French Colonial Cambodia: A Murdered Official, Village Life, and the Young Pol Pot
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In April 1925, a French resident named Félix Louis Bardez walked into the village of Kraang Laav to collect unpaid taxes. He was beaten to death, along with his militiaman and his interpreter. The trial that followed tells you more about how the protectorate actually worked than any amount of colonial paperwork.
Time Period Covered: 1880 – 1938
What did French control of Cambodia look like? How did this 'protectorate' function? What are the origins of Cambodian nationalism? And what was life like for your average Khmer in the early 20th century?
In this episode, Lachlan covers the early reactions to French rule, the treatment of the Khmer by the imperial power, and how the protectorate functioned in practice. The Bardez killing opens onto a discussion of the culture of the Khmer living outside the major towns and cities, based on May Ebihara's groundbreaking fieldwork at Svay.
The episode continues the early life of Saloth Sar and his family, and introduces Son Ngoc Thanh and Nagaravatta, the first Khmer-language newspaper.
Sources
David Chandler A History of Cambodia
Ben Kiernan How Pol Pot Came to Power
Philip Short Pol Pot: History of a Nightmare
May Ebihara Svay: A Khmer Village in Cambodia
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