Oknha

Oknha (Khmer: ឧកញ៉ា, also spelled as Oknya[1] or Oknia[2]) is an honorary title in Cambodia. It has different meanings depending on the period it was used.

In premodern times, "Oknha" were envoys appointed by the king, who were expected to perform a wide variety of duties, take elaborate oaths of loyalty, and present the monarch with regular gifts. Oknha is one of the noble titles, above Preah (ព្រះ) and below Neak Oknha (អ្នកឧកញ៉ា). It equals to Okya (ออกญา) of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, also roughly equals to marquess in Western countries.

The title Oknha is created since the 18th century to replace the title Ponhea (ពញា), which could be translated as Phraya (พญา) in Thai. The word Oknha is referred to as Ốc nha (屋牙) in ancient Vietnamese records.

After the Cambodian coup of 1970, the Khmer social structure changed drastically. All royal and noble titles were revoked by the Khmer Republic.[3] Later, many Cambodian nobles died in the Cambodian genocide.

Today

In present-day, Oknha is the highest title bestowed on civilians (non-royalty) by the Cambodian king. The word means "nobleman" or "lord".[4] Since 20 March 2017, anyone hoping to be bestowed with the title must make contributions of $500,000 or more to the government. There are three levels of Oknha: Lok Oknha (លោកឧកញ៉ា), Neak Oknha (អ្នកឧកញ៉ា) and Oknha.[5]

References
  1. Harris, Ian (2005). Cambodian Buddhism, History and Practice (PDF). University of Hawaii Press. p. 45. ISBN 0-8248-2765-1.
  2. Khmer Holding 高棉控股
  3. Joachim Schliesinger. Ethnic Groups of Cambodia Vol 2: Profile of Austro-Asiatic-Speaking Peoples. p. 33.
  4. Benny Widyono (2008). Dancing in shadows: Sihanouk, the Khmer Rouge, and the United Nations in Cambodia. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 209. ISBN 9780742555532.
  5. "Cost of gaining 'Oknha' title soars". Khmer Times. 3 April 2017.

See also
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