Names of Cambodia


Names of Cambodia

The name of Cambodia in the Khmer language is "Kampuchea" (Khmer: ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា; Preah Reachanachâk Kampuchea), which derives from Sanskrit Kambujade?a (कम्बोजदेश; "land of Kambuja"). It is not unique to the modern kingdom of Cambodia: the same name (i.e. Kamboj/Kambuja) is also found in Burmese and Thai chronicles referring to regions within those kingdoms. In the Indian chronicles the Kambuja were a barbarian (in the sense of non-Indian) people in the area of modern Afghanistan. "The application to Southeast Asia has no ethnic content and does not imply any migration of peoples from the original Kambuja; the most likely explanation is that, when Indian traders and Brahmins came into contact with local populations some two thousand years ago, they gave them the names of regions which, in their view, were similarly marginal and remote: the peoples of Southeast Asia, like the barbarian Kamboja, had no castes, did not observe proper food prohibitions and had different rules for marriage."An origin-myth recorded in the Baksei Chamkronginscription, dated AD 947, derives Kambuja from Svayambhuva Kamboj, a legendary Indian sage who reached the Indochina peninsula and married a naga princess named Mera, thus uniting the Indian and local races. In this story Kambuja derives from Kambu+ja, and means "descendants of Kambu." Preah Reachanachâk Kampuchea means "Kingdom of Cambodia". Etymologically, its components are: Preah- ("sacred"); -reach- ("king, royal, realm", from Sanskrit); -ana- (from Pāli āṇā ???, "authority, command, power"); -châk (from Sanskrit chakra, meaning "wheel", a symbol of power and rule). The name used on formal occasions, such as political speeches and news programs, is Prâteh Kampuchea (Khmer: ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា), literally "the Country of Cambodia". The colloquial name most used by Khmer people is Srok Khmae (Khmer: ??????????), literally "Khmer Land". Srok is a Mon-Khmer word roughly equal to the Sanskritic prteh, but less formal.

Official names of Cambodia since independence
Name French Name Date Notes
Kingdom of Cambodia Royaume du Cambodge 1953 - 1970 under the monarchy.
Khmer Republic Rpublique Khmre 1970 - 1975 under the Lon Nol government.
Democratic Kampuchea Kampuchea dmocratique 1975 - 1979 under the Khmer Rouge regime.
People's Republic of Kampuchea Rpublique populaire du Kmp?cha 1979 - 1989 under the rule of the Vietnamese-sponsored government.
State of Cambodia tat du Cambodge 1989 - 1993 under the United Nations Transitional Authority.
Kingdom of Cambodia Royaume du Cambodge 1993 - Present monarchy restored.

Deepak Kamboj

Deepak Kamboj

Deepak Kamboj started and conceptualized the powerful interactive platform - KambojSociety.com in September 2002, which today is the biggest and most popular online community portal for Kambojas in the world. He was inspired by the social and community work carried out by his father Shri Nanak Chand Kamboj. He has done research on the history, social aspects, political growth and economical situation of the Kamboj community. Deepak Kamboj is an author of various articles about the history of Kamboj community and people.