Ang Mey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ang Mey
Queen of Cambodia
Reign	9 January 1835 – 1840
Predecessor	Ang Chan
Successor	Ang Duong
Born	1815
Died	December 1874 (aged 59) Oudong, French Cambodia
Issue	20 sons and daughters
Father	Ang Chan II
Mother	Neak Moneang Krachap
Religion	Buddhism

Ang Mey (Khmer: អង្គម៉ី 1815 – December 1874) was a queen who ruled Cambodia. Her full official name was Samdech Preah Mahā Rājinī Ang Mey. She was one of the few female rulers in Cambodia's history. She was also the first queen since Queen Tey. The Vietnamese government helped her become queen. Her time as ruler was mostly shaped by the Siamese-Vietnamese War (1841–1845).

Queen Ang Mey was also known by her Vietnamese name, Ngọc-Vân-công-chúa. She became queen in January 1835 after her father died. The Vietnamese group at the royal court supported her. She was given the title "Duchess of Cambodia." In August 1840, she was removed from the throne. Her title was changed to "Duchess of Mỹ Lâm." She was made queen again in 1844. But in 1845, the Vietnamese removed her again. They took her and her sisters to Huế, a city in Vietnam.

Biography of Queen Ang Mey

Her Early Life

Ang Mey was born in 1815. She was the second daughter of Ang Chan II. He was the King of Cambodia during the Oudong period. Her mother was Neak Moneang Krachap, the king's second wife.

When King Ang Chan II died in 1834, he had no sons to take over. He had four daughters: Princess Baen, Mey, Peou, and Sngon. This situation was good for both Vietnam and Siam. Both countries wanted to have more control over Cambodia. The king's brothers, Ang Im and Ang Duang, wanted to be king. But the Vietnamese, who were in Cambodia at the time, did not let them.

Instead, the Vietnamese emperor and Cambodian leaders chose Ang Chan II's oldest daughter, Princess Ang Baen. But she was friendly with the Thai court. She also refused to marry the Vietnamese emperor's son. So, Ang Mey was chosen instead of her sister. A Thai record says the Vietnamese tried to get Ang Mey to marry the son of Emperor Gia Long. This was to help Vietnam take over Cambodia. But Cambodian nobles strongly disagreed, so the plan was stopped.

A Queen Under Control

In May 1835, Ang Mey was crowned. She was given the title quan-chua, which means "Commandery Princess." This title was lower than a "gong-chua" princess. The Vietnamese court in Hué gave her this title. Her three sisters were called "sub-prefecture ladies." The Vietnamese watched the Ang princesses very closely. Queen Ang Mey had 100 soldiers to protect her. Her sisters each had thirty soldiers. These guards were supposed to keep them safe. But they were really there to make sure the princesses did not escape.

During Ang Mey's rule, all Cambodian women had to wear Vietnamese clothes. They had to grow their hair long in the Vietnamese style. Markets only sold Vietnamese food. Cambodian dance also started to include Vietnamese and Chinese styles. Cambodian officials had to wear Vietnamese clothes for ceremonies. Many temples were destroyed to weaken Cambodian identity. Places were also given Vietnamese names. The area around Phnom Penh was renamed "Tran Tay," or "Western Commandery."

The Cambodian people were not used to having a queen. They were also unhappy about their country becoming more Vietnamese. They asked the Siamese to put a male ruler on the throne. This ruler was Ang Duong, who was Ang Chan II's brother.

In 1840, Ang Mey's older sister, Princess Baen, was caught. She was writing to her mother and uncle in Battambang. They were planning to escape to them. Princess Baen was put in prison in Phnom Penh. The Vietnamese emperor, Minh Mạng, then lowered the status of Mey and her sisters. In August 1841, they were all arrested. They were sent to Vietnam along with the royal items. Around that time, some of Ang Mey's relatives were imprisoned. They were sent to the island of Poulo Condore. Some sources say Princess Ang Baen died in the Mekong river.

Because Princess Ang Baen died and Queen Ang Mey was gone, many Cambodian leaders rebelled. They fought against Vietnamese rule. Siam saw this as a chance to invade Cambodia. They tried to make Ang Duong their own ruler. This started the Siamese–Vietnamese War (1841–45). To stop the rebellion, Vietnamese officials in Phnom Penh asked for Mey to return. But Emperor Minh Mang refused.

Only when the Vietnamese army started winning did Mey return to Phnom Penh. In March 1844, she sent a message to officials asking for their support. Ang Duong also asked for support for his claim to the throne. Queen Ang Mey was made queen again in 1844. Her sisters, Poeu and Sngon, were also given back their titles.

The war between Thailand and Vietnam ended in a tie in 1845. They started talking about who should rule Cambodia. In October 1846, the Vietnamese released Ang Duong's daughter and family. They joined him in Oudong. Vietnam and Siam agreed that both Ang Duong and Ang Mey would rule together. But when the crowning ceremonies happened in 1848, only Ang Duong was recorded as becoming king. Ang Mey was recorded as his successor, not as a co-ruler.

Her Later Life

After her time as queen ended, Ang Mey lived for over twenty years. She did not become queen again after Ang Duong died. His son, Norodom, became king. He left Ang Mey in the care of an old servant. This happened when he and his court moved to Phnom Penh. In Oudong, Ang Mey continued her life. She sometimes took goods from merchants, believing it was her right as a former queen. Her servants had to help calm the merchants.

She later married a man whose name is not known. They had two daughters. She and her husband died in an accident in late December 1874. Their bodies were cremated in Phnom Penh in 1884.

Her Legacy

Ang Mey is often seen as a ruler controlled by the Vietnamese. This is shown in old writings like The Cambodia Chronicle. Ang Duong often linked Mey to the Vietnamese. He blamed her rule for the loss of Cambodian people who were forced to work. Most stories from that time suggest that Cambodian leaders accepted Ang Mey as queen. But they secretly hoped Ang Im or Ang Duong would return as king. There were even rumors that Mey was a close friend of Truong Minh Giang. He was the Vietnamese governor in Phnom Penh. But there is no proof of this.

During the time of choosing a new ruler, Ang Mey seemed to want peace. She sent messages to Ang Duong's helpers. She said she wanted peace and for her family to be together again. This might have been a smart move. Vietnamese records said she was a clever young lady when she became queen. Being forced to move to Vietnam and back, her sisters dying, and her status changing often may have affected her. By the end of her rule, Ang Mey was said to be very troubled.

Cambodian history often shows Mey as a victim. Her own people did not fully accept her. Her rule was seen as a disaster. During this time, Cambodian land, culture, and freedom were almost lost. It is true that the Vietnamese controlled Cambodia when Ang Mey was queen. But she became queen of a country that her father, Ang Chan II, had already put under Vietnamese control. It is hard to know what else she could have done besides accepting the situation.

See also

In Spanish: Ang Mey para niños