The Kingdom and People of Siam by Sir John Bowring served as the catalyst for the naturalist Henri Mouhot to pivot his professional focus toward Indochina in 1857. Previously engaged in photographic study across Europe, he secured backing from the Royal Geographical Society and the Zoological Society of London to pursue botanical and zoological expeditions in the region.
Early Professional Development
Before his arrival in Southeast Asia, Mouhot spent time working in The Hague. He collaborated with his brother Charles, exploring photographic techniques established by Louis Daguerre. By 1856, he committed himself entirely to natural sciences. Despite initial rejections from the government of Napoleon III and various French enterprises for funding, he managed to finance his passage to Bangkok through British institutions.
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Based in Bangkok from 1858, Mouhot completed four distinct expeditions into the interior. Over a period of three years, six months, and 13 days, he traveled 4,955 kilometers through demanding jungle terrain. His work involved the collection of insect specimens and river shells, which he dispatched to England. During these travels, he faced significant environmental challenges and wild animals while recording his observations in detailed travel journals.
Engagement with Angkor
In January 1860, Mouhot reached the Angkor site, an area covering over 400 square kilometers. While he is often credited with the discovery, European visitors such as Diogo do Couto in 1550 and the monk Antonio da Magdalena in 1586 had documented the site centuries earlier. Furthermore, his contemporary Father Charles Emile Bouillevaux had published accounts of his own visits to the Khmer temples years prior. Mouhot's impact lay in the evocative nature of his sketches and writing, which popularized the region in the West, even though he erroneously theorized that the structures were built by a lost civilization related to Egypt rather than the Khmer people.
Observations and Death
Mouhot recorded his experiences in the posthumously published Voyage dans les royaumes de Siam, de Cambodge, de Laos. His writing reflected a complex view of European influence, oscillating between skepticism regarding the motives of expansion and a belief in the potential for French administration to reform local states. He died in 1861 near Luang Prabang, where his remains are interred.
Fast facts
- Born: 1826, Montbéliard, France
- Died: 1861, Luang Prabang
- Citizenship: France
- Occupations: Naturalist, botanist, entomologist, explorer
- Total distance traveled: 4,955 kilometers
- Duration of expedition: 3 years, 6 months, and 13 days
Questions readers ask
Did Henri Mouhot discover Angkor?
No. The site was known to local Khmer people and had been visited by European missionaries and traders, including Diogo do Couto and Antonio da Magdalena, long before Mouhot arrived in 1860.
What was the cause of Mouhot's death?
The provided material states he died in 1861 near Luang Prabang, but does not specify a medical or external cause of death.
Achievements
- Recorded as explorer, naturalist and botanist
