry VIII had six wives and countless women and children (bastards). He married only six because he was under Vatican controlled until he broke away to marry any woman he chose after he chopped his previous wives' heads. Mary Queen of Scott slept around with men when she was Queen. Queen Victoria called Mrs Robertson had an affair after her husband died? Until today how good are the British Monarchy?
If the British reporter said King Norodom is a small man like an ape, how about Henry VIII who looked like a fat ugly cow?
The current members aren't good looking either.
This arrogant British bastard referred us as "indigenous tribes in Asia" well the British themselves were the slaves broke away from Roman empire.
This reporter is uneducated and ignorant person about Khmer history, because some stupid angry jealous Khmer like yourself adored it.
Cambodians were educated in France.
Thais were educated in England.
British hate French and vice versa.
This article wrote by British reporter is Biased.
BIAS ARTICLE!!!!!
that's right, i think siem then was a british colony; but they claimed they were the only independent country in southeast asia then. not true, if you study history, siem then was in actuality a british colony along with burma, india and malaysia. spain colonied the philipines, but later the USA took over. french colonied cambodia, youn country and laos, while dutch colonied indonesia. why all the colonialism then? because french or other european countries were considered advanced and industrialized compare to these primitive society in these asian countries then. and many european countries then tried hard to colony china, but china was too big and they tried to divide china into smaller states so they all can colonize her, but in fact china was the only country in aisa that cannot be colonized and was independent. siem was nevr independent like they claim they were. siem was indeed a british colony then, really. and of course back then, french and british were archiac enemies or competitors. even america back then were colonized by the british, but america gained independence in 1776 from british. the 13 original states of america were former british colonies. back then french and british and to some extent spanish were world power. well, time has changed since then, really. they are still world power, but now there are many other world power out there now compare to that period of time, you know. anyway, history is interesting, really.
the royal relatives are nasty people, they used cursing language all the time among themselves if you know them. anywhere, it was the jealous, evil royal relatives that called monique "youn" this or that when in fact monique's mother was a khmer woman who happened to married to a french businessman then. you know, khmer elitists when they get jealous or hate each other, they often called each other youn whore, or youn slut or youn this or that. it sort of became khmer tradition to label someone they are jealous or hate as youn this or that when in fact that person is probably not youn at all but khmer or some other ethnic group, etc, you know. well, just to point it out to the audience out there, yes, jealous royal relatives will call you too as youn if you happened to think different from them or they hate you or jealous at you or whatever they don't like you. it's in their tradition or culture to call someone they hated as youn whore or youn slut when in fact that person is really khmer person or khmer citizen whatever you want to call them, really. anyway, get educated already, ok.
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