The ancient people of Angkor were/are the Samré people.
They were the soldiers of the Angkorean kingdom and were spread from Western Cambodia/Cardamom mountains (formerly known as Somrai mountains), to Angkor region (Banteay Samré is still named after them), and Phnom Kulen (the holy mountain where Jayavarman II became supreme ruler, where the Samré still reside).
There were two important Samré kings; Srindavarman II (also known as Ponhea Ironbat) and the Samré king who resided at Banteay Samré. Samré were elite warriors and were known by the (later) Cambodians as the "tattooed", according to French explorer Baradat. These people still tattoo themselves, but these are indigenous tattoos, not Sak Yant, although they may have invented/shared Sak Yant practices with the ancient Mon/Khmer people of Thailand.
These Pearic tribes were the soldiers of the kingdom and according to Chinese explorer Zhou Daguan, they were the commoners loyal to Srindavarman II (1296 - 1307). The Later Cambodians made up folk stories to erase the history that these "savage" people were actually the ancient Khmers and came to rule Angkor. That's why they made up some stupid folk legend about these people, so that their roles were erased and they could have been used as slaves by the modern Khmer (source: http://meruheritage.com/Breaking.html; see the legends concerning Ponhea Ironwood and Cucumber king))
When Angkor was captured by the Khmer/Mon from Ayutthuya (when they still spoke Khmer there and had there own separate Khmer culture), two Samré princes were brought to the Khmer Ayutthuyan court where these Samré princes tried to start a rebellion, but they were captured and killed. The modern Khmer depicted them as traitors of Angkor. After they were killed, a prince from Ayutthuya, named Yat, married into the Samré tribe and reconquered Angkor with help of the Samré (source: http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/wps/wps04_027.pdf, page 49, 50).
The current Khmer royal court still knows that they descended from Samré. The Samré remained the most important military forces of royal Cambodian court until the 18th/19th century. This is when the new Cambodian royal court became culturally alligned with Vietnamese and at times Cham, and wanted to erase the Samré legacy. they invented the Royal Cambodian Chronicles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian ... Chronicles) to rewrite history, since they felt superior to the Samré people.
The Samré are now marginalized and taught that there kings were wicked. They were in fact the ancient people of Angkor and already in the 6th century there was already an Old Khmer Samré king ruling Malyang (Battambang). His descendents were independent for a while, but were later conquered by Jayavarman II. The rulers of Funan merged with Samré people to become the ancient Khmer of Angkor. The citizens were Samré peasants and corvée laborers. Not slaves like the modern Khmers and Western historians like to claim..
When the Angkorean royal court merged with Ayutthuyan royal court of Yat, the Angkorean Old Khmer culture disappeared and the modern Khmers adopted the culture of the Mon/Khmer. That's why the royal titles from Old Khmer disappeared and made way for Ayutthuyan titles (source: http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/wps/wps04_027.pdf, page 49).
Modern/Middle Khmers had not much to do with Angkor, except for the royal families, which were Samré and were actually the result of the founding of the new Cambodian kingdoms of Lovek/Phnom Penh, which became the capital already in 15th century, because of maritime trade. These Khmers like to imagine that they had/have a connection to Angkor, which they don't have. They are a new breed of Khmers; the result of merge of Ayutthuyan (Mon/Khmer) court with Angkorean (Pearic Samré) court.
Khmer Krom from Vietnam, Northern Khmer, Central Khmer all descended from people of Lovek/Phnom Penh. The Samré remained in Siem Reap and became slaves. That's why the modern Khmers rewrote history, to subdue them and erase their connection with ancient kingdom. According to French explorer the Samré in Siem Reap still spoke Old Khmer and were the last and only speakers of the original Old Khmer language.
The sectret of the Cambodian royal court of the 18th/19th century
-
- I've got nothing better to do
- Reactions: 5
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2018 4:09 am
-
- I've got nothing better to do
- Reactions: 5
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2018 4:09 am
Please feel free to ask questions or have me elaborate about this subject. It is pretty sad how these mighty tribes have been marginilized to become known as slaves and low life savages..
- Playboy
- 20,000 Posts; I need professional help !
- Reactions: 288
- Posts: 24827
- Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 6:30 pm
- Location: Hotel K: Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
- Contact:
The current Royal Court holds more Chinese heritage than is generally realised, although most of them care more about their French cultural mannerisms than any Asian ones.
"We, the sons of John Company, have arrived"
- Lucky Lucan
- K440 Knight Captain
- Reactions: 761
- Posts: 22525
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:24 pm
- Location: The Pearl of the Orient
Where does this story stem from? There is very little solid information from the post-Angkorean period and few inscriptions to go by. I'd imagine a lot is pure conjecture.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
-
- I've got nothing better to do
- Reactions: 5
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2018 4:09 am
About sources of Cambodia in the 15th century (the Samré/Pearic kings brought to Ayutthuya; portrayed by Cambodians as traitors, the story of Yat, merge of Ayutthuyan court with Samré/Pearic court): http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/wps/wps04_027.pdf; pages 49, 50, 53.
The folk legends of the Samré kings, being portrayed as wicked king and low life farmer king (search for Ironwood Bat and Sweet Cucumber King): http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/wps/wps04_027.pdf. The legends derrived from Royal Cambodian Chronicles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian ... hronicles)
The wicked Ponhea Ironwood Bat was actually Srindavarman II, the first Theravada buddhist (Samré) king Srindavarman II (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indravarman_II. Zou Daguan wrote 'The Customs of Cambodia' while he was reigning; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Customs_of_Cambodia
The first Samré king of Malyang, 'Kurun Malen' (Battambang): http://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/e ... _11801.pdf, page 33
The folk legends of the Samré kings, being portrayed as wicked king and low life farmer king (search for Ironwood Bat and Sweet Cucumber King): http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/wps/wps04_027.pdf. The legends derrived from Royal Cambodian Chronicles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian ... hronicles)
The wicked Ponhea Ironwood Bat was actually Srindavarman II, the first Theravada buddhist (Samré) king Srindavarman II (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indravarman_II. Zou Daguan wrote 'The Customs of Cambodia' while he was reigning; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Customs_of_Cambodia
The first Samré king of Malyang, 'Kurun Malen' (Battambang): http://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/e ... _11801.pdf, page 33
-
- I've got nothing better to do
- Reactions: 5
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2018 4:09 am
I have more sources, unfortunately I can not reply to messages in my inbox, but feel free to share this story for greater visibility, and if you need more sources, please ask, I have sources for all statements that I made.
Interesting post, Samre-Samre but different.
"Not my circus, not my monkeys" - KiR
-
- I've got nothing better to do
- Reactions: 5
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2018 4:09 am
In the document you could read that this story of Cambodia in the 15th century was a result of a translation of ancient Khmer document that was translated into Thai. The detailed facts with names and events, plus the fact that other royal chronicles had similar stories means that the document is in fact based on true events.Lucky Lucan wrote:Where does this story stem from? There is very little solid information from the post-Angkorean period and few inscriptions to go by. I'd imagine a lot is pure conjecture.
Also, because of translation, some facts got lost in translation. For example, the document describes the Samré as 'barrg'. Historian Michael Vickery was the first person to point out that barrg was derrived from the Sanskrit word 'varna', which means clan. The Pearic hilltribes (of which Samré were the Pearic tribe connected to Angkor) were referred to as clans, since their tribal structure was basically formed in the way of a clan. The tribe members were very loyal to their elected leader, who was seen as a divine figure and hold absolute control over the members. He was also appointed with magical powers. They called this tribe leader 'khvay', which translates as 'sorcerer' or 'astrologer'. The Pearic hilltribes that still exist today have these leaders ruling their tribe with abolute authority.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
-
Cambodian rebels in 19th century
by kke802 » Tue Aug 31, 2021 8:33 am » in Cambodian History and Culture - 10 Replies
- 1274 Views
-
Last post by Webel
Fri Sep 03, 2021 12:40 am
-
-
-
The Role of Khmer Monks 16th to 19th century
by kke802 » Sun Apr 18, 2021 9:41 am » in Cambodian History and Culture - 2 Replies
- 723 Views
-
Last post by Lucky Lucan
Mon Apr 19, 2021 1:42 am
-
-
-
NZ court jails Black Power gang for murder of Cambodian immigrant
by Bong Burgundy » Fri Sep 01, 2023 12:16 pm » in 'Not' Cambodia - 11 Replies
- 5302 Views
-
Last post by Winer Diner
Mon Sep 04, 2023 7:25 pm
-
-
-
Thai King strips royal consort of her title
by Sonic1 » Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:55 am » in Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Lao forums - 6 Replies
- 2536 Views
-
Last post by Phuket2006
Thu Dec 24, 2020 7:15 am
-