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149-552: Past holders of the title include: During the Thonburi period : During the Rattanakosin period Following the death of Chaophraya Yommarat (Choei), the title was left vacant, as the government was undergoing structural reforms abolishing the chatusadom system. A committee of four officials was established to oversee its functions in the interim period, before a modern ministry was re-established, named Krasuang Nakhonban or

298-454: A sotapanna or Buddhist saint and he believed that he could fly. In 1779, the pro-Siamese King Ang Non of Cambodia, an ally of Taksin, was murdered and the pro-Vietnamese Cambodian minister Chauvea Tolaha Mu took power. Taksin's relationship with his son Prince Inthraphithak deteriorated to the point that he banished his son from the palace. His paranoia and religious obsession worsened in mid-1780 when he commanded Buddhist monks to perform

447-530: A Buddhist monk at Wat Krachom temple. Thepphiphit, despite being a Buddhist monk, was still very active in politics. Thepphiphit accepted this challenge. Thepphiphit and other conspirators visited Uthumphon at Wat Pradu temple, asking Uthumphon to consent to the plan. Uthumphon, who was unwilling to be involved in such seditious affair, gave a vague unpromising answer that was interpreted as favorable by Thepphiphit. Uthumphon, however, decided not to trust Thepphiphit, given his ambitions. Uthumphon told Ekkathat about

596-615: A Chinese merchant as his delegate to Guangzhou in September 1768. However, Emperor Qianlong gave a very negative response, rebuking that Taksin should restore the Siamese throne to a surviving prince of the fallen dynasty instead of making himself king. Thepphiphit appeared for the first time in Chinese documents as Zhao Wangji (詔王吉) during this occasion, mentioned as one of the rightful heirs to Siam; " Zhao Wangji (Thepphiphit), who

745-906: A Dutch ship from Trincomalee. Thepphiphit stayed at the Dutch port of Tuticorin in South India for a while. In May 1761, the Chinese Annals of Batavia or Kai Ba Lidai Shiji (開吧歷代史記) stated that 'a son of the king of Ceylon and his wife' arrived in Batavia , where they were ceremoniously received by Dutch East Indies Governor-General Petrus Albertus van der Parra in the Batavia Castle . This enigmatic princely figure from Ceylon should be Prince Thepphiphit, who took shelter at Batavia after his troubled departure from Ceylon. The Dutch governor-general provided Thepphiphit with residence in

894-576: A Teochew Chinese, sought imperial recognition from the Qing Beijing court. However, the Qing court under Emperor Qianlong refused to accept Taksin as the rightful ruler of Siam because Mạc Thiên Tứ the ruler of Hà Tiên had told Beijing that remaining descendants of the fallen Ayutthayan dynasty were with him in Hà Tiên. This urged Taksin to conduct an expedition in 1771 to destroy Hà Tiên and to capture

1043-452: A deteriorated state without any properly ordained Bhikkhu monks left to maintain and continue the religion. King Sri Vijaya Rajasinha died in 1751 and was succeeded by his brother-in-law Kirti Sri Rajasinha . The new king Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy, inspired by the monk Weliwata Saranankara, made efforts to rehabilitate Sinhalese Theravada by sending delegates to the Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya , requesting for Siamese monk to revive

1192-509: A formidable opponent of Taksin. In 1770, the forces of Chao Phra Fang penetrated south as far as Chainat . King Taksin, in retaliation, led the Thonburi armies to capture Phitsanulok in August 1770. Thonburi forces continued north to seize Sawangkhaburi. Chao Phra Fang escaped and disappeared from history. With the conquest of the last rival regime by 1770, Taksin's position as the ruler of Siam

1341-566: A grandson of King Thaisa , took refuge at Hà Tiên under protection of the Cantonese lord Mạc Thiên Tứ . Among the regional regimes, only Thepphiphit potentially clamed legitimacy to Ayutthaya as he was a surviving prince of the fallen dynasty. In efforts to acquire imperial investiture from the Qing Chinese imperial court in order to resume the lucrative Sino-Siamese tributary trade to boost Thonburi's royal revenue, King Taksin sent

1490-448: A great-granddaughter of King Phetracha , as his consort. An incident happened in 1769 when Taksin sent two Portuguese men to capture some rats in the women's palace. The two Portuguese men were found having romantic relations with Princess Chim and Princess Ubon, caught in the act. The two Portuguese men escaped with their lives as the two princesses were put to interrogation. Adultery of royal consorts would be harshly punished, according to

1639-467: A group of 550 local men and devised a plan to seize power in the Northeast. On the fourteenth waxing of the tenth month, Year 1128 of Culāsakaraj Era (17 September 1766), Prince Prayong led his forces to disguise themselves going into Nakhon Ratchasima. Next day, on September 18, Chaophraya Nakhon Ratchasima the eponymous governor was making Buddhist merits at a temple when he was ambushed and killed by

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1788-623: A local leader Thongyu Noklek ( Thai : ทองอยู่นกเล็ก ) from Chonburi. Upon hearing about Thepphiphit's new host at Paknam Yothaka, Thepphiphit's family in Ayutthaya, including his wives, sons, daughter and servants, left Ayutthaya through the less-besieged eastern outskirts of Ayutthaya to join Thepphiphit at Prachinburi. A number of Ayutthayan people, having no hope in Ekkathat's regime, left Ayutthaya to join Thepphiphit. Phraya Rattanathibet

1937-589: A local official named Khun Chana ( Thai : ขุนชนะ ) captured Thepphiphit, along with his wife, daughter and sons. Khun Chana brought Thepphiphit and his family to King Taksin at Nakhon Ratchasima. Taksin rewarded Khun Chana, for successful capture of Thepphiphit, with position of the governor of Nakhon Ratchasima the Lord of the Northeast. Thepphiphit, along with his family, were captured in November 1768. Thepphiphit and his family were brought to Thonburi . According to

2086-466: A message in Thai language was sent to Thepphiphit but the message was intercepted and sent to Kirti Sri Rajasinha. The king actually went to listen to Buddhist sermons at Malwatta temple per invitation but the royal guards found the apparatus to assassinate the king – a coffin with protruding spikes and a platform above it. It was assumed that the plan was for Kirti Sri Rajasinha to sit on the platform during

2235-665: A monk at Wat Arun with Phraya San taking control in Thonburi. Chaophraya Chakri in Cambodia, informed about the incidents, assigned his nephew Phra Suriya Aphai to lead armies from Nakhon Ratchasima to pacify Thonburi. Phraya San ordered Taksin's nephew Prince Anurak Songkhram to attack Phra Suriya Aphai at Bangkok Noi in the Battle of Bangkok Noi in April 1782. Phra Suriya Aphai was about to be overrun by Phraya San's forces when Siri Rochana, Lanna wife of Surasi, appealed to Binnya Sein

2384-593: A new campaign against Siam. He ordered troops to be gathered in Burmese Chiang Mai and the Mon town of Martaban in order to invade Siam from both the north and the west in two directions: a similar approach to the invasion of 1765-1767. In 1774, Binnya Sein , a nephew of Binnya Dala the last king of Hanthawaddy , led a failed Mon rebellion against Burma, resulting in the mass exodus of thousands of Mon people into Siam. Hsinbyushin appointed Maha Thiha Thura ,

2533-765: A place near Nakhon Nayok in the northeast. However, Phraya Rattanathibet fell ill and died there. Thepphiphit held a funeral for this minister who had shifted political allegiance from Ekkathat to Thepphiphit. After defeating Thepphiphit, the Burmese forces stationed at Prachinburi and along the Bangpakong River. It would be these Burmese regiments that Phraya Tak would face in his journey from Ayutthaya through Eastern Siam in January 1767. Prince Thepphiphit realized that staying near Nakhon Nayok made him vulnerable to Burmese attacks so he decided to flee further through

2682-529: A plan to take down Thepphiphit without forces by declaring that the crime of sedition would be placed solely upon the Chao Krom or Thepphiphit's Chief Servant. The Chief Servant then deserted Thepphiphit along with his subordinates, leaving Thepphiphit exposed. Thepphiphit was left with no choices but to escape. Thepphiphit fled to the west where he was caught and apprehended at Phra Thaen Dong Rang in modern Tha Maka district , Kanchanaburi province . Upholding

2831-533: A political pawn for his own power gain. When Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in April 1767, Phra Phimai declared Thepphiphit a rightful ruler. Being technically in political hostage under Phra Phimai, Thepphiphit gave out noble titles as if he were a Siamese king. Thepphiphit appointed Phra Phimai as his chief minister with title Chaophraya Si Suriyawong ( Thai : เจ้าพระยาศรีสุริยวงศ์ ). Two sons of Phra Phimai, Sa and Noi, were also appointed by Thepphiphit as Phraya Mahamontri and Phraya Worawongsa, respectively. This led to

2980-422: A rebellion broke out against Taksin in Ayutthaya due to conflicts over treasure digging rights. King Taksin sent Phraya San to quell the rebellion. However, Phraya San instead joined the rebels and returned to attack Thonburi. With most of his troops away in Cambodia, Taksin relied on Portuguese gunners to defend him, who would soon abandon the king. Taksin surrendered. Phraya San forced Taksin to abdicate and become

3129-706: A relative of the Sinhalese noble Sammanakodi the Udagampaha Adigar . In July 1760, the Sangharaja Weliwata Saranankara conspired with Adigar Sammanakodi and the monks of the Siamese sect, including the Siamese monks themselves, to overthrow the Nayakkar King Kirti Sri Rajasinha and put the Siamese prince Thepphiphit on the throne of Kandy. The conspirators, including Thepphiphit himself, held

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3278-628: A secret meeting at a temple in Anuradhapura to conceive the plan. Thepphiphit then went to stay at Kehelella near Colombo, waiting for the signal. In 1760, Adigar Sammanakodi invited King Kirti Sri Rajasinha for a Buddhist sermon in Siamese language at the Malwatta temple , the head temple of the Siamese sect where the Sangharaja monk Weliwata Saranankara resided. In the same time,

3427-403: A succession war ensued in Ayutthaya between Prince Phon and his nephews, sons of Thaisa. Prince Phon eventually prevailed and ascended the Siamese throne as King Borommakot in 1733. In efforts to contain future dynastic princely conflicts, King Borommakot assigned manpower regiments known as Krom s to his sons the royal princes to control the allocation of manpower among his sons. Prince Khaek

3576-581: A year. Despite the bunga mas tributes, the degree of actual Siamese control over the Malay sultanates in the Thonburi Period was doubtful. King Taksin requested military and monetary obligations from Pattani, Kelantan and Terengganu to aid Siam against the Burmese invasion in 1776. However, the Malay sultans ignored this order and did not face any repercussions. In 1777, Nakhon Nu the ruler of Ligor proposed to King Taksin to send expedition to subjugate

3725-431: A younger brother Prince Phra Ong Chao Pan ( Thai : พระองค์เจ้าปาน ) and a sister who shared the same mother. In 1732, King Thaisa became ill and Prince Phon, Thepphiphit's father, rallied armies in preparation for the upcoming succession conflict but was caught. Prince Phon, along with his sons and presumably Thepphiphit, ordained as Buddhist monks to avoid political repurcussions. Next year, in 1733, King Thaisa died and

3874-471: Is the elder brother of your ruler (Ekkathat) and Zhao Cui (Prince Chao Chui) as well as Zhao Shichang (Prince Chao Sisang) who are grandsons of the ruler, are all hiding within the territory. " In late 1768, King Taksin targeted the Phimai regime of Thepphiphit and called out Thepphiphit for harboring the Burmese enemy Mongya. This move might be motivated by Taksin's efforts to put down any remaining princes of

4023-680: The Upasampada ordinations and to reestablish Bhikkhu monastic order in Ceylon. King Borommakot of Ayutthaya responded by sending Siamese monks under Upali to Ceylon, arriving in 1753, leading to conception of the Siam Nikaya sect in Sri Lanka. The monk Weliwata Saranankara was ordained by the Siamese monks into this new 'Siamese sect'. Since then, Ayutthaya and Kandy had been maintaining religious relations, with Dutch ships serving as

4172-505: The wai to pay respect to him instead of other way round. Five hundred monks who refused to comply were flogged. Also in 1780, Taksin ordered massacre of some fifty Vietnamese people including Mạc Thiên Tứ and Nguyễn Phúc Xuân, who had earlier taken political refuge in Thonburi, for their alleged sedition. In May 1781, Taksin dispatched his first and only official tributary mission to China. In December 1781, King Taksin sent army of 20,000 men, led by Chaophrayas Chakri and Surasi, to fight

4321-726: The Chong Ruea Taek Pass through the Dong Phaya Fai forests to the northeast to Nakhon Ratchasima or Khorat, which was the main Siamese city in the northeast. While Ayutthaya was being besieged by the Burmese, the Siamese Northeast was under the eponymous, locally powerful Chaophraya Nakhon Ratchasima the governor of the Nakhon Ratchasima. Thepphiphit was also accompanied by a large number of officials who had pledged loyalty to him. Thepphiphit

4470-500: The Dutch-controlled area . King Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy sent Thepphiphit and his family to the Dutch port of Trincomalee , asking the Dutch to deport the Siamese prince. Jan Schreuder the Dutch governor of Ceylon was reluctant to comply at first but when he learned about the incident Schreuder agreed to take Thepphiphit out of Ceylon. Thepphiphit and his family then left Ceylon with Dutch assistance, presumably on

4619-539: The Laotian kingdoms ( Luang Phrabang , Vientiane , Champasak ), and Cambodia under the Siamese sphere of influence . The Thonburi Kingdom saw the consolidation and continued growth of Chinese trade from Qing China , a continuation from the late Ayutthaya period (1688-1767), and the increased influence of the Chinese community in Siam, with Taksin and later monarchs sharing close connections and close family ties with

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4768-481: The Phimai regime of Thepphiphit in the Siamese Northeast , mainly encompassing the two main Siamese cities of Nakhon Ratchasima and Phimai. From Chanthaburi, Phraya Tak rallied his troops and sailed along Eastern Siamese shoreline to reconquer Ayutthaya. Phraya Tak managed to conquer the Burmese occupying forces under Thugyi at Phosamton (modern Bang Pahan district , to the north of Ayutthaya) in November 1767, ending

4917-578: The Three Pagodas Pass in February 1775. Taksin was unprepared as most of his troops were in the north defending Chiang Mai. He recalled the northern Siamese troops down south to defend the west. Satpagyon Bo took Kanchanaburi and continued to Ratchaburi , where he encamped at Bangkaeo (modern Tambon Nangkaeo, Photharam district ), hence the name Bangkaeo Campaign . King Taksin sent preliminary forces under his son and his nephew to deal with

5066-594: The eastern Siamese coast . There, Phraya Tak competed with Pu Lan the Phraya Chanthaburi or the governor of Chanthaburi for domination over the eastern coastline. In the famous episode, Phraya Tak ordered all cooking pots in the supplies to be destroyed and then successfully took Chanthaburi in June 1767. Phraya Tak established his dominions of influence on the eastern coast stretching from Bang Plasoi ( Chonburi ) to Trat . Ayutthaya fell in April 1767. Due to

5215-476: The northeast where he engaged in a local power struggle, ending up being held hostage at Phimai . At the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, local officials in the northeast declared Thepphiphit a ruler, becoming "Chao Phimai" or the Lord of Phimai as one of several regional regime leaders in aftermath of the collapse of Ayutthaya, entrenching himself at Phimai. In 1768, the new king Taksin of Thonburi kingdom marched to subjugate Thepphiphit's Phimai regime. Thepphiphit

5364-537: The Ayutthayan defenders realized that the Burmese besiegers would not leave for the wet rainy season. Situation of Ayutthaya worsened in its stand against the besieging Burmese and people began to leave Ayutthaya for safety if possible. In mid-1766, Thepphiphit made another important political move by leaving his confinement in Chanthaburi and went to Prachinburi , where he rallied Eastern Siamese forces to fight

5513-561: The Ayutthayan princes and to put the pro-Siamese Ang Non on the Cambodian throne. King Taksin ordered Phraya Yommaraj Thongduang (later King Rama I ) to bring the army of 10,000 men to invade Cambodia by land, while King Taksin himself with Phraya Phiphit Chen Lian (陳聯, called Trần Liên in Vietnamese sources) as the admiral invaded Hà Tiên with the fleet of 15,000 men. Hà Tiên fell to Siamese invaders in November 1771. Phraya Yommaraj

5662-524: The Ayutthayan throne in May but Uthumphon faced political challenges from Ekkathat who laid his own claims to the throne. Uthumphon gave in and abdicated after merely ten days. Ekkathat ascended the throne as the last king of Ayutthaya in June 1758, while Uthumphon went to become a Buddhist monk at Wat Pradu temple, earning him the epithet Khun Luang Hawat or the King Who Sought Temple. With

5811-524: The Ban Phlu Luang dynasty in order to get rid of any competitors for investiture from the Chinese imperial court. Taksin, along with his commanders Phra Ratchawarin (future king Rama I ) and Phra Mahamontri (future Prince Sura Singhanat ) marched his Thonburi army to cross the Dong Phaya Fai forests to attack Nakhon Ratchasima. Thepphiphit sent his chief minister Phra Phimai or Chaophraya Si Suriyawong, along with Phimai's son Phraya Mahamontri Sa and

5960-498: The Burmese at Phosamton in November, defeating the Burmese commander Thugyi or Suki. Phraya Tak founded the new Siamese capital at Thonburi and enthroned himself as king there in December 1767. He is colloquially and posthumously known as King Taksin, combining his title Phraya Tak and his name Sin. For strategic reasons, Taksin decided to move the capital from Ayutthaya to Thonburi, making it easier for commerce. Six months after

6109-518: The Burmese at Ratchaburi. The princes led the Siamese forces to completely encircle Satpagyon Bo at Bangkaeo in order to starve the Burmese into surrender. Northern Siamese troops arrived in the battlefield of Bangkaeo, bringing the total number of Siamese to 20,000 men, greatly outnumbering the Burmese. After 47 days of being encircled, Satpagyon Bo capitulated in March 1775. The Siamese took about 2,000 Burmese captives from this battle. Six months after

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6258-460: The Burmese conquerors in April 1767. Ekkathat , Thepphiphit's half-brother and the last king of Ayutthaya, died during the fall. Uthumphon the temple king, another of Thepphiphit's half-brother, along with other members of the Ban Phlu Luang dynasty including Thepphiphit's half-sisters, was permanently deported to Burma. Thepphiphit, being stranded in the Northeast, did not suffer the same fate as his half-brothers but his family had been decimated by

6407-410: The Burmese conquest for the second time after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. The untimely demise of Hsinbyushin saved Siam from such fate. King Taksin took this chance to pursue the retreating Burmese. The Burmese had all left Siam by August 1776 and the war came to the end. In 1765, Lao kingdoms of Luang Phrabang and Vientiane became Burmese vassals. After the Siamese capture of Chiang Mai in 1775,

6556-513: The Burmese earned him loyalty but as situation progressed some began to notice noncomformity of his rule. He did not erect a great royal city with splendid palaces nor did he actively pursued the old Ayutthayan way. High titles and commands belonged to Taksin's early followers who were not much of high aristocratic stratum. Taksin's defeat at the hands of the Burmese in 1776 affected him greatly. After 1776, Taksin ceased to personally lead armies in battlefields but instead relegated military commands to

6705-455: The Burmese influence in Laos waned. King Ong Boun of Vientiane had been a Burmese ally, as he instigated the Burmese to invade his rival Luang Phrabang two times in 1765 and 1771. King Taksin had been suspicious about Ong Boun being in cooperation with Burma. In 1777, the governor of Nangrong rebelled against Thonburi with support from Champasak . King Taksin ordered Chaophraya Chakri to lead

6854-467: The Burmese man Mongya himself, to take position at Dan Khunthot to the east of Nakhon Ratchasima. Phraya Worawongsa Noi, another son of Phimai, also took position at Choho near the city. Thonburi forces under Phra Ratchawarin prevailed over Thepphiphit's forces at Dan Khunthot. Phra Phimai the chief minister of Thepphiphit, his son Sa and the Burmese man Mongya were all captured and executed. King Taksin himself seized control of Choho and took possession of

7003-429: The Burmese occupation. A Burmese official from Phosamton named Mongya escaped from the forces of Phraya Tak to the northeast to take shelter under Thepphiphit. With Ayutthaya reduced to cinders, Phraya Tak established Thonburi as the new capital of Siam. Phraya Tak was enthroned as King Taksin of the new Siamese Kingdom of Thonburi in December 1767, ushering the new era of Thai history. The first main of objective of

7152-557: The Burmese, was completely destroyed and burnt to the grounds. Maha Thiha Thura was preparing to march onto Thonburi when he learned of the death of the Burmese King Hsinbyushin in 1776. Maha Thiha Thura was recalled, decided to abruptly abandon the campaign in Siam and quickly return to Burma in order to support his son-in-law Singu Min to the Burmese throne. The remaining Burmese regiments in Siam were thus left disorganized and uncontrolled. Siam nearly succumbed to

7301-567: The Burmese. Eastern Siamese men from Eastern Siamese towns including Prachinburi, Nakhon Nayok , Chacheongsao , Chonburi and Bang Lamung rallied to Thepphiphit's host at Prachinburi. Thepphiphit managed to gather 2,000 Eastern Siamese men and built himself a stockade at Paknam Yothaka on the Bangpakong River near Prachinburi. Thepphiphit's Eastern Siamese host was led by two local officials Muen Kao ( Thai : หมื่นเก้า ) and Muen Si Nawa ( Thai : หมื่นศรีนาวา ) from Prachinburi and

7450-460: The Dutch governor of Ceylon , in his wars against King Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy, decided that he needed a competing candidate against Kirti Sri Rajasinha to the throne of Kandy. In 1762, Van Eck sent his delegate Marten Huysvoorn to Ayutthaya to ask the Siamese king Ekkathat to allow Thepphiphit or any of his sons to return to Ceylon as a competing claimant against Kirti Sri Rajasinha. The Dutch, however, did not know about political enmity between

7599-439: The Dutch governor Jan Schreuder of Ceylon. Next year, in 1761, King Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy took this opportunity to invade and conquer the coastal lowlands from Dutch Ceylon . Facing internal unrest and external incursion, Jan Schreuder was replaced as governor by Lubbert Jan van Eck in 1762. One of the sons of Thepphiphit died during his journey from Ceylon back to Siam. Thepphiphit and his family returned to Siam at

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7748-520: The Dutch governor of Ceylon sent Willem van Damast Limberger to directly search for Thepphiphit in Tenasserim, where Thepphiphit had been grounded but the Dutch mission failed to meet with Thepphiphit. Thepphiphit remained in confinement in Tenasserim for nearly three years, with his family in Ayutthaya, until things took yet another turn in 1765. In early 1765, the Burmese invaded and conquer

7897-480: The Dutch ship along with his family. The Dutch source recorded Thepphiphit's monastic name as Tammebaan or Thammaban in Thai. The Sinhalese, who apparently did not know about the reason of Thepphiphit's arrival, provided Thepphiphit and his family with accommodation in Kandy . Arrival of Thepphiphit in Ceylon perhaps served as the catalyst for the imminent revolution against King Kirti Sri Rajasinha. Thepphiphit befriended

8046-630: The Fall of Ayutthaya, Taksin managed to reconquer and establish his powers in Central Siam. A Burmese force from Tavoy arrived to attack the Chinese encampment of Bangkung in Samut Songkhram . King Taksin repelled the Burmese in the Battle of Bangkung in 1768. King Taksin then went on his campaigns against other competing rival regimes to unify Siam. He first moved against Phitsanulok in

8195-576: The Great Mauk. Since the sixteenth century, Western powers the Portuguese and later the Dutch had taken control of all coastal lowlands of Ceylon, driving the indigenous power to the mountainous inland. After Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy had averted the assassination attempt upon himself in 1760, in the same year, the Sinhalese people on the coastal lowlands under Dutch rule rebelled against

8344-618: The Late Ayutthaya Period, Siam was a prominent rice exporter to Qing China . After the Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, the Siamese economy collapsed. Rice production and economic activities ceased. Thonburi period was the time of economic crisis as people died from warfare and starvation and inflation was prevalent. Siam became a rice importer. In 1767, after his reconquest of Ayutthaya, King Taksin donated to over 1,000 desolate people. He also ordered an Ayutthayan bronze cannon to be broken down into pieces to buy rice and distribute to

8493-568: The Late Ayutthaya Period. The Ayutthayan court relied on trade with China under the Chinese tributary system as a source of revenue. The Dutch had earlier abandoned their factory in Ayutthaya and left Siam in 1765 due to the Burmese invasion. The Thonburi court sent a letter to the Supreme Government of Dutch East Indies Company at Batavia in 1769 in efforts to resume the trade but the Dutch were not interested. King Taksin, himself

8642-524: The Late Ayutthaya. Two prime ministers; Samuha Nayok the prime minister and Samuha Kalahom the minister of military, led the central government. In the early years of Thonburi, Chaophraya Chakri Mud the Muslim of Persian descent hold the position of Samuha Nayok until his death in 1774. Chakri Mut was succeeded as prime minister by Chaophraya Chakri Thongduang who later became King Rama I. Below

8791-621: The Ligor regime, an autonomous ruler of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Ligor would enjoy autonomy until the end of Thonburi Period in 1782 when King Rama I curbed the power of the Ligor by demoting the ruler of Ligor to be the 'governor' instead. With the exception of Bunma (later Chao Phraya Surisi and later Maha Sura Singhanat ), a member of the old Ayutthaya artistocracy who had joined Taksin early on in his campaigns of reunification, and later Bunma's brother, Thongduang (later Chao Phraya Chakri and later King Rama I ), high political positions and titles within

8940-479: The Liphi waterfall and capture Champasak including the king Sayakumane who was taken to Thonburi. Chakri and Surasi then converged on Vientiane. King Surinyavong of Luang Phrabang, who had long been holding grudges against Ong Boun, joined the Siamese side and contributed forces. King Ong Boun assigned his son Nanthasen to lead the defense of Vientiane. Nanthasen managed to resist the Siamese for four months until

9089-749: The Malay sultanates. King Taksin refused, however, stating that the defense of frontiers against Burmese incursions was more of priority. Siam only resumed real political control over the Northern Malay sultanates in 1786 in the Rattanakosin Period. With the exception of the western Tenasserim Coast , the Thonburi Kingdom reconquered most of the land previously held under the Ayutthaya Kingdom and expanded Siam to its greatest territorial extent up to that point. During

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9238-705: The Minister of Palace Affairs and Ekkathat's many-time military commander, who had marched out against the Burmese in 1760 and 1765, also left Ayutthaya to join Thepphiphit. This showed that, in spite of political setbacks and many years of wandering, Thepphiphit still commanded a considerable loyalty in Ayutthaya and in Siam. It is not known whether Thepphiphit's intention of rising in 1766 was patriotic or political but Ekkathat would never trust his troublesome half-brother. Thepphiphit and his family stayed at Prachinburi while letting his subordinates Muen Kao, Muen Si Nawa and Thongyu Noklek to command his host at Paknam Yothaka. It

9387-656: The Ministry of Metropolitan Affairs, in 1892. Prince Nares Varariddhi was named the first minister. In 1907, he was succeeded by Phraya Sukhumnaiwinit, who was named Chaophraya Yommarat (Pan Sukhum) the following year. He was the last holder of the title; the ministry was subsumed into the Ministry of Interior in 1922. Thonburi period The Thonburi Kingdom was a major Siamese kingdom which existed in Southeast Asia from 1767 to 1782, centered around

9536-746: The Mon leader to assault Prince Anurak Songkhram in the rear, allowing Phra Suriya Aphai to prevail with Phraya San's army retreated. Chaophraya Chakri, having brokered a truce with the Vietnamese, marched to return to Thonburi. He convened a judicial court to try Taksin and Phraya San of their wrongdoings. Taksin was executed for his "improper and unjust actions that caused great pain for the kingdom". Phraya San, his supporters and Thonburi loyalists, total number of 150 people, were also executed. Taksin's son Inthraphithak, Taksin's nephews Anurak Songkhram and Prince Ramphubet were executed but his other young children were spared and allowed to live. Chaophraya Chakri ascended

9685-460: The Mon refugees. Taksin ordered Chaophraya Chakri to lead the vanguard to Lampang, where Kawila had earlier insurrected against the Burmese. Kawila led the way for the Siamese armies to Chiang Mai. The brothers Chaophraya Chakri and Surasi combined forces to successfully seize Chiang Mai in January 1775. Burmese leaders Thado Mindin and Nemyo Thihapate retreated to Chiang Saen where they reestablished Burmese administrative headquarter. This began

9834-481: The Nakhon Ratchasima city. Phraya Noi, another son of Phra Phimai, managed to escape from Choho across the Dangrek mountains into Cambodia. Taksin sent his forces to pursue Phraya Noi as far as Siemreap in Cambodia but Phraya Noi was never found. Upon learning of the defeat and deaths of his commanders, Thepphiphit and his surviving family members hurriedly packed up and fled to the northeast towards Laos . However,

9983-532: The Prince of the Front Palace and heir presumptive in 1757 and also exiled Ekkathat to become a Buddhist monk in the northeastern outskirt of Ayutthaya to prevent Ekkathat from incurring any troubles. This event earned Thepphiphit a political favor as he was the one who proposed to Borommakot to elevate Uthumphon to the position. In spite of these speculative arrangements, conflicts erupted between Uthumphon and

10132-441: The Siamese Tenasserim Coast. Mergui fell to the Burmese in January 1765. Thepphiphit had to hurriedly flee the Burmese onslaught through the Singkhon Pass into the Gulf of Siam coast. Ekkathat again sent intendant to bring Thepphiphit to confinement in the new place of Chanthaburi on Eastern Siamese coastline, far from Ayutthaya. Thepphiphit remained obedient to his half-brother King Ekkathat of Ayutthaya until mid-1766 when

10281-458: The Siamese armies to invade and retaliate against Champasak. After this expedition, Taksin rewarded Chakri with the rank and title of Somdet Chaophraya Maha Kasatsuk. The rank of Somdet Chaophraya was the highest possible a noble could attain with honors equal to a prince. In 1778, Phra Vo, a Lao secessionist figure, sought protection under Siam against Ong Boun of Vientiane. However, Ong Boun managed to send troops to defeat and kill Phra Vo in

10430-463: The Siamese law. Princess Ubon, daughter of Thepphiphit, denied the allegations but Princess Chim convinced Princess Ubon to accept the fate, saying " Why do you insist to live as a riding queen? We should follow our fathers to death. " ( Thai : ยังจะอยู่เปนมเหษีคี่ซ้อนฤๅมาตายตามเจ้าพ่อเถิด ). As they were found guilty, Taksin ordered his oarsmen to sexually assault the two princesses in public to shame them. Princess Chim and Princess Ubon were executed on

10579-488: The Siamese port of Mergui in Tenasserim in 1762. King Ekkathat of Ayutthaya was shocked and furious at the return of Thepphiphit. Ekkathat sent a royal intendant to impose confinement on Thepphiphit at Tenasserim , not allowing Thepphiphit to return to Ayutthaya. Meanwhile, two sons of Thepphiphit were sent to live with Uthumphon the temple king at Wat Pradu temple in Ayutthaya as political hostages. His wife and daughter were also sent to Ayutthaya. Lubbert Jan van Eck

10728-559: The Siamese prince Thepphiphit on the Kandyan throne but the plan was thwarted and Thepphiphit had to leave Ceylon. Prince Thepphiphit returned to Siam at Mergui , Tenasserim , in 1762. When the Burmese attacked and conquered Tenasserim in early 1765, Thepphiphit moved to Chanthaburi on Eastern Siamese coast. In 1766, he raised an army in Eastern Siam to fight the Burmese but was defeated. Thepphiphit fled to Nakhon Ratchasima in

10877-599: The Siamese victory at Bangkaeo, in September 1775, the Burmese from Chiang Saen attacked Chiang Mai again. The two Chaophrayas Chakri and Surasi led troops north to defend Chiang Mai. However, Maha Thiha Thura took this opportunity to personally lead the Burmese armies of 35,000 men through the Mae Lamao Pass to invade Hua Mueang Nuea or Northern Siam in October. Chakri and Surasi had to hurriedly return to defend Phitsanulok. Maha Thiha Thura laid siege on Phitsanulok,

11026-535: The Sino-Siamese community. The Thonburi Kingdom lasted for only 14 years, ending in 1782 when Taksin was deposed by a major Thonburi military commander, Chao Phraya Chakri , who subsequently founded the Rattanakosin Kingdom , the fourth and present ruling kingdom of Thailand. Phraya Tak , personal name Sin, Zheng Zhao (鄭昭) or Zheng Xin (鄭信), was a nobleman of Teochew Chinese descent. By

11175-706: The Thonburi Kingdom at its height in 1782, to varying degrees of autonomy, included the Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom , the Northern Thai principalities of Chiang Mai , Lampang , Nan , Lamphun , and Phrae , and the Lao Kingdoms of Champasak , Luang Phrabang , and Vientiane . (Ayutthaya) (720 g of silver) (Thonburi) (2,400 g of silver) (Thonburi) (3,600 g of silver) (Thonburi) (600 g of silver) (Rattanakosin) (1,200 g of silver) (Rattanakosin) (420 g of silver) In

11324-663: The Thonburi Kingdom were mainly given to Taksin's early followers, instead of the already established Siamese nobility who survived after the fall of Ayutthaya, many of whom having supported Thepphiphit , the governor of Phitsanulok and an Ayutthaya aristocrat, during the Siamese civil war. In the Northern cities, centered around Sukhothai and Phitsanulok , Taksin installed early supporters of his who had distinguished themselves in battle, many of whom were allowed to establish their own local dynasties afterwards, but elsewhere, several noble families had kept their titles and positions within

11473-510: The Thonburi period, Siam acquired new Prathetsarat s or tributary kingdoms . Thonburi took control of Lanna in 1775, ending the 200 years of Burmese vassalage, which became Northern Thailand today. Taksin appointed his supporters against the Burmese, Phaya Chaban and Kawila, as the governors of Chiang Mai and Lampang respectively in 1775. The princedom of Nan also came under the power of Thonburi in 1775. However, Burma pushed on an intensive campaign to reclaim lost Lanna territories, resulting in

11622-462: The Three Princes who sought to claim the throne when Borommakot died in April 1758. Ekkathat returned from exile to assist Uthumphon in putting down the Three Princes. Ekkathat, Uthumphon and Thepphiphit unified and cooperated against the Three Princes. The Three Princes, including Thepphiphit's brother Sepphakdi, were eventually captured and executed in May 1758. Uthumphon triumphantly ascended

11771-467: The Vietnamese forces of Nguyễn Phúc Ánh to restore Siamese influence in Cambodia and to install his own son Inthraphithak as new King of Cambodia. He burnt a court lady alive, suspecting that she had stolen from his treasury and falsely punished around three hundred people, for their alleged smuggling of rice and salt, at the instigation of two corrupted officials. Chinese merchants had to renounce almost all commerce, some were even killed. In March 1782,

11920-494: The abandonment of Chiang Mai in 1777 and Nan in 1775 due to Burmese threats. Only Lampang under Kawila stood as the forefront citadel against Burmese incursions. After the capture of Vientiane in 1779, all of the three Lao kingdoms of Luang Phrabang, Vientiane and Champasak became tributary kingdoms under Siamese suzerainty. King Taksin appointed the Lao prince Nanthasen as the new King of Vientiane in 1781. Vassal ( mandala ) states of

12069-517: The administrative center of Northern Siam. King Taksin led the royal armies from Thonburi to the north and stationed at Pakphing near Phitsanulok in efforts to relieve the siege of the city. Maha Thiha Thura managed to attack the Siamese supply line at Nakhon Sawan and Uthaithani . He also defeated King Taksin in the Battle of Pakphing in March 1776, compelling the Siamese king to retreat south to Phichit . Chaophrayas Chakri and Surasi then decided to abandon and evacuate Phitsanulok. Phitsanulok fell to

12218-510: The age of fifty years old. Thepphiphit's daughter, Princess Ubon, became one of the consorts of King Taksin. Thepphiphit's wife Lady Sem also entered the Thonburi Palace as a maidservant. Thepphiphit's two surviving young sons, Prince Mongkhon and Prince Lamduan, were spared and allowed to live in the Thonburi court. Princess Ubon, daughter of Thepphiphit, also met a violent end. King Taksin took other Ayutthayan princess, Princess Chim,

12367-573: The armies to seize control of Phnom Penh and Cambodia in July 1772, prompting Ang Non to move to Kampot . However, this Siamese-Vietnamese War coincided with the uprising of the Tây Sơn , which began in 1771, against the Nguyen Lord's regime. Instability at home made the Nguyen Lord order Mạc Thiên Tứ to make peace with Siam in 1773. Taksin then realized that the Siamese control over Cambodia and Hà Tiên

12516-412: The ascension of Ekkathat at the expense of Uthumphon, Thepphiphit felt threatened because he had been such a supporter of Uthumphon. After the enthronement ceremony of Ekkathat, Thepphiphit went out in June 1758 to be ordained as a Buddhist monk to avoid possible political retributions from Ekkathat, staying at Wat Krachom temple just off the northeastern corner of Ayutthaya citadel. Upon his ascension to

12665-504: The best goods imported at a very low price and selling them again to the merchants of the town at 100 percent interest". During the early years of Thonburi, a Teochew Chinese Phraya Phiphit Chen Lian was the acting Phrakhlang or the Minister of Trade. Chen Lian was appointed as the governor of Hà Tiên in 1771 and was succeeded as Phrakhlang by another Chinese Phraya Phichai Aisawan Yang Jinzong (楊進宗). Siamese economic conditions improved over time as trade and production resumed. After

12814-573: The brothers Chaophraya Chakri and Chaophraya Surasi so powers shifted away from him as he focused on religious pursuits. Chaophraya Chakri emerged as the most powerful courtier and came to represent old Ayutthayan elite. King Taksin persecuted French missionaries in 1775 for their refusals to participate in a ceremony and ended up expelling them from Siam in 1779. A decade of strenuous warfare had taken toll on him. In late 1776, Taksin began to obsess with Buddhist Kammaṭṭhāna meditations. In 1777, Taksin declared before Sangha council that he had become

12963-631: The city of Thonburi , in Siam or present-day Thailand . The kingdom was founded by Taksin the Great , who reunited Siam following the collapse of the Ayutthaya Kingdom , which saw the country separate into five warring regional states. The Thonburi Kingdom oversaw the rapid reunification and reestablishment of Siam as a preeminient military power within mainland Southeast Asia, overseeing the country's expansion to its greatest territorial extent up to that point in its history, incorporating Lan Na ,

13112-467: The common folk by partaking in public activities and traditional festivities, thereby abandoning the shroud of mysticism as adopted by many Ayutthaya monarchs. Also similar to Naresuan, Taksin was known for being a cruel and authoritarian monarch. Taksin reigned rather plainly, doing little to emphasize his new capital as the spiritual successor to Ayutthaya and adopted an existing wat besides his palace, Wat Jaeng (also spelled Wat Chaeng, later Wat Arun ), as

13261-410: The conception of the Phimai regime, the Siamese regional regime of the Northeast, under nominal leadership of Thepphiphit. Phra Phimai the chief minister of Thepphiphit decided to get rid of Luang Phaeng, his former ally who had been holding the city of Nakhon Ratchasima. In October 1767, Phra Phimai, along with his two sons Sa and Noi, visited Luang Phaeng at Nakhon Ratchasima with 500 men. Luang Phaeng

13410-538: The conduit to regularly transport Siamese monks to Sri Lanka. Weliwata Saranankara was appointed by Kirti Sri Rajasinha in 1753 as the Sangharaja or Buddhist Hierophant in Sri Lanka. Despite these religious achievements, the powerful native Sinhalese monks, led by Weliwata Saranankara himself, were contemptuous at the king's association with Hinduism. Thepphiphit arrived at Ceylon in 1759 in Buddhist monk robes on

13559-671: The death of his brother at the hands of Thepphiphit's son Prince Prayong. Luang Phaeng convinced Phra Phimai the governor of Phimai to retake Nakhon Ratchasima and to subjugate Thepphiphit. Only five days after Thepphiphit's victory that Thepphiphit found himself besieged in Nakhon Ratchasima by the forces from Phimai. Thepphiphit's defense lasted for four days when Nakhon Ratchasima fell to the Phimai forces in late September 1766. As Phra Phimai took control of Nakhon Ratchasima, Thepphiphit and his family suffered violent fates as Luang Phaeng exacted his vengence. Thepphiphit's two eldest surviving sons, Prince Prayong and Prince Dara, were killed along with

13708-477: The deceased Thepphiphit, was one of the palace ladies who volunteered to follow the king to death. Fortunately, a high-ranking palace lady invited some venerable Buddhist monks to successfully talk the king to abandon his suicide plan. Qing imperial court of Emperor Qianlong sent Zheng Rui (鄭瑞) to Hà Tiên in December 1768 to investigate about the fall of Ayutthaya. Zheng Rui brought reports and testimonies from Hà Tiên back to Guangzhou in July 1769, narrating

13857-513: The devastation of Central Siam by the Burmese invasion of 1775–1776, however, Siam was again plunged into another economic downturn. King Taksin ordered his high-ranking ministers to supervise the rice production in the outskirts of Thonburi and had to postpone tributary mission to China. During the Burmese Invasion of Ayutthaya, the elites of Ayutthaya found no way to protect their wealth and belongings other than by simply burying them in

14006-427: The dramatic account of Thai historical chronicles, Thepphiphit refused to kowtow before Taksin , taking the pride of an Ayutthayan prince. King Taksin reportedly said to Thepphiphit: " You lack merit and power. Anywhere you went, your supporters all died. If I spare you, there will be more of your admirers who would die for you. You should not live. You should die this time, so that there will be no more insurrections in

14155-440: The east to find a new position. Phraya Tak took journey from Ayutthaya to Nakhon Nayok and then proceeded down along the Bangpakong River to Eastern Siamese coastline. During his journey, Phraya Tak met and defeated a number of Burmese troops that had been occupying the area in the aftermath of the defeat of Thepphiphit's Eastern Siamese host. Phraya Tak eventually took position at Chanthaburi in June 1767. Ayutthaya fell to

14304-682: The face of Burmese invasion due to numerical inferiority of his forces. Chiang Mai was then abandoned and ceased to exist as a functional city for twenty years until it was restored in 1797. Lampang under Kawila stood as the main frontline citadel against subsequent Burmese incursions. Plan of King Hsinbyushin to invade Siam from two directions was foiled by the Mon Rebellion and the Siamese capture of Chiang Mai. Maha Thiha Thura, who had taken commanding position in Martaban, sent his vanguard force under Satpagyon Bo to invade Western Siam through

14453-475: The fall of Ayutthaya, Thepphiphit had entrenched himself in the Northeastern Siamese town of Phimai, leading his own regime with assistance from his chief minister Phra Phimai. In January 1767, three months before the fall of Ayutthaya, Phraya Tak or Zheng Xin (鄭信) the Ayutthayan military commander with Teochew Chinese ancestry, led his own forces to break through the Burmese encirclement to

14602-544: The first waning of the seventh month, Year 1131 of the Culāsakaraj Era (20 June 1769) by decapitations. Their limbs were amputated and their chests were sliced open. When Princess Ubon, daughter of Thepphiphit and a consort of King Taksin, was executed in June 1769, she was already two-month pregnant with Taksin. Taksin was so filled with guilt and remorse that he planned a suicide. Taksin asked if any of his subjects were loyal enough to follow him to death. Lady Sem, wife of

14751-405: The forces of Prince Prayong. Prince Prayong was able to seize Nakhon Ratchasima for his father Thepphiphit, who triumphantly entered the city. However, Luang Phaeng, brother of the murdered Chaophraya Nakhon Ratchasima, managed to flee to Phimai to the northeast of Nakhon Ratchasima. Thepphiphit's triumph in the Northeast was short-lived, however. Luang Phaeng was vengeful and determined to avenge

14900-500: The future king Anouvong , were deported to settle in Thonburi and various places in Central Siam . All three Lao kingdoms of Luang Phrabang, Vientiane and Champasak became the tributary kingdoms of Siam on this occasion. Taksin's ruling style differed from traditional Ayutthayan mystic kingship in the aspect that it was based on personal charisma and merits rather than exquisite grandeur. Initially, Taksin's energy in fighting

15049-422: The grounds. However, not all of them returned to claim their wealth as they either died or were deported to Burma. Surviving owners and other hunters rushed to dig for treasures in the grounds of the former royal city. This Ayutthaya treasure rush was so widespread and lucrative that the Thonburi court intervened to tax. Kromma Muen Thepphiphit Prince Kromma Muen Thepphiphit ( Thai : กรมหมื่นเทพพิพิธ )

15198-522: The half-brothers Ekkathat and Thepphiphit. The idea that Ekkathat's renegade half-brother and political enemy becoming a sovereign king of a foreign kingdom was unthinkable. Ekkathat did not allow any royal audiences with Huysvoorn. There were even rumors that the Dutch would soon attack Ayutthaya to put Thepphiphit on the Siamese throne, while Thepphiphit was still being grounded in Tenasserim. After many failed lobbies, Huysvoorn eventually left Ayutthaya empty-handed. Van Eck did not give up. In 1764, Van Eck

15347-548: The inferior rank of Kromma Muen . Prince Thammathibet , eldest son of Borommakot born to a principal queen, was made Wangna Prince of the Front Palace and heir presumptive to Borommakot in 1741. The princes maintained uneasy share of power during the reign of their father. The seven royal princes were divided into two political camps. The first faction composed of primary sons of Borommakot including Thammathibet, Ekkathat and Uthumphon. The second faction composed of

15496-587: The intervening Sino-Burmese War , Burma was obliged to divert most of its forces from Ayutthaya to the Chinese front. The Burmese had left a garrison at Phosamton to the north of Ayutthaya under the command of the Mon Thugyi. The Burmese were in control only in Lower Central Siam as the rest of Siam fell into the hands of various warlord regimes that sprang up. In the northeast, Prince Kromma Muen Thepphiphit established himself in Phimai . To

15645-481: The kingdom. " ( Thai : ตัวจ้าวหาบุญวาศนาบาระมีมิได้ ไปอยู่ที่ใดก็ภาพวกพ้องผู้คนที่นับถือพลอยพินาศฉิบหายที่นั่น ครั้นจะเลี้ยงจ้าวไว้ก็จภาคนที่หลงเชื่อถือบุญพลอยล้มตายเสียด้วยกัน จ้าวอย่าอยู่เลยจงตายเสียครั้งนี้ทีเดียวเถีด อย่าให้จุลาจลในแผ่นดินสืบไปข้างน่าอีกเลย ) Thepphiphit was eventually executed 4 December 1768, ending the life of the prince, who was the scion of the fallen Ayutthayan dynasty, who had ventured and explored many political scenarios and journeys, at around

15794-567: The local Lanna nobles. King Taksin marched against the Burmese-held Chiang Mai in 1771 but failed to take the city. In Chiang Mai, Thado Mindin faced opposition from Phaya Chaban Boonma, the native Lanna noble who led the resistance against Burmese domination. In 1772, King Hsinbyushin of the Burmese Konbaung dynasty realized that Siam had recovered and arose powerful under Thonburi regime. Hsinbyushin initiated

15943-503: The most prominent of Thepphiphit's officials. Thepphiphit's daughter, Princess Ubon, was forced to become a wife of Kaen, a henceman of Luang Phaeng. Thepphiphit's wife, Lady Sem, was also forced to become a wife of Yon, another henceman of Luang Phaeng. Younger sons of Thepphiphit were spared. Luang Phaeng contemplated the execution of Prince Thepphiphit himself but Phra Phimai insisted that Thepphiphit should be spared. Phra Phimai took Thepphiphit back to Phimai, where he kept Thepphiphit as

16092-479: The new king Taksin was to unify the regional regimes. Surviving princes of the fallen Ban Phlu Luang dynasty were undeniably obstacles to the new Thonburi regime of Taksin. Thepphiphit was then the most prominent surviving prince but there were two other princes – Prince Chao Sisang, a son of Prince Thammathibet the deceased crown prince and half-brother of Thepphiphit, took refuge in Cambodia and Prince Chao Chui,

16241-494: The new kingdom (Nakhon Si Thammarat, Lan Na), (the ruler of Nakhon Si Thammarat that Taksin defeated during the civil war was reinstated as its ruler) whose personal connections made them a formidable force within the Thonburi court. The Thonburi period saw the return of 'personal kingship', a style of ruling that was used by Naresuan but was abandoned by Naresuan's successors after his death. Taksin, similar to Naresuan, personally led armies into battle and often revealed himself to

16390-442: The new pro-Siamese King of Cambodia. With the Ayutthayan princes gone, the Qing court had improved attitudes towards Taksin.The Qing finally recognized Taksin as Wang (王) or King or the ruler of Siam in 1777 in the Chinese tributary system. After the Burmese conquest of Lanna (modern Northern Thailand ) in 1763, Lanna including Chiang Mai returned to the Burmese rule. Thado Mindin the Burmese governor of Chiang Mai oppressed

16539-530: The north in 1768 but was defeated at Koeichai with Taksin himself got shot at his leg. Thonburi went on to conquer the Phimai regime in the northeast in 1768 and the Nakhon Si Thammarat regime in October 1769. Prince Thepphiphit was executed but Nakhon Nu of Ligor was allowed to live in custody. In the north, Chao Phra Fang conquered and incorporated the Phitsanulok regime in 1768, becoming

16688-423: The north once and for all by conducting an expedition to seize the Burmese-held Chiang Mai in December 1774. This expedition to the north coincided with the Mon refugee situation. Phaya Chaban of Chiang Mai, upon learning of the Siamese invasion, joined with Kawila of Lampang to overthrow the Burmese. Phaya Chaban, under the guise of navigation, ran to submit to Taksin. King Taksin marched to Tak where he received

16837-596: The north, Chaophraya Phitsanulok Rueang made his base in Phitsanulok , while the heterodox monk Chao Phra Fang founded a theocratic regime in Sawangkhaburi . To the south, Phra Palat Nu or Chao Nakhon became the leader of Nakhon Si Thammarat (Ligor) regime. In October 1767, Phraya Tak left Chanthaburi and took his fleet of 5,000 men to the Chao Phraya . He took Thonburi and proceeded to attack

16986-467: The political struggle in the Northeast. After the fall of Ayutthaya, Burmese conqueror forces were obliged to depart for the Sino–Burmese war front in June 1767, leaving a small garrison in Ayutthaya under the Mon official named Thugyi or Suki to impose the low-scale, short-lived Burmese occupation in Lower Central Siam . The rest of the kingdom coalesced into many competing regional regimes, including

17135-402: The prime minister were the four ministers of Chatusadom . Like in Ayutthaya, the regional government was organized in the hierarchy of cities, in which smaller towns were under jurisdiction of larger cities. The provincial government was an association of local lords tied by personal ties to the king. The regional administrative center of Northern Siam was Phitsanulok, while for Southern Siam

17284-483: The principal temple of his kingdom. Taksin largely emphasized the building of moats and defensive walls in Thonburi, all while only building a modest Chinese-style residence and adding a pavilion to house the Emerald Buddha and Phra Bang images at Wat Jaeng, recently taken in 1778 from the Lao states ( Vientiane and Luang Prabang , respectively). After the Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, the Siamese mandala system

17433-527: The promise made to Uthumphon, Ekkathat would not execute Thepphiphit but rather exile him. Coincidentally, a Dutch ship happened to arrive in Ayutthaya to procure some Siamese Buddhist monks to Sri Lanka . Ekkathat then had Thepphiphit, still in Buddhist monk robes, along with his family, consorts and children, board on the Dutch ship across the Indian Ocean to be exiled to Ceylon or Sri Lanka in early 1759. Ascension of King Sri Vijaya Rajasinha , who

17582-411: The propasal to the king in 1757, in concert with other high-ranking ministers of Chatusadom , to make Uthumphon the new heir. Uthumphon, as the youngest son of Borommakot, did not aspire for kingship but Borommakot preferred Uthumphon over Ekkathat, citing that Ekkathat would be sure to bring disaster to the kingdom. Uthumphon finally consented to the demands of his father Borommakot, who made Uthumphon

17731-620: The renowned general from the Sino-Burmese War, to be the supreme commander of the new campaigns and assigned Nemyo Thihapate , the Burmese general who had previously conquered Ayutthaya in 1767, to be in charge of Burmese forces in Lanna. The Burmese forces from Chiang Mai attacked the Northern Siamese border towns of Sawankhalok in 1771 and Phichai in 1772-1773. Taksin was then resolved to extinguish Burmese threat from

17880-663: The royal revenue. Prominent royal merchants of King Taksin included Phra Aphaiwanit Ong Mua-seng (王満盛, a grandson of Ong Heng-Chuan 王興全 the Hokkien Chinese Phrakhlang of the Late Ayutthaya) and Phra Phichaiwari Lin Ngou (林伍). J. G. Koenig, the Danish botanist who visited Siam in 1779, observed that Siam "was amply provided with all sorts of articles from China" and that King Taksin made fortunes by "buying

18029-452: The ruler of Siam in Chinese tributary system because Mạc Thiên Tứ had told Beijing that the remaining descendants of the Ayutthayan dynasty were with him in Hà Tiên. In 1769, King Taksin urged the pro-Vietnamese King Ang Ton of Cambodia to send tributes to Siam. Ang Ton refused and Taksin sent armies to invade Cambodia in 1769 but did not meet with success. In 1771, Taksin resumed his campaigns to invade Cambodia and Hà Tiên in order to find

18178-472: The same age as his half-brother Ekkathat. Prince Thepphiphit, initially known as Prince Khaek, was a son of Prince Phon, who was the younger brother and Wangna or Uparat or heir presumptive to King Thaisa. He was born to an unnamed secondary consort of his father. According to the Chinese source, Thepphiphit's mother was of the Baitou race, suggesting Northern Thai or Lao ethnicity. Thepphiphit had

18327-453: The same year. This provoked Taksin who regarded Phra Vo as his subject. The death of Phra Vo at the hands of Vientiane served as the casus belli for Thonburi to initiate the subjugation of Lao kingdoms in 1778. He ordered Chaophraya Chakri to conduct the invasion of Laos. Chaophraya Chakri commanded his brother Chaophraya Surasi to go to Cambodia to raise troops there and invade Laos from another direction. Surasi led his Cambodian army to cross

18476-506: The scions of former dynasty. Only then the Qing finally recognized Taksin as the King of Siam in the Chinese tributary system in 1777. Even though Siam did not procure successful relation with China until 1777, trade in private sectors flourished. A Chinese document from 1776 suggested a rapid revival of Sino-Siamese trade after the Burmese war. King Taksin employed his own personal Chinese merchants to trade at Guangzhou to acquire wealth into

18625-441: The secondary princes including Chitsunthorn, Sunthornthep and Sepphakdi (Thepphiphit's brother), known collectively as Chao Sam Krom ( Thai : เจ้าสามกรม ) or the Three Princes. Thepphiphit, despite being a secondary prince, seemed to be aligned with the faction of the superior princes. Death of Chaophraya Chamnan Borirak the chief minister in 1753 allowed Prince Thammathibet the royal heir to assert his powers. Prince Thammathibet

18774-461: The sermon, in which the platform would collapse, the king would fall into the coffin and impaled to death by the spikes. Kirti Sri Rajasinha did not mount onto that sinister platform but instead stood to listen to the sermons and returned. Conspirators were soon arrested. Adigar Sammanakodi was executed, while the monk Weliwata Saranankara was imprisoned in Kehelella. Siamese monks were expelled to

18923-456: The situation became critical. Ong Boun secretly escaped Vientiane, leaving his son Nanthasen to surrender and open the city gates to the Siamese in 1779. Buddha images of Emerald Buddha and Phra Bang , the palladia of the Vientiane kingdom, were taken by the victorious Siamese to Thonburi to be placed at Wat Arun . Lao inhabitants of Vientiane, including members of royalty Nanthasen and

19072-421: The starving populace, earning him a great popularity. The rice commodity price in Thonburi period was high, reaching apex in 1770 at the price of three Chang per one Kwian of rice. Thonburi court purchased imported rice and distribute it to ease the famine crisis. The port city-state of Hà Tiên was the major rice exporter into Siam before 1771. Qing China and the Dutch were the main trading partners of Siam in

19221-420: The throne as King Rama I , founding the new and current-ruling Chakri dynasty of the Rattanakosin Kingdom in April 1782. Thonburi government organization was centered around a loose-knit organization of city-states, whose provincial lords were appointed through 'personal ties' to the king, similar to Ayutthaya and, later, Rattanakosin administrations. Thonburi inherited most of the government apparatus from

19370-522: The throne, Ekkathat found few supports in the royal court, most of whom supported Uthumphon. Ekkathat brought his two brother-in-laws Pin and Chim to power in Siamese royal court. Pin and Chim were given immense powers. They upset and insulted high-ranking Chatusadom ministers. Those ministers, including Chaophraya Aphairacha the chief minister and Phraya Yommaraj the police chief, conspired to overthrow Ekkathat in favor of Uthumphon. In December 1758, those conspirators visited Prince Thepphiphit, who had been

19519-481: The time of Burmese Invasion of 1765-1767 , Phraya Tak had been the governor of Tak and called to join the defense of Ayutthaya. In January 1767, about three months before the Fall of Ayutthaya, Phraya Tak gathered his own forces of 500 followers and broke through the Burmese encirclement to the east. After battling with Burmese scouting forces and some local resistances, Phraya Tak and his retinue settled in Rayong on

19668-480: The transfer of Lanna from Burmese rule to Siamese domination after 200 years of Lanna being under Burmese suzerainty, even though northern parts of Lanna including Chiang Saen would remain under Burmese rule for another thirty years until 1804. Phaya Chaban was rewarded with the governorship of Chiang Mai whereas Kawila was made the governor of Lampang. In 1777, the Burmese attacked Chiang Mai in their bid to reclaim Lanna. Phaya Chaban decided to evacuate Chiang Mai in

19817-458: The upcoming rebellion in exchange for Ekkathat sparing the lives of the conspirators. The conspiring ministers Aphairacha, Yommaraj and others were arrested, punished, whipped with rattan canes and improsoned for life but not executed. Thepphiphit himself fortified at Wat Krachom temple against Ekkathat. Thepphiphit's Chao Krom or Chief Servant managed to raise a number of supporters who vehemently and devotedly defended Thepphiphit. Ekkathat devised

19966-433: Was Nakhon Si Thammarat. After his conquest of Hua Mueang Nuea or Northern Siam in 1770, King Taksin installed his early followers who had distinguished themselves in battles as the governors of Northern Siamese cities. Governors of Sawankhalok , Nakhon Sawan and Sankhaburi were given exceptionally high rank of Chaophraya , while the central Chatusadom ministers were ranked lower as Phraya . Chaophraya Surasi Boonma

20115-553: Was a Siamese prince of the Ban Phlu Luang dynasty of the Ayutthaya kingdom . He is known for his colorful adventurous political career. Prince Thepphiphit led a failed rebellion in 1758 against his half-brother Ekkathat the last king of Ayutthaya. He was then exiled to Ceylon , which had been under the Kingdom of Kandy . In 1760, Sinhalese Sangha and nobility conspired to overthrow King Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy to place

20264-573: Was also able to seize control of Oudong and Cambodia. Both Mạc Thiên Tứ and the Cambodian king Ang Ton fled to Cochinchina under the protection from the Nguyen Lord. Taksin appointed Chen Lian as the new governor of Hà Tiên with the title of Phraya Rachasetthi. The Siamese armies continued in search for Mạc Thiên Tứ and Ang Ton but were defeated by Vietnamese forces at Châu Đốc . Taksin put Ang Non in power in Cambodia with himself returning to Thonburi in December 1771, leaving Chen Lian in Hà Tiên and Phraya Yommaraj to be in charge in Cambodia. Prince Chui

20413-559: Was assured and Siam was unified at last. In the eighteenth century, the port city of Hà Tiên , ruled by the Cantonese Mạc Thiên Tứ , arose to become the economic center of the Gulf of Siam . After the fall of Ayutthaya, two Ayutthayan princes: Prince Chao Sisang and Prince Chao Chui, took refuge at Oudong the royal city of Cambodia and Hà Tiên, respectively. The Qing Chinese court at Beijing refused to recognize King Taksin as

20562-500: Was captured and brought to be executed at Thonburi, while Prince Sisang died in 1772. The Nguyen Lord Nguyễn Phúc Thuần organized the Vietnamese counter-offensives in order to restore Mạc Thiên Tứ and Ang Ton to their former positions. Chen Lian, the Siam-appointed governor of Hà Tiên, was defeated and left Hà Tiên for three days until he managed to raise a fleet to retake the city. The Vietnamese commander Nguyễn Cửu Đàm led

20711-556: Was given the Krom title Kromma Muen Thepphiphit ( Thai : กรมหมื่นเทพพิพิธ ), while his brother Prince Pan became Kromma Muen Sepphakdi ( Thai : กรมหมื่นเสพภักดี ). Borommakot's sons were also ranked according to the status of their mothers. Thammathibet, Ekkathat and Uthumphon , who were born to Borommakot's two main queens, were given the superior rank of Kromma Khun . Other sons of Borommakot who were born to his secondary consorts, including Thepphiphit and his brother Sepphakdi, were given

20860-486: Was in disarray and its former tributary states faced political uncertainties. The Malay sultanates that used to pay bunga mas tributes to Ayutthaya initially nullified their tributary ties and refused any further allegiance. After the establishment of Thonburi and the momentous rebirth of Siam, the sultanates of Pattani , Terengganu and possibly Kedah sent tributes to Thonburi in 1769. Francis Light mentioned that Kedah had sent tributes to Siam but did not specify

21009-502: Was known as Khaektao (" parakeet ") or Prince Phra Ong Chao Khaek ( Thai : พระองค์เจ้าแขก ) of the Phra Ong Chao rank. The Chinese source stated that Thepphiphit was an elder half-brother of Ekkathat , who was also born in 1718, while in Thai chronicles the order of the princes was given as Prince Thammathibet coming as the first one, Ekkathat as the second one and Thepphiphit as the third one. Thepphiphit should be nearly

21158-484: Was later found having adulterous relationship with a consort of his father Borommakot and was also found yearning for a sedition. Prince Thammathibet was whipped with rattan cane strokes and died from injuries in April 1756. Death of Prince Thammathibet in 1756 left the position of royal heir vacant. It was this time that Prince Thepphiphit made his first political move. King Borommakot disfavored his second son Ekkathat for his supposed incompetency. Thepphiphit then led

21307-524: Was of Southern Indian Telugu Nayakkar origin, to the Sinhalese throne of Kandy in 1739, with the support of his mentor the Sinhalese Buddhist monk Weliwata Sri Saranankara , began the rule of Madurai Nayak dynasty over Ceylon. The Nayaks of South India were practitioners of Shaivite Hinduism rather than Sinhalese Theravada Buddhism . In the aftermath of repeated Portuguese and Dutch incursions, Theravada Buddhism in Ceylon had been in

21456-447: Was the Burmese who marched out from Ayutthaya to attack and defeat Thepphiphit's Eastern Siamese army at Paknam Yothaka. Muen Kao and Muen Si Nawa were killed in battle against the Burmese while Thongyu Noklek fled. Thepphiphit's force at Paknam Yothaka was eventually dispersed by the Burmese. Thepphiphit, his family and Phraya Rattanathibet, upon learning about the fall of his stockade at Paknam Yothaka, left Prachinburi to take refuge at

21605-401: Was the governor of Phitsanulok during Thonburi times. Phitsanulok and other Northern Siamese towns were devastated by Maha Thiha Thura's invasion in 1775–1776. After his conquest of the Ligor regime in 1769, Taksin made his nephew Prince Nara Suriyawong the ruler of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Prince Nara Suriyawong of Ligor died in 1776 and King Taksin made Chaophraya Nakhon Nu , the former leader of

21754-405: Was then captured and deported to Thonburi , where he was eventually executed in November 1768. Very few native Siamese records about the early life of Prince Thepphiphit survive. A Chinese source stated that, at his death in 1768, Prince Thepphiphit was around fifty years old so he should be born around 1718, in the reign of his uncle King Thaisa of Ayutthaya. Prince Thepphiphit, at his birth,

21903-503: Was totally unsuspicious about his friend Phra Phimai as they enjoyed watching traditional performance together. Phra Phimai rose up to slash Luang Phaeng down to death with his sword. Sa and Noi, sons of Phra Phimai, also slashed Kaen and Yon, two hencemen of Luang Phaeng, to death with their swords. Bloodshed followed in Nakhon Ratchasima until Phra Phimai managed to seize power in the city on behalf of Thepphiphit. Phra Phimai also assigned his son Noi to govern Nakhon Ratchasima. By 1768, after

22052-608: Was unsure about the political allegiance of Chaophraya Nakhon Ratchasima so he sent his officials to bring gifts to the governor. It turned out that Chaophraya Nakhon Ratchasima was an enemy of Thepphiphit when a minor official from the city came out to tell Thepphiphit that the governor had a plan to send 500 Cambodian men to arrest Thepphiphit for Ekkathat . Realizing that he would find no allies there, Thepphiphit planned to flee further but his son Prince Momchao Prayong ( Thai : หม่อมเจ้าประยงค์ ) urged his father Thepphiphit to stay and compete for power. Prince Prayong managed to gather

22201-449: Was untenable. He ordered the withdrawal of Siamese troops from Cambodia and Hà Tiên in 1773 but not before 10,000 Cambodians were taken as captives to Siam. Ang Ton resumed his rule in Cambodia. With the Vietnamese support dwindling due to the Tây Sơn uprising, however, Ang Ton decided to reconcile with his rival Ang Non and with Siam. Ang Ton abdicated in 1775 in favor of Ang Non, who became

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