Norodom of Cambodia
Norodom (Khmer: នរោត្តម, Nôroŭttâm [nɔˈroːɗɑm]; born Ang Voddey (Khmer: អង្គវតី, Ângk Vôtei [ʔɑŋ ʋɔˈtəj]); 3 February 1834 – 24 April 1904) was King of Cambodia from 19 October 1860 to his death on 24 April 1904. He was the eldest son of King Ang Duong and was a half-brother of Prince Si Votha and King Sisowath. He was elected to the throne in 1860 but would not be crowned until 1864 because Siam held the royal regalia (the royal crown and other artifacts). In 1863, he signed a treaty with France by giving France control over Cambodia's foreign relations in exchange for personal protection against his enemies. The treaty saved Cambodian independence, but French control over Cambodia's internal affairs strengthened continually until the end of his reign (full independence was not restored until 1953). His reign of 43 years and 188 days is the longest in Cambodian history in terms of verifiable exact date. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his half-brother, Sisowath.
For the royal house, see House of Norodom.
Norodom
នរោត្តម
19 October 1860 – 24 April 1904
3 June 1864 Phnom Penh
Ang Voddey
3 February 1834
Angkor Borei, Cambodia
24 April 1904 (aged 70)
Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, French Indochina
47
61, including Norodom Yukanthor
Ksatrey Pen
He is the progenitor of the House of Norodom which has been the ruling royal house of Cambodia since 1941.
Rule[edit]
Background: Cambodia from Ang Eng to Ang Duong[edit]
King Norodom's grandfather, King Ang Eng, died in early 1797.[1] He left four sons, of whom the eldest, Ang Chan, became king, but as Chan was a minor on his father's death his coronation was delayed until 1806 when he turned 16.[1] Chan quarreled with his overlord the king of Siam (Thailand) and with his brothers, and the remainder of his reign was filled with wars between Chan's new overlord, the emperor of Vietnam, and the Thais, fought largely in the territory of Cambodia. Chan died in 1834, but the wars continued until 1847 when they ended with a peace treaty between Siam and Vietnam under which Chan's youngest brother, Ang Duong, was recognized as king (the other two brothers were dead by this time). Ang Duong's reign, from 1848 (the year of his coronation, although his reign began in 1847 and he had claimed the throne even earlier) until his death in 1860 did much to restore the country, which had suffered much in the previous three decades.
Reforms[edit]
Throughout Norodom's reign, several administrative and judicial reforms were improved in the kingdom. The reduction of provinces was imposed to help reduce administrative costs. He also followed King Chulalongkorn and abolished commercial monopolies, slavery, and civil lists for the royal family. During his reign, certain agricultural products such as betel, pepper, and sugar costs were reduced.
