Principality of Hà Tiên
The Principality of Hà Tiên (chữ Hán: 河僊鎮 or 河仙鎮; Vietnamese: Hà Tiên trấn Thai: เมืองพุทไธมาศ Mueang Phutthai Mat), or the Hà Tiên Protectorate, was a principality of Chinese settlers ruled by the Mạc (Mo) clan at the Gulf of Thailand, in modern-day southern Vietnam and Cambodia. It was originally de facto independent, but later became a vassal state of the Siamese Rattanakosin Kingdom and the Vietnamese Nguyễn dynasty in the 18th and 19th century prior to its annexation by the latter in 1832. Along with Phố Hiến, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City, Hà Tiên was a major Chinese community center and important hub of Ming loyalist networks in premodern Indochina.
Principality of Hà Tiên 河僊鎮 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1707–1832 | |||||||||
The area ruled by Mok (莫) family (1829) | |||||||||
| Status | Cambodian protectorate (1707–1736) Vietnamese protectorate (1707–1832) Siamese protectorate (1785–1809) | ||||||||
| Capital | Hà Tiên | ||||||||
| Spoken languages | |||||||||
| Government | protectorate | ||||||||
| King | |||||||||
• 1707–1735 | Mạc Cửu (first) | ||||||||
• 1735–1777 | Mạc Thiên Tứ | ||||||||
• 1830–1832 | Mạc Công Tài (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Modern history | ||||||||
• Mạc Cửu switched allegiance to the Nguyễn lords | 1707 | ||||||||
• Hà Tiên Province formed | 1832 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Vietnam | ||||||||
The name of the principality was variously spelled as Hexian Zhen (河仙鎮), Nangang (南港), Gangkou (港口), Bendi (本底) or Kundama (昆大嗎) in Chinese, Phutthaimat (พุทไธมาศ) or Banthaimat (บันทายมาศ) in Thai, Ponthiamas, Pontheaymas and Pontiano in French, Panthai-mas, Bantaimas, Pontiamas, Pontaimas, Bantay-mas, Banteay M'eas, Pontiamas, Pontiamasse, Po-taimat, Can Cao, Cancar, and infinite other variations. Many of the pronunciations were similar to Banteay Meas, thus confusing Hà Tiên with a nearby town Banteay Meas.