War
part of the Siamese-Vietnamese Wars
The Siamese–Vietnamese War (1771–1773) was a war between Siam (modern Thailand) of the Thonburi Period in the reign of King Taksin and the Nguyễn Lords of Cochinchina or Southern Vietnam. The war also involved Cambodia and the Hà Tiên polity, which were allies of the Nguyen Lord.
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Text from the Wikipedia article “Siamese–Vietnamese War of 1771-1773”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Siamese–Vietnamese War (1771–1773) was a war between Siam (modern Thailand) of the Thonburi Period in the reign of King Taksin and the Nguyễn Lords of Cochinchina or Southern Vietnam. The war also involved Cambodia and the Hà Tiên polity, which were allies of the Nguyen Lord.
After the Fall of the Ming dynasty, a Cantonese named Mo Jiu or Mạc Cửu (鄚玖) migrated from Leizhou, Guangdong Province to settle in the Cambodian coastal port town of Bantaey Meas (Khmer:បន្ទាយមាស) or modern Hà Tiên in 1671. Banteay Maes was populated by the native Cambodians and the Chinese traders. Mạc Cửu ran a local gambling den in Banteay Maes and managed to propel himself to the riches. He was granted the rank of Oknha from the Cambodian king for his wealth. Mạc Cửu and his Cantonese followers built a Chinese-style town of Hà Tiên. In 1707, Mạc Cửu submitted to become a subordinate of the Nguyen Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu and was awarded with the title Cửu Ngọc hầu, leading to the foundation of the Hà Tiên polity. Mạc Cửu died in 1735 and was succeeded by his son Mạc Thiên Tứ (also known as Mo Shilin 莫士麟) as the ruler of Hà Tiên. Under the rule of Mạc Thiên Tứ, Hà Tiên rose to become the commercial and political center of the region.
In 1714, King Ang Tham or Thommo Reachea of Cambodia was driven off by Kaev Hua, who was supported by the Vietnamese Nguyen Lord. Ang Tham took refuge in Ayutthaya where King Thaisa granted him a place to reside. Three years later, in 1717, the Siamese king sent armies and navy to reclaim Cambodia for Ang Tham, leading to the Siamese–Vietnamese War (1717). The Siamese navy was defeated at Hà Tiên, while on land King Kaev Hua of Cambodia decided to capitulate and submitted to the Siamese. The Siamese returned with satisfaction but the Cambodian court remained pro-Vietnamese. In 1722, Kaev Hua abdicated in favor of his son Satha. Ang Tham, who had spent about two decades in Ayutthaya, finally returned to Cambodia and reclaimed the throne for himself in 1737, prompting the pro-Vietnamese Satha to flee to Vietnam. Ang Tham reigned until his death in 1747 and the succession was received by his relative Ang Tong Reameathiptei. Satha was escorted by the Vietnamese armies to successfully retake his Cambodian throne in 1748 with Ang Tong fleeing to Ayutthaya. King Borommokot of Ayutthaya sent Siamese armies in 1749 to expel Satha. Satha again fled to Vietnam where he died. The Siamese installed Ang Sngoun, son of Ang Tham, as Chey Chettha the new pro-Siamese king of Cambodia. Within the span of two years 1747–1749, three Cambodian kings had ascended the throne.
In 1757, Prince Ang Hing the Uprayorach (viceroy) came into conflicts with Prince Ang Ton the Ouparach (deputy viceroy). Ang Ton was defeated and took refuge in Hà Tiên under the protection of Mạc Thiên Tứ (known as Neak Preah Sotoat in Cambodian chronicles). Ang Ton professed himself to be an adopted son of Mạc Thiên Tứ. Mạc Thiên Tứ then gained the permission from the Nguyen Lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát to install Ang Ton as the new king of Cambodia. Mạc Thiên Tứ sent armies to bring Ang Ton back to Cambodia. Ang Hing was defeated and killed in battle. King Chey Chettha fled to Pursat where he fell ill and died. Ang Ton ascended the Cambodian throne as Outeyreachea the pro-Vietnamese king of Cambodia. Ang Non, son of Chey Chettha and political ally of Ang Hing, was captured and encaged. A loyal servant happened to secretly open the cage, allowing Ang Non to flee to Ayutthaya in 1758. The new Cambodian King Ang Ton repaid Mạc Thiên Tứ for his supports by ceding five prefectures, including Kampong Som and Kampot in Southern Cambodia, to Mạc Thiên Tứ. This led to the formation of the territories of the Hà Tiên polity, which was, in turn, under the suzerainty of the Nguyen Lords' regime. The Vietnamese settled on the new territories of the Mekong Delta and maintained military garrisons at Long Hồ, Sa Đéc and Châu Đốc.
During the Late Ayutthaya Period, the Teochew Chinese people from Guangdong Province had migrated overseas to settle in the eastern Siamese coastal port towns, most notably in Bang Plasoi and Chanthaburi. In January 1767, about three months before the Fall of Ayutthaya, Phraya Tak, a Siamese general of Teochew ancestry with personal name Zheng Zhao (鄭昭) or Zheng Xin (鄭信), led his forces to successfully break through the Burmese encirclement and left Ayutthaya for Chanthaburi. The Cambodian Prince Ang Non also joined this entourage of Phraya Tak. Ang Non then became one of the original followers of Phraya Tak. In June 1767, Phraya Tak managed to seize Chanthaburi, which had been a major Teochew entrepôt, and made his base there. Pu Lan the Phraya Chanthaburi fled to take refuge in Hà Tiên.
After the Fall of Ayutthaya in April 1767, Prince Chao Sisang (Thai: เจ้าศรีสังข์), a son of Prince Thammathibet, took refuge in Bang Plasoi where he found the French missionaries from Ayutthaya. The French missionaries took the Ayutthayan prince with them to Hà Tiên and proceeded to Oudong, Cambodia. Another Ayutthayan prince, Prince Chao Chui (Thai: เจ้าจุ้ย), a grandson of King Thaisa, took asylum in Hà Tiên under the protection of Mạc Thiên Tứ. Phraya Tak sent a letter to Mạc Thiên Tứ, requesting him to hand over the Ayutthayan princes. Mạc Thiên Tứ, whose interests was to retain the Ayutthayan princes as political bargains, refused. Mạc Thiên Tứ came into conflicts with the Teochew merchant-pirates of the eastern Siamese shores of the Gulf of Siam. In 1769 or 1770, Mạc Thiên Tứ sent Cantonese forces from Hà Tiên to attack Chanthaburi and Trat. Cambodian chronicles stated that the Hà Tiên forces suffered losses at Chanthaburi.
After Phraya Tak had enthroned himself as King Taksin in December 1767, he sent his diplomatic envoy to Guangzhou in August 1768 to request for the imperial recognition in order to secure his relative legitimacy over other rival regimes and lucrative trade with the Chinese court under the tally system. On this occasion, Taksin's name first appeared in Chinese records as Gan Enchi (甘恩敕). The Beijing court sent Zheng Rui as an official delegate to investigate the events at Hà Tiên in December 1768, where Zheng Rui was informed about Phraya Tak who had established his power in Siam. Zheng Rui met with the Ayutthayan Prince Chui in Hà Tiên. Mạc Thiên Tứ sent his delegate in a competing mission to Guangzhou, informing the Chinese court that the Ayutthayan princes, the scions of the fallen Ban Phlu Luang dynasty, had been with him in Hà Tiên. The Beijing court refused to recognize Taksin as ruler of Siam in the Chinese tributary system because of the existence of the Ayutthayan princes. Emperor Qianlong urged Taksin, in his imperial letter, to be loyal to the former dynasty of Ayutthaya and to find any remaining descendants of the old dynasty to be enthroned. In 1771, as China and Burma had been engaging in the Sino-Burmese War, Taksin sent Burmese captives from the Burmese War to China to convince Beijing that China and Siam shared the same enemy – Burma.
In 1769, King Taksin of Thonburi sent a letter to the pro-Vietnamese King Ang Ton of Cambodia, urging Cambodia to resume sending the submissive tribute of golden and silver trees to Siam. Ang Ton refused on the grounds that Taksin was a Chinese usurper. Taksin was angered and ordered the invasion to subjugate Cambodia and install the pro-Siamese Ang Non on the Cambodian throne. He dispatched the Siamese troops into Cambodia as follows;
From Nakhon Ratchasima, Phraya Aphai Ronnarit and Phraya Anuchit Racha led the Siamese armies to cross the Dangrek mountains to attack and successfully occupy Siemreap. Oknha Kralahom Pang, the Cambodian commander, was killed in battle. Phraya Kosa Chen Lian seized Battambang. King Ang Ton was then resolved to personally lead the Cambodian fleet to face the invading Siamese. The two Siamese commanders mustered the Siamese fleet to battle the Cambodians in the Tonle Sap.
During these campaigns, King Taksin was coincidentally on his campaigns subjugating the Nakhon Si Thammarat regime in the south. However, rumors reached the Siamese in Cambodia that King Taksin had perished in battle. Phraya Aphai Ronnarit and Phraya Anuchit Racha then decided to retreat from the Cambodian battlefront to return to Thonburi. However, they soon learned that the rumors were false and Taksin was alive and well. Chen Lian also retreated from Cambodia and informed the king about the premature retreat of the two commanders. Anuchit Racha explained to King Taksin that, due to the rumors, he was obliged to retreat in order to return to prevent the Thonburi city from descending into upheavals. King Taksin was satisfied with this explanation and praised Anuchit Racha for his loyalty. Cambodia was then spared from Siamese occupation and remained under Vietnamese influence for a moment.
In 1771, King Taksin resumed his plans to invade Cambodia to find Prince Sisang and Prince Chui and to install the Cambodian Prince Ang Non as the new king of Cambodia to replace the pro-Vietnamese King Ang Ton. Taksin wanted to take Hà Tiên because it was a prosperous port and a potential rival to Siam. Taksin ordered the Siamese forces to invade Cambodia and Hà Tiên as follows;
The Siamese king and his grand naval entourage left Thonburi on November 3, 1771, for the Paknam. When the royal fleet reached Chanthaburi, the king stayed there, ordering Chen Lian and Yang Jinzong to proceed to Kampong Som. Chen Lian was able to take Kampong Som. Then King Taksin continued his fleet, reaching Hà Tiên on November 14. Taksin took commanding position on a hill to the south of Hà Tiên, where the canons were brought uphill to shell the city. Taksin ordered Chaophraya Chakri Mud to lay the naval siege on Hà Tiên. The king also ordered Phraya Phichai Aisawan Yang Jinzong to write a letter to Mạc Thiên Tứ, urging him either to fight or surrender. Mạc Thiên Tứ replied that he would take three days to decide, according to Thai chronicles. However, after three days, Mạc Thiên Tứ was silent. Mạc Thiên Tứ was in dire conditions. He managed only to raise a troop of 2,000 Chinese men to defend Hà Tiên. He had requested military supports from the Nguyen Lord Nguyễn Phúc Thuần. However, the Nguyen court held back and did not send troops due to an earlier incident in 1767, in which Mạc Thiên Tứ also requested for Nguyen troops against the Siamese who did not come. Mạc Thiên Tứ ordered his second son Mạc Tử Dung to command the left-flank troop and his third son Mạc Tử Thảng to command the battle ships to defend the port.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Siamese–Vietnamese War (1771–1773)”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.