kingdom · Mainland Southeast Asia

Kingdom of Sedang

1888 CE – 1890 CE · capital Kon Gung

A self-proclaimed kingdom in the Central Highlands of Vietnam created by the French adventurer Charles-Marie David de Mayrena, which lasted barely two years.

Origins

In 1888 Charles-Marie David de Mayrena, a French adventurer and former soldier, travelled to the Kon Tum highlands, nominally to explore for the colonial administration. With the support of local Catholic missionaries he persuaded Sedang, Bahnar and Rengao chiefs to accept him as king, and he proclaimed himself Marie I.

Rule and society

Marie I issued a constitution, created orders of chivalry, designed a flag and printed postage stamps, which he sold to collectors. He made Catholicism the state religion and set up his court at Kon Gung. Real authority among the highland villages remained with local chiefs, and the kingdom existed mostly on paper.

Decline and legacy

French officials refused to recognise the kingdom and blocked Mayrena's return when he went to Europe seeking backers in 1889. The area was absorbed into French Annam, and Mayrena died on the island of Tioman in 1890.

Lineage

Kingdom of SedangFrench protectorate of Annam 1883 CE – 1945 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Sedang. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-sedang
MLA
“Kingdom of Sedang.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-sedang. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Sedang.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-sedang.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Sedang’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-sedang (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻