# Chey Chettha II

Chey Chestha II (Khmer:|ជ័យជេស្ឋាទី២), (Siam call: Chey Chettha II) was the Cambodian king ruled from 1618 to 1627. After the official coronation ceremony in Lavea Em, in 2162 BE, 1618 AD, Maha Sakarach 1541, His full name was called "Preahbat Samdech Preah Chey Chestha Thireach Reameathibdei" He was the eldest son of the Borom Reachea IV and had a younger brother, Outey, who was captured by the Siamese king and sent to Ayutthaya during the Siamese siege of Longvek in 1593 AD.

## Moving the capital

Chey Chestha II During his captivity in Ayutthaya, his father, Soriyoapor, secretly communicated with him, communicating in military language through language codes because he could not trust the people around him for fear of the king. Siamese spies or spies nearby, all letters are subject to strict Siam translation. In a secret message, Srei Soiyoapor told his son, Chey Chestha, to find a way to return to Cambodia and transfer the throne to him. 1605 - The Siamese king, Naresuan, intends to raise an army to invade the Lao kingdom, so Chey Chestha asks the Siamese king to take the opportunity to flee to Cambodia. The Siamese king was unaware of Chey Chestha's intentions. The Siamese king agreed to the request during a battle with the Laotian army. Chey Chestha fled back to Cambodia. The Siamese king Naresuan, upon hearing that Chey Chestha had fled back to Cambodia, became depressed and died in 1605 AD. Srei Soriyoapor transferred the throne to his son Chey Chestha II including a royal wedding with the daughter of Annam king named Ang Zhou in 1618 AD. Until 1620, Chey Chestha, realizing that Lvea Em was next to the main river, was easy for foreign navies and large warships to attack, so he decided to move the capital from Lvea Em to Udong. Which was a good strategic area, easy to defend itself from the invading enemy, with Annam as the backbone, Chey Chestha abandoned the Siamese tradition and adopted the Khmer tradition instead and did not send tribute to the Siamese to show the Siamese no longer recognized Siam power over Cambodia.

## Khmer-Siamese War, 1621 AD

A Siamese king named "Songtham", seeing that the Cambodian king was not subject to his kingdom And turned to Allies with the kingdom of Annam, he was furious and ordered an army to invade Cambodia in 1621 AD. Siam raised 105,000 troops led by a Siamese general named Samdach Thai Da. Siamese general Divided the army into three divisions, the first division of 55,000 troops entered through the Pursat province, the second division of 20,000 troops as the navy entered the sea through Banteay Meas district (now : Kep Province) 30,000 troops as the Navy enters the Tonle Sap River, The three Siamese armies came to attack and capture Udong city. Seeing that there were only 70,000 troops, seeing that he could not resist the Siamese army, he ordered his wife, Ang Zhou, to send a message to ask for help from his father-in-law, with the emperor Annam sending troops. 30,000 troops to help fight Cambodia. Chey Chestha divided the army into three divisions, the first division was led by Techo Yot And Techo Meas led 50,000 troops to fight with the Siamese army in Pursat province, 2nd Regiment led by Preah Outey went to war with Siamese troops in Banteay Meas district (present: Kep province) The third army, the Annamite army, had to be embedded along the river to prevent the Siamese army from landing. The Siamese army was defeated by the Khmer army led by Techo Meas at Pursat province. The Siam navy, which sailed through the strait of Banteay Meas district (Kep province), failed under the auspices of Preah Outey. As for the Siamese navy, which sailed through the Tonle Sap Strait, Siamese warships in each boat carrying between 500 and 1,000 troops fought and the Annamite army along the Tonle Sap River in Kampong Chhnang Province. The Siamese army was prevented from landing by the Annamite artillery. Eventually, all three Siamese armies were severely defeated, and the remaining ten thousand Siamese troops withdrew. Both navies were wiped out, leaving the Annamite army to help and the Khmer army killed more than 20,000 and the Cambodian army killed more than 30,000.

## Khmer-Siamese War, 1622 AD

Undeterred by the first Siamese king, Song Tham, he ordered the Siamese army to invade Cambodia again in Kampuchea Krom in 1622. 40,000 troops Siam navy launched an attack on a port in Peam province. At that time, Cambodia had only 5,000 navy, and Cambodia was short of navies. Lack of warships to transport troops by water. Chey Chestha requested the help of Annamite troops for the second time, Annam sent 25,000 navies to fight with Cambodia in the battle of Peam province (currently: by the Vietnamese government). Name is included in the provincial of Kien Giang province. Many artillery shells were fired at the warships, eventually the Siamese army was defeated a second time, half of the Siamese army was killed and the other half of the Siamese army withdrew. These two victories of Cambodia became indebted to the Emperor of Annam, and this indebtedness brought weight to the King of Cambodia in agreeing to lend land to two provinces to the Emperor of Annam to set up military bases. Its two locations are Kampong Krabei province of Prey Nokor city (Now: Hochiminh City) and Kampong Srakatrey province of Dong Nai province, where the land loan treaty was made in June 1623 AD.

## Annam military base in Cambodia

In 1623, the Trinh Dynasty of the North Vietnamese launched an invasion of the Nguyễn dynasty in February, so the Annamite emperor sent envoys to the land of two Cambodian territories as a base. Troops to counter the Vietnamese from Tonkin. Their language is adapted to the South Chinese accent and their style of dress is similar to that of the Chinese, and their dress is different from that of the Annamites, The Annamites had a similar style of dress as the Champa. In this land loan, Emperor Annam described the sacrifices of his army in coming to fight with Cambodia. If Cambodia does not agree to this request, Annam will break its alliance with Cambodia, and every time the Siamese army invades, Annam will not send troops to help Cambodia. Chey Chestha shocked his mind to the point that if Cambodia did not agree with, Cambodia and there was another strong enemy, the Annamites of the East, And the Siam of the West, so as not to lose the whole of Cambodia, he only had to cut two pieces of flesh for Annam. Therefore, Preah Chey Chesa agreed to provide land loans in two areas: Kampong Krabei province of Prey Nokor city and Kampong Srakatrey province of Dong Nai province, which provided a military base for the Annamites for 5 years from 1623 to 1628 AD. These two areas were to be returned to Cambodia. However, King Chey Chesha II did not reclaim these two areas because he died in 1627 AD, before the last treaty of the province. Both disappeared completely after the Trinh Dynasty from Tonkinese completely swallowed the Annamites in the early 18th century to the present.