Misplaced Pages

#835164

136-616: The Mahāgīta evolved into a single style from Pyu, Mon, and Burman musical traditions. The Mahāgīta also incorporates musical traditions of conquered kingdoms; the Yodaya songs are modeled on the musical style of the Ayutthaya kingdom , while the Talaing songs are based on the songs of the Mon people . Kyo , bwe , and thachingan songs are considered to constitute the oldest parts of

272-459: A "technique of interlocked fingering with both hands extending a single melodic line allowed for agogic embellishment, fleeting grace notes in syncopated spirals around a steady underlying beat found in the bell and clapper time keepers." This playing technique is based on the two-mallet technique of the pattala , a bamboo xylophone, and the two-hand technique of the pat waing , a drum circle. By contrast, Western playing styles feature melody with

408-493: A 14-month siege, the city of Ayutthaya fell to besieging Burmese forces and was completely destroyed, thereby ending the 417-year-old Ayutthaya Kingdom. Siam, however, quickly recovered from the collapse and the seat of Siamese authority was moved to Thonburi - Bangkok within the next 15 years. In foreign accounts, Ayutthaya was called "Siam", but people of Ayutthaya called themselves Tai , and their kingdom Krung Tai ( Thai : กรุงไท ) meaning 'Tai country' ( กรุง ไท ). It

544-406: A base-plate on which an inner core has been constructed. The core is built on the base-plate using porous materials such as coke or brick and then covered in loam well mixed with straw and horse manure. This is given a profile corresponding to the inside shape of the finished bell and dried with gentle heat. Graphite and whiting are applied to form the final, smooth surface. The outside of

680-641: A break or repetition. They have also been used in many kinds of popular music , such as in AC/DC 's " Hells Bells " and Metallica 's " For Whom the Bell Tolls ". The ancient Chinese bronze chime bells called bianzhong or zhong / zeng (鐘) were used as polyphonic musical instruments and some have been dated at between 2000 and 3600 years old. Tuned bells have been created and used for musical performance in many cultures but Zhong are unique among all other types of cast bells in several respects and they rank among

816-496: A bulge around the middle; In 1999 a design without the bulge was announced. However, the major bell concept has found little favour; most bells cast today are almost universally minor third bells. Bells are also associated with clocks , indicating the hour by the striking of bells. Indeed, the word clock comes from the Latin word Cloca , meaning bell . Bells in clock towers or bell towers can be heard over long distances, which

952-620: A center of trade, fostered by Narai. Of these competing foreign influences, Narai tended to favor relations with the French, wary of the growing Dutch and English colonial possessions in the South China Sea . Soon, Narai began to welcome communities of French Jesuits into his court, and pursue closer relations with both France and the Vatican . Indeed, the many diplomatic missions conducted by Narai to such far-flung lands are some of

1088-458: A faction of native Siamese courtiers, Buddhist clergy, and other non-Catholic and/or non-French elements of Narai's court began to resent the favorable treatment French interests received under his reign. This hostile attitude was especially directed at Constantine Phaulkon , a Catholic Greek adventurer and proponent of French influence who had climbed to the rank of Narai's Prime Minister and chief advisor of foreign affairs. Much of this turmoil

1224-481: A good bell. Much effort has been expended over the centuries to find the shape which will produce the harmonically tuned bell. The accompanying musical staves show the series of harmonics which are generated when a bell is struck. The Erfurt bell is notable that it although it is an old bell, it is harmonically tuned, but was not typical of its time. Pieter and François Hemony in the 17th century reliably cast many bells for carillons of unequalled quality of tuning for

1360-697: A greatly expanded Siamese kingdom to be ruled by his younger brother, Ekathotsarot (Sanphet III). Ekathotsarot's reign was marked with stability for Siam and its sphere of influence, as well as increased foreign interactions, especially with the Dutch Republic , Portuguese Empire , and Tokugawa Shogunate (by way of the Red Seal Ships ), among others. Indeed, representatives from many foreign lands began to fill Siam's civil and military administration – Japanese traders and mercenaries led by Yamada Nagamasa , for example, had considerable influence with

1496-474: A hammer or occasionally by pulling an internal clapper against the bell. Where a bell is swung, it can either be swung over a small arc by a rope and lever or by using a rope on a wheel to swing the bell higher. As the bell swings higher the sound is projected outwards rather than downwards. Larger bells may be swung using electric motors. In some places, such as the Salzburg Cathedral , the clapper

SECTION 10

#1732801587836

1632-561: A homophone meaning both "cool" and "refreshing", are spherical bells which contain metal pellets that produce sound from the inside. The hemispherical bell is the Kane bell, which is struck on the outside. Large suspended temple bells are known as bonshō . (See also ja:鈴 , ja:梵鐘 ). Jain , Hindu and Buddhist bells, called " Ghanta " (IAST: Ghaṇṭā) in Sanskrit, are used in religious ceremonies. See also singing bowls . A bell hangs at

1768-472: A loud noise') which gave rise to bellow . The earliest archaeological evidence of bells dates from the 3rd millennium BC, and is traced to the Yangshao culture of Neolithic China . Clapper-bells made of pottery have been found in several archaeological sites. The pottery bells later developed into metal bells. In West Asia, the first bells appear in 1000 BC. The earliest metal bells, with one found in

1904-579: A maritime state to more of a hinterland state during the 15th and 16th centuries. Its absorption of the Northern Cities and the shifting of trade power to the inland trade routes with China facilitated this change of policy. The reign of King Borommatrailokkanat was the peak of this merger between the basin and the Northern Cities , being the scion of generations of intermarriage between the two. Even though Borommatrailokkanat symbolized

2040-422: A mechanism to allow the bell to rest just past its balance point. The rope is attached to one side of a wheel so that a different amount of rope is wound on and off as it swings to and fro. The bells are controlled by ringers (one to a bell) in a chamber below, who rotate the bell through a full circle and back, and control the speed of oscillation when the bell is mouth upwards at the balance-point when little effort

2176-484: A minor genre, and are characteristically sharp and active, with fast, short rhythms. These songs are always followed by myingin songs traditionally performed at equestrian, martial arts, and archery events. Bawle songs, which are plaintive songs, date to the 1800s; the earliest song, " Sein Chu Kya Naung " ( စိန်ခြူးကြာညောင် ), composed by a Konbaung princess to persuade her husband to return to her side,

2312-705: A minor third as a main harmonic. On the theory that western music in major keys may sound better on bells with a major third as a harmonic, production of bells with major thirds was attempted in the 1980s. Scientists at the Technical University in Eindhoven, using computer modelling, produced bell profiles which were cast by the Eijsbouts Bellfoundry in the Netherlands. They were described as resembling old Coke bottles in that they had

2448-425: A new city named Sangkaburi (สังขะบุรี) on the south bank of Lopburi River near the present-day Wat Thammikarat Sakorn ruled the city for 97 years until he died in 974 and the throne was then transferred to another royal lineage from Inthapatnakhon (อินทปัตนคร), Phraya Khodhom (พระยาโคดม), who then relocated the city eastward to the right bank of Pasak River near the present Wat Ayodhya  [ th ] , and

2584-521: A number of rewards for the number of enemies beheaded. The introduction of elephants, guns, and mercenaries made wars in Southeast Asia much more chronic and much more deadly. By the late 16th century, Pegu (Bago) suffered a severe conscript revolt, Ayutthaya phrai fled into the forests or bribed the conscription officers, and the construction of sturdier and stronger city walls made warfare largely ineffective. The Ayutthaya Kingdom shifted from

2720-502: A number of tributary states. Starting in the middle of the 16th century, the kingdom came under repeated attacks by the Taungoo dynasty of Burma . The Burmese–Siamese War (1547–1549) resulted in a failed Burmese siege of Ayutthaya. A second siege (1563–1564) led by King Bayinnaung forced King Maha Chakkraphat to surrender in 1564. The royal family was taken to Pegu (Bago), with the king's second son Mahinthrathirat installed as

2856-414: A prolonged period of peace and commerce, beginning with the reign of Ekathotsorot . The Portuguese and Dutch conquest of Malacca encouraged Asian traders to bypass Malacca by crossing the portage route mid-peninsula, controlled by Ayutthaya. This was a period of the great Asian empires: Ottoman Empire , Safavid Empire , Mughal Empire , Ming and Qing China , and Tokugawa Japan. Ayutthaya therefore became

SECTION 20

#1732801587836

2992-628: A prominent role. Under the reign of Maha Chakkraphat , the Northern lords, led by the Lord of Phitsanulok, Maha Thammarachathirat , became kingmakers in Ayutthaya. The final nail for this transition was the overthrow of the Suphanburi clan from the Ayutthaya throne following the 1569 Burmese capture of Ayutthaya, placing Maha Thammarachathirat on the Ayutthaya throne. The 15th century also marked

3128-478: A range of slightly less than five octaves but thanks to their dual-tone capability, the set can sound a complete 12-tone scale—predating the development of the European 12-tone system by some 2000 years—and can play melodies in diatonic and pentatonic scales. Another related ancient Chinese musical instrument is called qing ( 磬 pinyin qìng) but it was made of stone instead of metal. In more recent times,

3264-673: A selection of 169 songs, standardised and published in three volumes between 1954 and 1961 by Burmese Ministry of Culture . The National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon uses the Naingngandaw Mu Mahagita as the official anthology for teaching Burmese classical music. This anthology is also used for the National Performing Arts Competition (also known as Sokayeti ) held annually in October. The Naingngandaw Mu Mahagita anthology

3400-510: A server at Mass when the priest holds high up first the host and then the chalice immediately after he has said the words of consecration over them (the moment known as the Elevation ). This serves to indicate to the congregation that the bread and wine have just been transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ (see transubstantiation ), or, in the alternative Reformation teaching, that Christ

3536-460: A sizable local market for khit haung music. The Ministry of Information completed the first volume of khit haung music transcriptions in 1999. State-run MRTV publishes multi-volume written compilation of songs from this genre. The Mahāgīta has faced challenges with preservation. The oral tradition remains the primary mode of musical transmission. In the 1990s, the Burmese government, under

3672-483: A small bell-tower resting on the top of the barn . The bell was used to call the workers from the field at the end of the day's work. In folk tradition , it is recorded that each church and possibly several farms had their specific rhymes connected to the sound of the specific bells. An example is the Pete Seeger and Idris Davies song " The Bells of Rhymney ". In Scotland, up until the nineteenth century, it

3808-482: A small loose sphere enclosed within the body of the bell ( jingle bell ). Bells are usually cast from bell metal (a type of bronze ) for its resonant properties, but can also be made from other hard materials. This depends on the function. Some small bells such as ornamental bells or cowbells can be made from cast or pressed metal, glass or ceramic, but large bells such as a church, clock and tower bells are normally cast from bell metal. Bells intended to be heard over

3944-651: A tribute mission to Song dynasty in 1180 and Phetchaburi to the Yuan dynasty in 1294 and tribute missions to Vijaynagar empire between 1400 and 1500 Archaeological findings have found evidence of buildings on the island of Ayutthaya prior to the 12th century. Pottery shards have been discovered to have been dated as early as the 1270s. Some temples to the east of Ayutthaya, off the island, have been known to exist before 1351. Recent archaeological works reveal pre-existing barays superimposed on by subsequent structures. The Tamnan mulasasana Buddhist chronicle notes that in

4080-445: A turning point in Ayutthaya's view of itself. King Borommatrailokkanat performed some sort of coronation ceremony, the first in Ayutthaya history, in the 1460s. Prior to the 15th century, Ayutthaya's palaces and temples were inferior in grandeur to cities such as Sukhothai and Phitsanulok. By the early 16th century, Ayutthaya had now rivalled its regional competitors in its city grandeur, building magnificent wats and palaces for kings with

4216-468: A vocalist who controls the metric cycle by playing a bell ( စည် , si ) and clappers ( ဝါး , wa ). The vocal performances are accompanied by a chamber music ensemble, which includes the following instruments: The tayaw and sandaya are historically recent additions dating to the Konbaung dynasty (mid-to-late 1800s). The piano , called sandaya ( Burmese : စန္ဒရား ), was introduced to

Mahāgīta - Misplaced Pages Continue

4352-581: A wide area can range from a single bell hung in a turret or bell-gable , to a musical ensemble such as an English ring of bells , a carillon or a Russian zvon which are tuned to a common scale and installed in a bell tower . Many public or institutional buildings house bells, most commonly as clock bells to sound the hours and quarters. Historically, bells have been associated with religious rites, and are still used to call communities together for religious services. Later, bells were made to commemorate important events or people and have been associated with

4488-721: Is observed annually on 18 January as Royal Thai Armed Forces day. Later that same year warfare erupted again (the Burmese–Siamese War (1593–1600) ) when the Siamese invaded Burma, first occupying the Tanintharyi province in southeast Burma in 1593 and later the cities of Moulmein and Martaban in 1594. In 1599, the Siamese attacked the city of Pegu but were ultimately driven out by Burmese rebels who had assassinated Burmese King Nanda Bayin and taken power. In 1613, after King Anaukpetlun reunited Burma and took control,

4624-681: Is also mentioned in the Burmese chronicle, Hmannan Yazawin , which mentions the Gywan warriors marched to Thaton kingdom in 1056 AD as inscribed on the Burmese inscriptions at Arakan Pagoda, Mandalay . The Hmannan Yazawin said the south-eastward country of the Gywans, also called Ayoja . George Cœdès pointed out that Ayoja or Arawsa meant Ayudhya = Siam. In 877, a royal lineage from Bang Pan (present-day in Phran Kratai , Kamphaeng Phet ), Phra Maha Buddha Sakorn (พระมหาพุทธสาคร), founded

4760-444: Is based on an earlier anthology, entitled Gitawithawdani ( ဂီတဝိသောဓနီ ; from Pali Gītavisodhana , lit.   ' purifying the songs ' ), published in 1923, which was based on the repertoire of the last Burmese court harpist, Dewaeinda Maung Maung Gyi ( ဒေဝဣန္ဒာမောင်မောင်ကြီး ). The second edition was edited and recompiled by Ba Cho and republished in 1941, and is now in its sixth reprint. The oldest extant song anthology

4896-410: Is held against the sound bow with an electric clasp as the bell swings up. The clasp would release the clapper to provide a cleaner start to ringing. To silence the bell, the clasp catches and locks the clapper back in place. Bells hung for full circle ringing are swung through just over a complete circle from mouth uppermost. A stay (the wooden pole seen sticking up when the bells are down) engages

5032-484: Is now bodily present in the elements, and that what the priest is holding up for them to look at is Christ himself (see consubstantiation ). In Russian Orthodox bell ringing , the entire bell never moves, only the clapper. A complex system of ropes is developed and used uniquely for every bell tower. Some ropes (the smaller ones) are played by hand, the bigger ropes are played by foot. Japanese Shintoist and Buddhist bells are used in religious ceremonies. Suzui ,

5168-498: Is played with two wooden sticks. When the skrabalai is moved a clapper knocks at the wall of the trough. The pitch of the sound depends on the size of the wooden trough. The instrument developed from wooden cowbells that shepherds would tie to cows' necks. Whereas the church and temple bells called to mass or religious service, bells were used on farms for more secular signalling. The greater farms in Scandinavia usually had

5304-411: Is required. Swinging bells are sounded by an internal clapper. The clapper may have a longer period of swing than the bell. In this case, the bell will catch up with the clapper and if rung to or near full circle will carry the clapper up on the bell's trailing side. Alternatively, the clapper may have a shorter period and catch up with the bell's leading side, travel up with the bell, and come to rest on

5440-440: Is undertaken by clamping the bell on a large rotating table and using a cutting tool to remove metal. This is an iterative process in which metal is removed from certain parts of the bell to change certain harmonics. This process was made possible historically by the use of tuning forks to find sympathetic resonance on specific parts of a bell for the harmonic being tuned, but today electronic strobe tuners are normally used. To tune

5576-449: The Mahāgīta genre in modern-day Myanmar has declined significantly with the advent of popular music. Some songs in the Mahāgīta corpus remain staples for various traditional ceremonies. A bwe song called "Aura of Immeasurable Auspiciousness" ( အတိုင်းမသိမင်္ဂလာသြဘာဘွဲ့ , Ataing Mathi Mingala Awba Bwe ) is used as a wedding processional song in traditional Burmese weddings (analogous to

Mahāgīta - Misplaced Pages Continue

5712-539: The Mahāgīta repertoire, serving as the main court music before the Konbaung dynasty . The earliest genre of kyo songs date to the late Kingdom of Ava era. Kyo songs, which literally means "string," were used as repertoire to teach traditional classical singing and the saung . The oldest songs of the kyo genre are the "Three Barge Songs," which describe a king's passage up the Irrawaddy River to Tagaung in c.  1370 , have variously been dated to

5848-400: The Northern Cities and a transition to a hinterland state, Ayutthaya centralized and became one of the great powers of Asia. From 1569 to 1584, Ayutthaya was a vassal state of Toungoo Burma , but quickly regained independence. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Ayutthaya emerged as an entrepôt of international trade and its cultures flourished. The reign of Narai ( r. 1657–1688)

5984-608: The Portuguese , and expanded Siam's foreign trade ties to include both the English East India Company and French East India Company , along with new merchant colonies in Siam representing communities from all across Asia. Additionally, Songtham maintained the service of Yamada Nagamasa, whose Japanese mercenaries were at this point serving as the king's own royal guard . As Songtham's life began to fade,

6120-469: The Suphannabhum dynasty based on Suphanburi. Traditional narratives argued that Ayutthaya conquered Sukhothai, Angkor , etc., but more modern narratives argue that territorial conquest was a European thing and not a Southeast Asian thing. Rather, the processes which saw Ayutthaya expand was one of political merger and consolidation between the cities at the head of the peninsula and slowly ascending up

6256-500: The Sāsana . Both genres date to the Konbaung dynasty , c.  1738 . Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa was the most prominent composer of songs in the bwe and thachingan genres. Patpyo songs were popular in the late Konbaung dynasty , and are the most numerous in the corpus. These songs have a rhythmic foundation resembling drumbeats, and require the highest level of performance technique and knowledge. Ledwethankhat songs constitute

6392-689: The Taosi site and four in the Erlitou site, are dated to about 2000 BC. With the emergence of other kinds of bells during the Shang dynasty ( c.  1600  – c.  1050 BC ), they were relegated to subservient functions; at Shang and Zhou sites, they are also found as part of the horse-and-chariot gear and as collar-bells of dogs. By the 13th century BC, bells weighing over 150 kilograms (330 pounds) were being cast in China. After 1000 AD, iron became

6528-645: The capture of Malacca by the Portuguese. Ayutthaya's attention to the portage routes across the upper peninsula meant that it did not send a military expedition to the lower peninsula and the Malay States throughout the 16th century. Ayutthaya's sphere of influence was now stretched from the Northern Cities to the Malay Peninsula, with its heartland centered around the old Ayutthaya-Suphanburi-Lopburi-Phetchaburi polity. The Muang Look Luang system

6664-518: The history of Thailand . The Ayutthaya Kingdom emerged from the mandala or merger of three maritime city-states on the Lower Chao Phraya Valley in the late 13th and 14th centuries ( Lopburi , Suphanburi , and Ayutthaya). The early kingdom was a maritime confederation, oriented to post- Srivijaya Maritime Southeast Asia, conducting raids and tribute from these maritime states. After two centuries of political organization from

6800-489: The tomb of Marquis Yi , ruler of Zeng , one of the Warring States . Their special shape gives them the ability to produce two different musical tones , depending on where they are struck. The interval between these notes on each bell is either a major or minor third , equivalent to a distance of four or five notes on a piano. The bells of Marquis Yi—which were still fully playable after almost 2500 years—cover

6936-626: The " Bridal Chorus " in Western weddings). The style of Mahāgīta songs has also been adapted in more modern compositions, such as "Auspicious Song" ( မင်္ဂလာတေး , Mingala Tei ) composed by Twante Thein Tan , and " Akadaw Pei " ( အခါတော်ပေး ) by Waing Lamin Aung, both of which are commonly played at traditional Burmese weddings. Ayutthaya kingdom The Ayutthaya Kingdom or the Empire of Ayutthaya

SECTION 50

#1732801587836

7072-408: The 10th century AD, European bells were no higher than 2 feet in height. In the western world , the common form of bell is a church bell or town bell, which is hung within a tower or bell cote. Such bells are either fixed in a static position ("hung dead") or mounted on a beam (the "headstock") so they can swing to and fro. Bells that are hung dead are normally sounded by hitting the sound bow with

7208-465: The 11th century or at least several centuries prior to 1351. The earliest written records of Ayutthaya in the Chinese chronicles is that a Chinese official fled to Xian in 1282/83. Xian first sent an embassy to China in 1292, who the Chinese then requested another embassy soon after that, signifying Ayutthaya's early prominence before Ayutthaya's founding. While older and traditional scholars argue that

7344-491: The 1320s, two Buddhist monks visited Ayutthaya in search of scriptures and that a previous monk had been honored by the "King of Ayodhia" on his return from Lanka . Since the late 13th century, expeditions were sent to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra in the goal of extracting resources to gain a share of the maritime trade. Other contemporary scholars argued that Ayutthaya had been an important commercial center since

7480-420: The 1760s , whose post-Ayutthaya monarchs ( Taksin and Rama I ), held close ties, through blood and through political connections, to this Sino-Siamese community. Between 1600 and 1767, all but two royal successions were contested in a mini civil war in the capital. The throne became such a powerful and lucrative source of wealth during the 150 years of prosperity that many royals harbored ambitions to seize

7616-640: The Burmese in 1767, stating: Clearly, however, the late 1600s and especially the early 1700s inaugurated a period not of sustained decline, but of Chinese-assisted economic vitality that would continue into the 19th century. Instead, the 18th century was arguably the Ayutthaya Kingdom's most prosperous, particularly due to trade with Qing China . The growth of China's population in the late 17th–18th centuries, alongside nationwide rice shortages and famines in Southern China, meant that China

7752-571: The Burmese invaded the Siamese-held territories in Tanintharyi province, and took Tavoy. In 1614, the Burmese invaded Lan Na which at that time was a vassal of Ayutthaya. Fighting between the Burmese and Siamese continued until 1618 when a treaty ended the conflict. At that time, Burma had gained control of Lan Na and while Ayutthaya retained control of southern Tanintharyi (south of Tavoy). The cessation of warfare around 1600 gave way to

7888-494: The Burmese musical repertoire during the mid-19th century Konbaung dynasty , first as a gift by the Italian ambassador to King Mindon Min . The instrument was quickly indigenised by Burmese court musicians and uses a novel playing technique adapted to play Mahāgīta compositions. Prominent Burmese pianists often prefix their name with the honorific 'Sandaya' (e.g., Sandayar Hla Htut and Sandayar Chit Swe ). Burmese musicians use

8024-500: The Chao Phraya River Basin to the Northern Cities. The culture of early Ayutthaya, described by Ma Huan , a scribe on Zheng He's voyages , in the early 15th century, described Ayutthaya as a rowdy port town, whose men practice fighting on water, and where the affairs of everyday life was arranged by the women. The cities on the peninsula regularly complained to the Chinese court about constant Siamese attacks down

8160-425: The Chinese court chronicles. The integrity of the patchwork of cities of early Ayutthaya Kingdom was maintained largely through familial connections under the mandala system . King Uthong had his son, Prince Ramesuan , the ruler of Lopburi (Lavo), his brother, the ruler of Praek Sriracha (in modern Chainat Province ) and his brother-in-law, Khun Luang Pa-ngua , the ruler of Suphanburi. The ruler of Phetchaburi

8296-557: The Dutch. Despite the departure of most Europeans from Ayutthaya, their economic presence in Ayutthaya was negligible in comparison to the Ayutthaya China-Indian Ocean trade. Lieberman, later reinforced by Baker and Phongpaichit, refutes the idea that Siam's alleged isolationism from global trade following the French and English departure in 1688 led to Ayutthaya's gradual decline leading up to its destruction by

SECTION 60

#1732801587836

8432-639: The Lower Chao Phraya, and the Suphanburi (Suvarnabhumi), which dominated the west. The lower Chao Phraya Basin was also influenced by Angkorian culture but not direct Angkorian political and military influence. Ayutthaya, argued by Charnvit Kasetsiri , was the merger of four different port polities along the Lower Chao Phraya Basin: Lopburi (Lavo), Suphanburi, Ayutthaya, and Phetchaburi. Suphanburi had first sent

8568-535: The Ministry of Information, began to standardise and notate the entire repertoire of classical Burmese music. However, this approach has been limited by the Western notation system , which cannot capture the flexibility of Burmese rhythm, the two-part style, and a loose floating rhythmic organisation, including free-style embellishments, all of which distinguish traditional Burmese music from other musical traditions in

8704-478: The Northern Cities. Muslim and European mapmakers labelled the Malay Peninsula up to the Tenasserim coast as part of Ayutthaya in the 15th and early 16th centuries. Early Ayutthaya did not keep records and their early dynastic chronology is likely fabricated by later Ayutthaya elites writing their histories: the early chronology in the palace chronicles does not correlate with the Ayutthaya temple chronicles nor

8840-590: The anti-foreign court faction were primarily concerned with Catholic influence, there is evidence to suggest that Narai was equally interested in Islam, and had no desire to fully convert to either religion. Nonetheless, a dissatisfied faction now led by Narai's celebrated elephantry commander, Phetracha , had long planned a coup to remove Narai. When the king became seriously ill in May 1688, Phetracha and his accomplices had him arrested along with Phaulkon and many members of

8976-519: The bell is the tubular bell . Several of these metal tubes which are struck manually with hammers, form an instrument named tubular bells or chimes . In the case of wind or aeolian chimes, the tubes are blown against one another by the wind. The skrabalai is a traditional folk instrument in Lithuania which consists of wooden bells of various sizes hanging in several vertical rows with one or two wooden or metal small clappers hanging inside them. It

9112-530: The border between the two adversaries continued for two years and at one time Narai seized Tavoy and Martaban. Ultimately, Narai and the Siamese ran out of supplies and returned home back within their border. While commercially thriving, Narai's reign was also socially tumultuous. Much of this can be attributed to three-way conflict between the Dutch , French , and English trading companies now operating in Siam at an unprecedented intensity due to Siam's role as

9248-401: The capital to press their claims, culminating in several bloody coups. With the dominance of the Suphanburi clan, it now had to face the militaristic nobles of the Northern Cities, who increasingly came south for wealth prospects at an increasingly wealthy and powerful Ayutthaya. The first real succession struggles in Ayutthaya occurred in the early 16th century, with the Northern lords playing

9384-498: The centuries following the fall of Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya's failure to create a peaceful order of succession and the introduction of capitalism undermined the traditional organization of its elite and the old bonds of labor control which formed the military and government organization of the kingdom. In the mid-18th century, the Burmese Konbaung dynasty invaded Ayutthaya in 1759–1760 and 1765–1767 . In April 1767, after

9520-569: The concepts of peace and freedom. The study of bells is called campanology . Bell is a word common to the Low German dialects, cognate with Middle Low German belle and Dutch bel but not appearing among the other Germanic languages except the Icelandic bjalla which was a loanword from Old English . It is popularly but not certainly related to the former sense of to bell ( Old English : bellan , 'to roar, to make

9656-845: The court was led by two Prime Ministers ; the Samuha Nayok the Civil Prime Minister and the Samuha Kalahom the Grand Commander of Forces overseeing Civil and Military affairs, respectively. Under the Samuha Nayok were the Four Ministries. In the regions, the king sent not "rulers" but "governors" to govern cities. The cities were under governors who were from nobility not rulers with privileges as it had previously been. The "Hierarchy of Cities"

9792-450: The crown. The ability to appoint a Front Palace was effective in times of war but became a double-edged sword in regards to peace. Foreigners, due to their lack of connections within the kingdom, often became prominent officials within the Ayutthaya court during this period. In 1605, Naresuan died of illness while on campaign against a Burmese spillover conflict in the Shan region, leaving

9928-477: The downhill side. This latter method is used in English style full circle ringing. Occasionally the clappers have leather pads (called muffles ) strapped around them to quieten the bells when practice ringing to avoid annoying the neighbourhood. Also at funerals, half-muffles are often used to give a full open sound on one round, and a muffled sound on the alternate round for a distinctive, mournful effect. This

10064-507: The ethnically Thai Sukhothai or Suphanburi was the Xiān mentioned in Chinese sources, more recent scholarship, like Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit , argue that Xian referred to Ayutthaya as that was the same name later used for Ayutthaya by the Chinese court. Michael Vickery argued that it is likely the Chinese used Xian to refer to the lower Chao Phraya Basin from its inception. Recent 21st-century archaeological surveys have found that

10200-456: The feet. The keys mechanically activate levers and wires that connect to metal clappers that strike the inside of the bells, allowing the performer to vary the intensity of the note according to the force applied to the key. In the Eastern world , the traditional forms of bells are temple and palace bells, small ones being rung by a sharp rap with a stick, and very large ones rung by a blow from

10336-508: The gate of many Hindu temples and is rung at the moment one enters the temple. The process of casting bells is called bellfounding , and in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. The traditional metal for these bells is a bronze of about 23% tin . Known as bell metal , this alloy is also the traditional alloy for the finest Turkish and Chinese cymbals . Other materials sometimes used for large bells include brass and iron . Steel

10472-568: The government phrai system in a variety of other ways, including entering the monkhood and fleeing into the wilderness. A new category for people now appeared in the late Ayutthaya records, called phrai mangmi, or a rich "serf". Bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument . Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone , with its sides forming an efficient resonator . The strike may be made by an internal "clapper" or "uvula", an external hammer, or—in small bells—by

10608-523: The hem of the robe of the high priest in Jerusalem . Among the ancient Greeks , handbells were used in camps and garrisons and by patrols that went around to visit sentinels. Among the Romans, the hour of bathing was announced by a bell. They also used them in the home, as an ornament and emblem, and bells were placed around the necks of cattle and sheep so they could be found if they strayed. As late as

10744-405: The highest achievements of Chinese bronze casting technology. However, the remarkable secret of their design and the method of casting—known only to the Chinese in antiquity—was lost in later generations and was not fully rediscovered and understood until the 20th century. In 1978 a complete ceremonial set of 65 Zhong bells was found in a near-perfect state of preservation during the excavation of

10880-601: The issue by orchestrating the final dethronement and execution of the child king in 1629. Thus, Prasat Thong had completely usurped the kingdom by double (perhaps triple) regicide, extinguishing the Sukhothai dynasty 60 years after its installation by the Burmese. Many of King Prasat Thong's former allies abandoned his cause following his ascension to the throne. In the course of quelling such resistance, Prasat Thong assassinated his former ally Yamada Nagamasa in 1630 (who now opposed Prasat Thong's coup), and promptly banished all

11016-664: The issue of succession generated conflict once again when both King Songtham's brother, Prince Sisin, and his son, Prince Chetthathirat , found support for their claims among the Siamese court. Although Thai tradition typically favored brothers over sons in matters of inheritance, Songtham enlisted the help of his influential cousin, Prasat Thong to ensure his son would inherit the kingdom instead. When Songtham died in 1628, Prasat Thong used his alliance with Yamada Nagamasa's mercenaries to purge everyone who had supported Prince Sisin's claim, eventually capturing and executing Sisin as well. Soon Prasat Thong became more powerful in Siam than

11152-424: The king. Ekathotsarot's era ended with his death in 1610/11. The question of his succession was complicated by the alleged suicide of his eldest legitimate son, Suthat, while his second legitimate son, Si Saowaphak , was never legally designated as an heir by Ekathotsarot himself. Nonetheless, Si Saowaphak succeeded to the throne against his late father's wishes, and led a short and ineffective reign in which he

11288-470: The late 15th century. Song China's increasing interests to sea commerce at the turn of the second millennium made trade between China and the Indian Ocean especially lucrative. In the 1430s, Ayutthaya attacked Angkor , but did not sack the city, although Ayutthaya did install a short-lived puppet ruler. Palace Law Codes under Borommatrailokkanat exemplified the newfound attention to warfare, citing

11424-511: The late Toungoo period (1531-1752). The "Three Barge Songs" include " Phaung Ngin Kyo, " ( ဖောင်ငင်ကြိုး ) played as the barge is towed out; " Phaung La Kyo ," ( ဖောင်လားကြိုး ) played as the royal barge is underway; and " Phaung Saik Kyo ," ( ဖောင်စိုက်ကြိုး ), played when the barge makes port. Bwe songs honor the king, while thachingan songs honor the Buddha or the king as a protector of

11560-511: The lucrative middleman for trade between the global empires of the Early Modern World. Kings and nobles turned to hunting, trade, and the competition for the throne with the ending of warfare. This period of Ayutthaya is also characterized by the emergence of mercantile absolutism, where the king had a virtual monopoly on all incomes into the kingdom, allowing the king to build new temples and palaces, sponsor ceremonies, and enshroud

11696-464: The measure used by Big Ben . Some bells are used as musical instruments , such as carillons , (clock) chimes , agogô , or ensembles of bell-players, called bell choirs , using hand-held bells of varying tones. A "ring of bells" is a set of four to twelve or more bells used in change ringing , a particular method of ringing bells in patterns. A peal in changing ringing may have bells playing for several hours, playing 5,000 or more patterns without

11832-711: The merger between North and South, the Lan Na Kingdom , a state North of Ayutthaya (modern-day Northern Thailand ), contested Ayutthaya's growing influence over the Northern Cities. The Ayutthaya-Lan Na War was fought over the Upper Chao Phraya valley for control of the Northern Cities. Whether he preferred the Northern Cities to Ayutthaya or the necessity to have a capital closer to the war, Borommatrailokkanat moved his capital to Phitsanulok . Lan Na suffered setbacks and Borommatrailokkanat eventually sued for peace in 1475. Ayutthaya's sphere of influence down

11968-402: The monarchy in ritual mysticism. The king had the power to appoint governors of cities in the inner Ayutthaya mueang (cities) as well as appoint ministers in charge of the government. This however all made the target of the throne much more lucrative and rewarding than before. To be able to successfully put your target onto the throne would immensely reward its facilitators as much as the winner of

12104-601: The most celebrated accomplishments of his reign. Narai as well leased the ports of Bangkok and Mergui to the French, and had many French generals incorporated into his army to train it in Western strategy and supervise the construction of European-style forts. During this time, Narai abandoned the traditional capital of Ayutthaya for a new Jesuit-designed palace in Lopburi . As a growing Catholic presence cemented itself in Siam, and an unprecedented number of French forts were erected and garrisoned on land leased by Narai,

12240-569: The most commonly used metal for bells instead of bronze. The earliest dated iron bell was manufactured in 1079, found in Hubei Province . Bells west of China did not reach the same size until the 2nd millennium AD. Assyrian bells dated to the 7th century BC were around 4 inches high. Roman bells dated to the 1st and 2nd century AD were around 8 inches high. The book of Exodus in the Bible notes that small gold bells were worn as ornaments on

12376-408: The most pleasant tone. However, the tone of a bell is mostly due to its shape. A bell is regarded as having a good tone when it is "in tune with itself". In western bell founding, this is known as "harmonic tuning" of a bell, which results in the bell's strongest harmonics being in harmony with each other and the strike note. This produces the brightest and purest sound, which is the attractive sound of

12512-457: The mould is made within a perforated cast-iron case, larger than the finished bell, containing the loam mixture which is shaped, dried and smoothed in the same way as the core. The case is inverted (mouth down), lowered over the core and clamped to the base plate. The clamped mould is supported, usually by being buried in a casting pit to bear the weight of metal and to allow even cooling. Historically, before rail or road transport of large bells

12648-570: The name of pre-Ayutthaya cities is Ayodhaya Sriramthep Nakorn ( Thai : อโยธยาศรีรามเทพนคร ) found on Wat Khao Kop Inscription (N.W. 2, Face 2, Line 21) aged 14th–15th centuries, as stated in the Thai Chronicle, Phraratchaphongsawadan Nuea (Royal Chronicle of The North compiled in 1807 collected from old books from period of King Narai and stories told by northerners). At least three royal decrees in Thai were enacted during that period, and

12784-536: The name of the king who ruled Ayodhaya in the oldest of the three royal decrees, the Miscellaneous Laws (Phra Aiyakan Betset) 1225 AD , is found as King Uthong, who reigned from 1205 to 53 (not to be confused with King Uthong reigning from 1351 to 69). It was also found that Thai was used as the official language at that time, which reflected the social changes of the people in the Chao Phraya River Basin. The existence of Ayodhya Sri Rama Thep Nakhon

12920-409: The named note. This quest by various founders over centuries of bell founding has resulted in the development of an optimum profile for casting each size of a bell to give true harmonic tuning. Although bells are cast to accurate patterns, variations in casting mean that a final tuning is necessary as the shape of the bell is critical in producing the desired strike note and associated harmonics. Tuning

13056-464: The neck of the leader goat, which the sheep herd followed. This led to the association in folk memory between the distinctive sound of konguro'o and the nomadic way of life. To make this instrument, Kyrgyz foremen used copper, bronze, iron and brass. They also decorated it with artistic carving and covered it with silver. Sizes of the instruments might vary within certain limits, what depended on its function. Every bell had its own timbre. A variant on

13192-491: The newly crowned King Chetthathriat, and through further intrigue staged a coup in which Chetthathirat was deposed and executed in favor of his even younger brother Athittayawong , whom Prasat Thong intended to use as a puppet ruler. This form of government was quickly met with resistance by elements within the Thai court who were dissatisfied with the idea of having two acting heads of state. Since Prasat Thong already ruled Siam in all but name as Kalahom , he opted to resolve

13328-421: The old city Sangkaburi was abandoned. Khodhom ruled the new city for 30 years then his son, Kothrabong (โคตรบอง), took over the throne in 1004. Later in 1022, Kothrabong lost power to Kreak (แกรก), a commoner from Lavo , who was then crowned as the new ruler named Sinthapomarin (สินธพอมรินทร์). Because Kreak was not originally considered a royal lineage, after he died in 1081, the throne was despoiled by Narai,

13464-513: The only thing known about Uthong in the chronicles is the year of his death. In the 1290s through to the 1490s, Ayutthaya sent forces down to the peninsula and demanded tribute from the Malay principalities all the way down to Temasek ( Singapura (modern Singapore)) and Sumatra . The early Ayutthaya polity was a maritime-oriented confederation, more in line with the Malay polities of Maritime Southeast Asia than with states inland like Sukhothai and

13600-476: The outside by a large swinging beam. (See images of the great bell of Mii-dera below.) The striking technique is employed worldwide for some of the largest tower-borne bells because swinging the bells themselves could damage their towers. In the Roman Catholic Church and among some High Lutherans and Anglicans , small hand-held bells, called Sanctus or sacring bells , are often rung by

13736-433: The peninsula around this time period. The 1430s through to 1600 marked a period of rising warfare throughout Mainland Southeast Asia. In 1500, the Portuguese noted that Ayutthaya had 100 elephants, 50 years later, Ayutthaya had 50,000 elephants. Ayutthaya began launching military land expeditions far to the west and east. In the west, Ayutthaya fought to acquire the cities of Tavoy , Mergui , Tenasserim, and Martaban in

13872-604: The peninsula was contested by the Malacca Sultanate . Ayutthaya launched several abortive conquests against Malacca which was diplomatically and economically fortified by the military support of Ming China . In the early-15th century the Ming admiral Zheng He established a base of operation in the port city, making it a strategic position the Chinese could not afford to lose to the Siamese. Under this protection, Malacca flourished, becoming one of Ayutthaya's great foes until

14008-434: The pre-colonial court tradition, compositions from this genre gradually incorporated Western musical instruments (e.g., the piano, guitar, banjo, etc.) and foreign musical influences in terms of melody, tunings, and rhythm (e.g., harmony in thirds, accented rhythm in vocals), which did not adhere to the strict rules of the royal court musical tradition. From the 1920s to the 1940s, the introduction of recording technology created

14144-607: The region (e.g., Thailand, China, India). The Mahāgīta is generally organised into songs by genre based on varying tuning methods, rhythmic patterns, frequently used melodies, preludes and postludes, as follows: In the Gitawithawdani anthology, the songs are grouped into 4 categories are known as apaing ( အပိုင်း ). Each category has a specific tuning method, namely hnyinlon , aukpyan, pale , and myinzaing . The remaining 2 tuning methods, duraka and chauk thwe nyunt , are now extinct. Mahāgīta songs are sung by

14280-504: The remaining Japanese from Siam. While a community of Japanese exiles were eventually welcomed back into the country, this event marks the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate's long-standing formal relationship with the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Upon his death in 1656, King Prasat Thong was succeeded first by his eldest son, Chai , who was almost immediately deposed and executed by the late King's brother, Si Suthammaracha , who in turn

14416-503: The right hand, and supporting harmonies with the left hand. The Burmese technique allows for very rapid playing, enabling musicians to layer complex and distinct ornamentations , which evoke the expressive techniques used in traditional Burmese singing. The Burmese style is characterised by prominent use of virtuosity and ornamentation, with alternating sections of free and fixed, but flexible, rhythm. The national anthology, known as Naingngandaw Mu Mahagita ( နိုင်ငံတော်မူမဟာဂီတ ) includes

14552-508: The royal family, all of whom were put to death besides Narai, who died in captivity in July of that year. With the king and his heirs out of the way, Phetracha then usurped the throne and officially crowned himself King of Ayutthaya on 1 August. King Phetracha took Mergui back from French control almost immediately, and began the pivotal Siege of Bangkok , which culminated in an official French retreat from Siam. Phetracha's reign, however,

14688-462: The son of King Chadachota from Lavo Kingdom, who was of the lineage of the previous Sangkaburi's kings. Narai renamed the city Ayodhya (อโยธยา) and eventually set it as the new capital of the Lavo Kingdom during his reign. The former capital was then renamed Lopburi . After the end of Narai's reign in 1147, Ayodhya fell under the power struggles between nine amatyas for two years, until

14824-491: The son of Sanphet I, proclaimed Ayutthaya's independence. This proclamation resulted in repeated invasions of Ayutthaya by Burma which the Siamese fought off ultimately finishing in an elephant duel between King Naresuan and Burmese heir-apparent Mingyi Swa in 1593 during the fourth siege of Ayutthaya in which Naresuan famously slew Mingyi Swa, although the existence of this battle has been challenged by modern scholars such as Sulak Sivaraksa . Today, this Siamese victory

14960-410: The strike note, the nominal or the strike note are tuned; the effect is usually the same because the nominal is one of the main partials that determines the tone of the strike note. The thickness of a church bell at its thickest part, called the "sound bow", is usually one thirteenth its diameter. If the bell is mounted as cast, it is called a "maiden bell". The traditional harmonically tuned bell has

15096-577: The throne was given to Phra Chao Luang (พระเจ้าหลวง), who relocated the city, in 1157, southward to the east bank of the Chao Phraya River near the mouth of the Mae Bea River (แม่น้ำแม่เบี้ย), south of the present Wat Phanan Choeng . The new city was later named Sena Ratchanakhon (เสนาราชนคร) by his successor, Duangkrien Kritnarat (ดวงเกรียนกฤษณราช) or Sai Nam Peung who was appointed the new ruler by his father, Kraisornrat (ไกรสรราช) who

15232-529: The throne. An Ayutthaya noble in the 18th century lamented that a large portion of court officials and able generals were killed in multiple succession struggles over the past 90 years. The last monarch, Ekkathat , alongside his brother, Uthumphon , undermined Prince Thammathibet , the Front Palace Uparaj and designated heir to his father, King Borommakot , by instigating or exposing his affair with two of his fathers' consorts. Prince Thammathibet

15368-418: The time, but after their death, their guarded trade secrets were lost, and not until the 19th century were bells of comparable tuning quality cast. It was only in modern times that repeatable harmonic tuning using a known scientific basis was achieved. The main partials (or harmonics) of a well-tuned bell are: Further, less-audible, harmonics include the major third and a perfect fifth in the second octave above

15504-500: The top of bells in China was usually decorated with a small dragon, known as pulao ; the figure of the dragon served as a hook for hanging the bell. Konguro'o is a small bell which, like the Djalaajyn , was first used for utilitarian purposes and only later for artistic ones. Konguro'o rang when moving to new places. They were fastened to the horse harnesses and created a very specific "smart" sound background. Konguro'o also hung on

15640-455: The vassal king. In 1568, Mahinthrathirat revolted when his father managed to return from Pegu as a Buddhist monk . The ensuing third siege captured Ayutthaya in 1569 and Bayinnaung made Maha Thammarachathirat (also known as Sanphet I) his vassal king, instating the Sukhothai dynasty . In May 1584, less than three years after Bayinnaung's death, Uparaja Naresuan (or Sanphet II),

15776-496: Was a Mon and later Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya , in Siam, or present-day Thailand . European travellers in the early 16th century called Ayutthaya one of the three great powers of Asia (alongside Vijayanagara and China). The Ayutthaya Kingdom is considered to be the precursor of modern Thailand, and its developments are an important part of

15912-475: Was also referred to as Iudea in a painting requested by the Dutch East India Company . The capital city of Ayutthaya is officially known as Krung Thep Dvaravati Si Ayutthaya ( Thai : กรุงเทพทวารวดีศรีอยุธยา ), as documented in historical sources. The lower Chao Phraya Basin around the turn of the second millennium was split between Lavo Kingdom , which dominated the eastern half of

16048-509: Was also the Lopburi's king. The city of Ayodhya was abandoned in 1211. After Lopburi 's King Kraisornrat died with no heir apparent, the king of Phraek Siracha (present-day Sankhaburi ), who was the grandfather of Ayutthaya's first king, Uthong , took over the throne. After he died in 1319, both Lopburi and the city of Sena Ratchanakhon was considered royal inheritances for his daughter, who later passed it to her son, Uthong. Ayutthaya

16184-706: Was compiled c. 1788 by the Monywe Sayadaw (1766-1834), and comprises 166 sets of song texts. Several Konbaung dynasty anthologies exist, including an 1849 anthology compiled by Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa and another 1870 anthology, Thachin Gaungzin Potye Hmatsudaw ( သီချင်းခေါင်းစဉ်ပုဒ်ရေးမှတ်စုတော် ) with 1,062 song titles under 27 genres, both compiled at the behest of Mindon Min , and an 1881 anthology named Mahagita Myedani Kyan ( မဟာဂီတမြေဓနီကျမ်း ), compiled by U Yauk in Pyay . The popularity of

16320-454: Was composed after 1838. From the 1910s to the 1950s, with the advent of British colonial rule in Burma, a new genre of traditional music, variously called khit haung ( ခေတ်ဟောင်း ; lit.   ' old era ' ), hnaung khit ( နှောင်းခေတ် , lit.   ' late era ' ), and kala paw ( ကာလပေါ် , lit.   ' current [era] ' ) emerged. While the roots of this genre lie in

16456-414: Was defeated in single combat by his own nephew, Narai . Narai finally assumed a stable position as King of Ayutthaya with the support of a mainly foreign court faction consisting of groups that had been marginalized during the reign of his father, Prasat Thong. Among his benefactors were, notably, Persian, Dutch, and Japanese mercenaries. It should therefore come as no surprise that the era of King Narai

16592-454: Was done at the Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. A carillon , which is a musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bells, is tuned so that the bells can be played serially to produce a melody, or sounded together to play a chord. A traditional carillon is played by striking a baton keyboard with the fists, and by pressing the keys of a pedal keyboard with

16728-547: Was eager to import rice from other nations, particularly from Ayutthaya. During the Late Ayutthaya Period (1688–1767), the Chinese population in Ayutthaya possibly tripled in size to 30,000 from 1680 to 1767. The Chinese played a pivotal role in stimulating Ayutthaya's economy in the last 100 years of the kingdom's existence and eventually played a pivotal role in Siam's quick recovery from the Burmese invasions of

16864-464: Was especially important in the time when clocks were too expensive for widespread ownership. In the case of clock towers and grandfather clocks, a particular sequence of tones may be played to distinguish between the hour, half-hour, quarter-hour, or other intervals. One common pattern is called " Westminster Quarters ," a sixteen-note pattern named after the Palace of Westminster which popularized it as

17000-453: Was established and cities were organized into four levels. Large, top level cities held authorities over secondary or low-level cities. The increased wealth of Ayutthaya resulted in the beginnings of a chronic succession struggle for the Ayutthaya throne. Due to the lack of stable succession law , from each succession from the 16th century onwards, princely governors or powerful dignitaries claiming their merit gathered their forces and moved on

17136-422: Was executed for his alleged crimes. Corruption was rampant due to economic prosperity. Position buying and bribery for political offices became commonplace. The mass arrival of Chinese farming settlers to Siam in 18th century introduced Capitalism to Siam. The past 150 years of growth encouraged phrai to flee the bonds of government control and become peasant farmers in the countryside to earn wealth. People fled

17272-543: Was his distant relative. The king would appoint a prince or a relative to be the ruler of a city, and a city that was ruled by a prince was called Muang Look Luang ( Thai : เมืองลูกหลวง ). Each city ruler swore allegiance and loyalty to the King of Ayutthaya but also retained certain privileges. Politics of Early Ayutthaya was characterized by rivalries between the two dynasties; the Uthong dynasty based on Lopburi (Lavo) and

17408-592: Was inadequate to govern relatively vast territories. The government of Ayutthaya was centralized and institutionalized under King Borommatrailokkanat in his reforms promulgating in Palatine Law of 1455, which became the constitution of Ayutthaya for the rest of its existence and continued to be the constitution of Siam until 1892, albeit in altered forms. The central government was dominated by the Chatusadom system ( Thai : จตุสดมภ์ lit. "Four Pillars), in which

17544-464: Was kidnapped and held hostage by Japanese merchants, and later murdered. After this episode, the kingdom was handed to Songtham , a lesser son born of Ekathotsarot and a first-class concubine. Songtham temporarily restored stability to Ayutthaya and focused inward on religious construction projects, most notably a great temple at Wat Phra Phutthabat . In the sphere of foreign policy, Songtham lost suzerainty of Lan Na, Cambodia and Tavoy, expelled

17680-438: Was known for Persian and later, European, influence and the sending of the 1686 Siamese embassy to the French court of King Louis XIV . The Late Ayutthaya Period saw the departure of the French and English but growing prominence of the Chinese. The period was described as a "golden age" of Siamese culture and saw the rise in Chinese trade and the introduction of capitalism into Siam, a development that would continue to expand in

17816-452: Was not stable. Many of Phetracha's provincial governors refused to recognize his rule as legitimate, and rebellions by the late Narai's supporters persisted for many years. The most important change to Siam in the aftermath of the revolution was Phetracha's refusal to continue Narai's foreign embassies. King Phetracha opted instead to reverse much of Narai's decisions and closed Thailand to almost all forms of European interaction except with

17952-479: Was one of an extroverted Siam. Foreign trade brought Ayutthaya not only luxury items but also new arms and weapons. In the mid–17th century, during King Narai 's reign, Ayutthaya became very prosperous. In 1662 war between Burma and Ayutthaya (the Burmese-Siamese War (1662-64) ) erupted again when King Narai attempted to take advantage of unrest in Burma to seize control of Lan Na. Fighting along

18088-407: Was possible, a "bell pit" was often dug in the grounds of the building where the bell was to be installed. Molten bell metal is poured into the mould through a box lined with foundry sand . The founder would bring his casting tools to the site, and a furnace would be built next to the pit. Large bells are generally around 80% copper and 20% tin ( bell metal ), which has been found empirically to give

18224-464: Was primarily religious, as the French Jesuits were openly attempting to convert Narai and the royal family to Catholicism . Narai was courted not just by Catholic conversion, but as well by proselytizing Muslim Persians, Chams and Makassars in his court, the later of which communities launched an unsuccessful revolt in 1686 to replace Narai with a Muslim puppet king. While members of

18360-421: Was traditionally founded by King Uthong on 4 March 1351. This fact, however, has been subject to long scholarly debate. According to Chris Baker-Pasuk Phongpaichit, there are at least seven legends about who Uthong was: "a Northern Thai prince, a fugitive Chinese prince from the sea, a Khmer noble from Angkor, a ruler from one of the gulf cities, or a Chola ." Other than being the legendary founder of Ayutthaya,

18496-404: Was tried during the busy church-building period of mid-19th-century England, because it was more economical than bronze, but was found not to be durable and manufacture ceased in the 1870s. Small bells were originally made with the lost wax process but large bells are cast mouth downwards by filling the air space in a two-part mould with molten metal. Such a mould has an outer section clamped to

#835164