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The Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia (Khmer: សម្ដេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជ; Pali: Sangharāja) is the de facto leader of Buddhism in Cambodia.

Titles

The titles for the Cambodian Supreme Patriarchs are derived from Pali. The full official title of the Supreme Patriarch of the Maha Nikaya is Samdech Preah Sumedhādhipati (Khmer: សម្តេច ព្រះ សុមេធាធិបតី); sumedhādhipati means 'wise lord'. In letters with King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, the following title is used for the Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong: Samdech Preah Agga Mahā Sangharājādhipati (Khmer: សម្តេច ព្រះ អគ្គមហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី); which is translated as 'foremost great supreme patriarch leader'.^[1]

The full official title of the Supreme Patriarch of the Dhammayuttika Nikaya is Samdech Preah Aphiserei Sukonthea Mohasangreacheathipadei (Abhisirī Sugandhā Mahāsangharājādhipati) (Khmer: សម្តេច ព្រះ អភិសិរី សុគន្ធា មហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី). This title means 'Of Higher Merit and Pure Virtue, Great Supreme Patriarch Leader'. In letters with King-Father Sihanouk, an abbreviated title is used in the valediction: Samdech Preah Sangreach (Khmer: សម្តេច ព្រះ សង្ឃរាជ).'^[1]

History

Between 1855 and 1981, there were two Supreme Patriarchs in the Kingdom of Cambodia: one for the Cambodian branch of the Thai Dhammayuttika Nikaya order, and one for the Maha Nikaya. In 1981, under the supervision of the Vietnamese-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea, Venerable Tep Vong was elected Supreme Patriarch of a new, unified sangha modelled on the Vietnamese Theravada Buddhist Sangha Congregation.^[2]

After the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1991, King Norodom Sihanouk appointed Venerable Bour Kry as Supreme Patriarch of Dhammayuttika Nikaya.^[3] Today, the two orders are each headed by their own patriarch, unlike in Thailand where only one Supreme Patriarch heads both orders. The Constitution of Cambodia provides a seat on the Royal Council of the Throne to both Supreme Patriarchs, thus giving each a say in the selection of the Cambodian sovereign.

In 2006, Tep Vong was elevated to the status of Great Supreme Patriarch,^[4] while Venerable Non Nget was subsequently elevated to Supreme Patriarch of the Maha Nikaya. Tep Vong is the first monk in 150 years to bear the title of Great Supreme Patriarch.^[4]

Lists of Cambodian patriarchs

Supreme Patriarch of Maha Nikaya

#	Portrait	Secular name	Dharma name	Titles	Birth & Death (Common Era)		Tenure (Common Era)	Notes
1		Nil Teang និល ទៀង	Suvaṇṇakesaro សុវណ្ណកេសរោ	Samdech Preah Maha Sangharāja សម្តេចព្រះមហាសង្ឃរាជ	1823-1913		1859-1913
2		Keh Ouk កែ អ៊ុក	Indatthero ឥន្ទត្ថេរោ	Samdech Preah Dhammalikhita សម្ដេចព្រះធម្មលិខិត	1851-1936		1914–1930	[5]
3		Prak Hin ប្រាក់ ហ៊ិន	Sudhammatthero សុធម្មត្ថេរោ	Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី	1863-1947		1930-1947	[6]
4		Chuon Nath ជួន ណាត	Jotañāṇo ជោតញ្ញាណោ	Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី	1883-1969		1948–1969	[7]
5		Huot Tat ហួត តាត	Vajirapañño វជិរបញ្ញោ	Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី	1892-1975		1969–1975[7]	Died from Khmer Rouge execution at the Prang pagoda in Oudong district.[8]
		communist regimes					1975-1991
6		Tep Vong ទេព វង្ស	Upekkhasambojjhamgiko ឧបេក្ខាសម្ពោជ្ឈង្គិកោ[9]	Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី	1932–2024		1991–2006	Elevated to the status of Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia.
7		Non Nget នន្ទ ង៉ែត	Passaddhisambojjhaṃgo បស្សទ្ធិសម្ពោជ្ឈង្គោ	Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី	1922–present		2006–present

Supreme Patriarch of Dhammayuttika Nikaya

#	Portrait	Secular name	Dharma name	Titles	Birth & Death (Common Era)	Tenure (Buddhist Era)	Tenure (Common Era)	Notes
1		Saukonn Pan ប៉ាន	Paññāsīlo បញ្ញាសីលោ	Samdech Preah Sugandhādhipatī សម្តេចព្រះសុគន្ធាធិបតី	1826-1893		1855–1893	[10][11]
2		Eam អៀម	Bhaddagū ភទ្ទគូ	Samdech Preah Mangaladebācārya សម្តេចព្រះមង្គលទេពាចារ្យ	1849-1922		1893-1922	[12]
3		Souk ស៊ុក	Paññādīpo បញ្ញាទីបោ	Samdech Preah Mangaladebācārya សម្តេចព្រះមង្គលទេពាចារ្យ	1861-1943		1923-1943	[12]
4		Oung Srei អ៊ុង ស្រី	Buddhanāgo ពុទ្ធនាគោ	Samdech Preah Sudhammādhipatī សម្តេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី	1870-1956		1943-1956	[12]
5		Phul Tes ភុល ទេស	Indañāṇo ឥន្ទញាណោ	Samdech Preah Sudhammādhipatī សម្តេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី	1891-1966		1956-1966	[12]
6		Tep Leung ទេព លឿង	Gandharo គន្ធរោ	Samdech Preah Sudhammādhipatī សម្តេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី	1883-1975		1966-1975	Died just two days before the fall of Phnom Penh by Khmer Rouge.[12][13]
7		He Chea ហ៊ី ជា		Samdech Preah Sangharāja សម្តេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជ	?-1975		1975 (less than one week)	Acting Supreme Patriarch of Dhammayutika Nikaya[12]
8		Bour Kry បួរ គ្រី	Candagiriko ចន្ទតិរិកោ	Samdech Preah Abhisirī Sugandhā Mahāsangharājādhipati សម្តេចព្រះអភិសិរីសុគន្ធា មហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី	1945–present		1991–present	Hold the title of "Samdech Preah Sugandhadhipati" from 1991. Elevated to current title in 2007.

Head of the Unified Sangha of Cambodia

#	Portrait	Secular name	Dharma name	Order	Birth & Death (Common Era)	Tenure (Buddhist Era)	Tenure (Common Era)
1		Tep Vong ទេព វង្ស	Upekkhasambojjhamgiko ឧបេក្ខាសម្ពោជ្ឈង្គិកោ	Maha Nikaya	1932–2024		1981–1991

Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia in exile

#	Portrait	Secular name	Dharma name	Order	Birth & Death (Common Era)	Tenure (Buddhist Era)	Tenure (Common Era)
1		Va Yav	Ghosananda ឃោសានន្ទ	Maha Nikaya	1913-2007		1988–2007

Note: In 1988, Maha Ghosananda was elected Supreme Patriarch by a group of exiled monks in Paris. During this same period, Tep Vong held the same office in the unified Cambodian sangha. After 1991, Tep Vong was recognized as head of the Maha Nikaya in Cambodia.^[14]

Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia

#	Portrait	Secular name	Dharma name	Titles	Order	Birth & Death (Common Era)	Tenure (Buddhist Era)	Tenure (Common Era)
1		Tep Vong ទេព វង្ស	Upekkhasambojjhamgiko ឧបេក្ខាសម្ពោជ្ឈង្គិកោ	Samdech Preah Agga Mahā Sangharājādhipati សម្តេចព្រះអគ្គមហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី	Maha Nikaya	1932–2024		2006–2024