Little attention has been given to the kings of Srei Santhor who appear in the Cambodian royal chronicles, because the Post-Angkor period has been portrayed as comprising only one dynasty and the Srei Santhor kings as temporary rebels. This article aims to explain the existence of the Srei Santhor royalty by using some historical materials and the results of field research.
Srei Santhor of the 16th century was a relay point connecting the Cam, Malay, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese to the territory of the Lao via the Mekong route. In the late 17th century, Srei Santhor kings cooperated with Chinese who settled at the mouth of the Mekong, and competed with the kings of Udong.
The Japanese Kaihentai refers to the Srei Santhor kings as Mizu O, Water Kings. Furthermore, I found an oral tradition remaining in the region of Srei Santhor, in which Sdec Kon is referred to as a king protected by Naga. This probably symbolizes the Water Kings at the height of their prosperity.
The Srei Santhor royalty collapsed in the face of the Vietnamese advance to the Mekong, and in the subsequent royal chronicles of the rival Udong dynasty the water kings were referred to as rebels.