I was reading a manuscript today called Random Accounts from a Mountain Residence (Sơn cư tạp thuật). It is supposed to date from the late 18th century, but I found one account in it which appears to be from the mid nineteenth century. This account is about brothels. The passage begins with information from the Chinese classics about the establishment of brothels in antiquity, and then it talks about Vietnam.
It says that “formerly” there were a lot of prostitutes in the areas of the capital where troops were stationed. Many of the prostitutes had venereal diseases. This illness was colloquially called the “Siamese sore” (暹羅瘡, Xiêm La sang) and was supposedly contracted by soldiers who campaigned against Siam. After they returned they infected the prostitutes who then infected others, and so on and so forth.
The text then says that after the 戌甲 year, whoever was stationed at the capital got this disease. It could not be cured, and some people died from it, and efforts to prevent its spread did not work either. Eventually the prostitutes were found, their heads were shaved, and they were chased away.
The 戌甲 year could be 1728, 1788, or 1848. I’m guessing that this text is talking about 1848, because the main wars with Siam occurred in the 1830s. In fact, however, I don’t know how likely it is that Vietnamese soldiers actually had sexual relations with Siamese women during these wars. Most of the fighting between Siam and Vietnam took place in Cambodia and southern Vietnam. So it’s not clear to me if the “Siamese sore” really was from Siam.
Nonetheless, what I found interesting is that I actually found a premodern source which talks about this.
This Post Has 4 Comments
This is very interesting source. I think it’s very rare to find this type of historical sources. I was very amazing that the source tells us about the disease which caused to the death of numbers of soldiers. If I remember correct, I read Thai chronicles, phraratchapongsawadan and chotmaihet (it’s an oral history of the people who lived in the border areas) that mention about the war between Siam and Vietnam in the battle of Rach Gam Xoai Mut. Siam sent troops to support Nguyen Anh in order to fought against the Tay Son. The result of this war was, as many people, that Siam and Nguyen Anh lost to the Tay Son.
What I feel interesting is that there are some content which is quite similar to this post. Some parts of those sources talk about the complaint by Nguyen Anh to Rama I. Nguyen Anh pointed that the loss to Tay Son in 1780s was mainly because of Siamese soldiers who really enjoyed to buy prostitutions in the border area. The Siamese soldiers did not pay attention on the warfare, but gambling, prostitutions and other entertainment activities. However, the Thai sources don’t tell us such details related to the disease that led so many peoples died.
But this post is interesting to imagine how and why the Siamese women had sort of sexual prostitution at the border area. What I guess is that why not others such as local women in the border areas? It’s easier to find.
To me (I may be very new to learn about the soldiers’ life during the warfare) it’s amazing that all vices such as brothels and gambling houses perhaps played important role to entertain those soldiers during the war time.
I’m still confused about when this passage is talking about. I need to look at more of this text, but it is supposed to be about the late Le, so it shouldn’t be about Dang Trong where the Nguyen ruled. Before the 19th century, the Nguyen were the only ones who were in contact with the Siamese, however, right?
I’m guessing that it is referring to the mid nineteenth century, however 1848 is a long time after the previous conflict with the Siamese, isn’t it? So why would that date be so important?
It also just mentions “the capital,” but which capital? The Le capital of Thang Long (Ha Noi)? The Nguyen lords’ capital of Phu Xuan? The Nguyen dynasty capital of Hue?
If I am not wrong, there was once a war between Ayudhaya and Vietnam (which I think it’s in the Le period). I haven’t read much Ayudhaya chronicle. But I slightly remember that some parts of the Ayudhaya chronicle describes something about the strength of VIetnamese troops (it may be once an invasion to Nan province, currently in the north of Thailand. I need to check if this is accurate.)
Could it also around 1715, there was the other war between the Nguyen and Ayudhaya over Cambodia?
There are so many questions, but it’s really valuable to find out what this is about.
Hopefully, there are other sources to help you figure out this incident.
I agree with Morragotwong. I think it’s in Le-TaySon dynasties (but not around 1715). Son cu tap thuat was compiled at late Le- early Tay Sơn period by Đan Sơn (pseudonym) who was supposedly born and lived in Thanh Hoa province). Đan Sơn hated Tay Son dynasty so much that he writted this book to criticize it in many tales.