Nai Khan

Nai Khan (c. 1476–1526 or 1529) was a Cambodian military leader who in 1508 raised an uprising against King Srey Sokonthor Vata and proclaimed himself King; in 1512-1516 he was the only ruler of Cambodia.

His exact date of birth is unknown. Khmer chronicles indicate that he came from monastic peasants, and his sister, famous for her beauty, was introduced to Srey Sokonthor's harem as a concubine, which allowed him to gain a position at court, which he soon took advantage of to seize power. First, Nai Khan rebelled against his younger half-brother, Srey Sokonthor, Ang Chan, defeating him, forcing him to flee to the Thai state of Ayutthia and becoming the actual owner of the Khmer lands south of Phnom Penh . In 1508, Nai Khan declared himself the only king of Cambodia, taking the name Param Bupati and challenging Srey Sokonthoru, but did not yet possess the sacred spear and sword that would allow him to receive recognition as a monarch from the elite and the clergy. He managed to capture them in 1512, when Srey Sokonthor was killed with a few supporters in the fort, where he fled from the army of the rebels.

Becoming the monarch of almost all Khmer lands, Nai Khan decided to improve the situation of the peasants: he lowered and partially abolished taxes, took measures to improve irrigation, softened the penalties for offenses, and began minting gold and bronze coins. Meanwhile, Ang Chan, who lived at the court of the ruler of Ayutthaya, eight years after his exile, got help from him and with some forces was able to return to Cambodia, starting a war against Nai Khan. He was supported by some Khmer feudal lords , supporters of Srey Sokonthor, deposed and killed, and at the meeting of feudal lords in Pursat in 1516 they proclaimed the new king Ang Chan. Nai Khan stormed Pursat several times, but could not take it, Ang Chang managed to take Angkor. Having achieved some success, Ang Chan made a truce with Nai Khan (establishing control over a number of territories by that time) and used it to stock up on firearms, which he bought from the Portuguese who started arriving in those years in Cambodia. The war soon resumed and continued until, according to various estimates, 1526 or 1529; In the end, the forces of Nai Khan were defeated in the battles of Udong and Babor, while he himself, with the remnants of his troops, took refuge in the Samrong Prey Bokor fortress near Lovek. After a three-month siege, the fortress was taken, the wounded Nai Khan was captured and immediately executed by order of Ang Chan, who has since then become the only ruler of Cambodia.