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143-486: The fortifications of Bangkok consist of several series of defensive structures built to protect the city during the late Ayutthaya to early Rattanakosin periods. The earliest structures were built when Bangkok was an outpost of Ayutthaya guarding entry to the Chao Phraya River during the 15th–16th centuries. These were reinforced when the city became the site of the short-lived capital of Thonburi after

286-413: A Buddhist monk ( ordination name Vajirayan ; Pali Vajirañāṇo ), following a Siamese tradition that men aged 20 should become monks for a time. The same year, his father died. By tradition, Mongkut should have been crowned the next king, but the nobility instead chose the older, more influential and experienced Prince Chetsadabodin (Nangklao), son of a royal concubine rather than a queen. Perceiving

429-493: 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

572-461: A British delegate, even praised him as "our own king", and showed his support of him as a new king of Siam. Having been celibate for 27 years, he now set about building the biggest royal family of the Chakri dynasty . Inside the palace there was a large number of women—reports say three thousand or more. They were mostly servants, guards, officials, maids and so on, but Mongkut acquired 32 wives, and by

715-620: 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

858-467: A decades-long struggle against eviction by the BMA, which intends to develop the area as a public park. Although agreements had been made in the 2000s to preserve and develop the neighbourhood as a living museum, the deals later broke down, and the BMA began demolishing houses whose owners accepted compensation in 2016. Other residents are still resisting eviction as of 2017, and there are still hopes that some of

1001-458: 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

1144-697: 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

1287-534: A height of 19 metres (62 ft), measured to the roof of the octagonal tower. Mahakan Fort has rectangular battlements on both its lower and upper levels, while the connected 180-metre (590 ft)-long section of the city walls features sema -shaped battlements. The fort and walls were also restored in 1981 for the city's bicentennial. Near Mahakan Fort, between the city wall and the canal, lies an old community whose wooden houses serve as an example of historic vernacular architecture. The community has been engaged in

1430-720: A herd of war elephants to the US president Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War for use against the Confederacy . He did, however, offer to send some domesticated elephants to US president James Buchanan , to use as beasts of burden and means of transportation. The royal letter of 14 February 1861, which was written before the Civil War had even started, took some time to arrive in Washington DC, and by

1573-579: 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

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1716-425: 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

1859-521: 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

2002-502: 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

2145-414: A pole installed at the fort. Today, only a small section of the fort remains (an estimated area of 852 square metres (9,170 sq ft) out of the original 10,233 square metres (110,150 sq ft)). While official requests to scrap the fort for materials were documented as early as 1907, these were initially rejected, and it is unknown when the partial demolition took place. The site remains under

2288-414: 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

2431-628: 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

2574-433: A public park and the fort exhibition. Another section of the city wall, 40 metres (130 ft) in length, along with a tower gate, remains in front of Wat Bowonniwet ( 13°45′36″N 100°30′06″E  /  13.76000°N 100.50167°E  / 13.76000; 100.50167 ). The wall here is 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) thick and 6 metres (20 ft) high. Also featuring sema -shaped battlements, steps beside

2717-639: A recommendation by Tan Kim Ching in Singapore , the court hired an English woman named Anna Leonowens, whose influence was later the subject of great Thai controversy. It is still debated how much this affected the worldview of one of his sons, Prince Chulalongkorn , who succeeded to the throne. Around 1870, Leonowens wrote a memoir of her time as teacher, “ The English Governess at the Siamese Court .” Author Margaret Langdon took this work, and interviews with Leonowens' descendants, to fill out and create

2860-522: A result, the administrative power of Siam rested largely in the hands of the two Bunnags, Dit and Tat. Upon his coronation , Mongkut married his first wife, Queen Somanass . However, Queen Somanass died in the same year. He then married his half-grandniece, Mom Chao Rampoei Siriwongse, later Queen Debsirindra . In 1849, there were upheavals in the Shan State of Kengtung and Chiang Hung kingdom in response to weakened Burmese influence. However,

3003-651: 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

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3146-445: 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

3289-721: 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,

3432-736: 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

3575-544: Is said that his younger brother, Viceroy Pinklao , could speak it even better. Mongkut's first son and heir, Chulalongkorn , granted the Thammayut sect royal recognition in 1902 through the Ecclesiastical Polity Act; it became one of the two major Buddhist denominations in modern Thailand. Chulalongkorn also persuaded his father's 47th child, Vajirañana , to enter the order and he rose to become

3718-565: Is situated on the west bank of the river, today in Khlong San District ( 13°43′51″N 100°30′34″E  /  13.73083°N 100.50944°E  / 13.73083; 100.50944 ). It guarded the river together with the opposite Pit Patchanuek Fort, and fired gun salutes welcoming royal envoys during the time of King Mongkut. During King Chulalongkorn's reign, the Marine Department began flying signal flags from

3861-683: Is still in military use. Wichaiprasit Fort, the oldest, is now owned by the Royal Thai Navy . Phra Sumen Fort and Mahakan Fort are under the care of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), and part of Pong Patchamit Fort is preserved behind the Khlong San District Office. In addition, a section of the city wall is preserved in front of Wat Bowonniwet, and another section remains connected to Mahakan Fort. These structures, as well as

4004-434: Is the easternmost fort of Rattanakosin's walls, now situated next to Phan Fa Lilat Bridge of Ratchadamnoen Avenue and the junction of Khlong Maha Nak (the beginning of Saen Saep Canal ) and Khlong Rop Krung ( 13°45′20″N 100°30′20″E  /  13.75556°N 100.50556°E  / 13.75556; 100.50556 ). The fort, also octagonal in shape and in three levels, has a diameter of 38 metres (125 ft) and

4147-417: The sema -shaped battlements of the upper level. The fort has rectangular battlements on the lower level, and is topped by a roofed heptagonal tower, which collapsed sometime during the reigns of kings Rama V to Rama VII and was rebuilt in 1981 to celebrate the bicentennial of the city's foundation. The surrounding area was subsequently developed into Santichaiprakan Park , which opened in 2000. Mahakan Fort

4290-400: 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)

4433-608: 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,

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4576-538: The Qing dynasty court, as the mission symbolised Siam's subjection to the Qing emperors and because the Qing dynasty was then not so powerful as it had once been, as it was itself threatened by Western powers. In 1854, John Bowring , the governor of Hong Kong in the name of Queen Victoria , came to Siam to negotiate a treaty. For the first time Siam had to deal seriously with international laws. Prayurawongse negotiated on

4719-469: 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

4862-645: 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

5005-560: The 10th Supreme Patriarch of Thailand from 1910 to 1921. Accounts vary about Nangklao's intentions regarding the succession. It is recorded that Nangklao verbally dismissed the royal princes from succession for various reasons; Prince Mongkut was dismissed for encouraging monks to dress in the Mon style. Prince Mongkut was supported by the pro-British Dit Bunnag who was the Samuha Kalahom , or Armed Force Department's president, and

5148-465: 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

5291-491: 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

5434-420: 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

5577-675: The British governor of the Straits Settlements from Singapore , was among those who were invited. King Mongkut predicted the solar eclipse, at (in his own words) "East Greenwich longitude 99 degrees 42' and latitude North 11 degrees 39'." King Mongkut's calculations proved accurate. When he made calculations on the Wakor solar eclipse that was to occur, he used the Thai system of measuring time ("mong" and "baht"), but he implemented

5720-640: 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

5863-571: 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

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6006-500: 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

6149-490: The Chao Phraya, Bangkok (then located on the west bank of the river) was protected by city walls. A pair of forts were located at the confluence of the old river channel and the new main channel excavated around 1538, straddling the new channel. Western maps of the late 17th century show the city wall in a rectangular shape, with the western fort as a cavalier raised over the southeast corner. Two smaller bastions protected

6292-425: 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

6435-557: 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

6578-591: The King that the American climate might not be suitable for elephants and that American steam engines could also be used as beasts of burden and means of transportation. A century later, during his state visit to the US, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who was Mongkut's great-grandson, referred to this event in his address before the US Congress on 29 June 1960. He said, "my great-grandfather offered to send

6721-639: 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

6864-534: The Navy's headquarters after the academy relocated in 1946. A gaff-rigged flagpole was erected in 1971, and has since been used to fly the Naval Ensign. The fort has been used ceremonially for the firing of gun salutes since 1979, when Memorial Bridge was permanently lowered, preventing warships from sailing upriver to perform the task. Phra Sumen Fort is the northernmost of Rattanakosin's original forts, located at

7007-478: 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

7150-536: The President and Congress elephants to be turned loose in the uncultivated land of America for breeding purposes. That offer was made with no other objective than to provide a friend with what he lacks, in the same spirit in which the American aid program is likewise offered." The asteroid 151834 Mongkut is named in honour of the King and his contributions to astronomy and the modernization of Siam. The main hospital of Phetchaburi province, Phrachomklao Hospital ,

7293-475: The Thai government and people considered them to be lèse majesté . To clarify the historical record, well-known Thai intellectuals Seni and Kukrit Pramoj in 1948 wrote The King of Siam Speaks . The Pramoj brothers sent their manuscript to the American politician and diplomat Abbot Low Moffat (1901–1996), who drew on it for his 1961 biography, Mongkut the King of Siam . Moffat donated the Pramoj manuscript to

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7436-418: The Thammayut sect as a rightful branch of Theravada. Mongkut also improved women's rights in Siam. He released a large number of royal concubines to find their own husbands, in contrast to how his story has been dramatized. He banned forced marriages of all kinds and the selling of one's wife to pay off a debt. In contrast to the previous king, Nangklao, Mongkut didn't see the importance of sending envoys to

7579-670: The United States Library of Congress in 1961. Anna claimed that her conversations with Prince Chulalongkorn about human freedom, and her relating to him the story of Uncle Tom's Cabin , became the inspiration for his abolition of slavery almost 40 years later. Slavery in Thailand was sometimes a voluntary alternative for individuals to be rid of social and financial obligations. One could be punished for torturing slaves in Siam, and some slaves could buy their freedom. Some western scholars and observers have expressed

7722-535: The Western method of longitude and latitude when he determined where on Earth the eclipse would best be viewed. Upon returning from his journey to Wakor, he condemned the court astrologers "for their...stupid statements because of their negligence of his detailed prediction and their inattention to measurement and calculation by modern instruments." During the expedition, King Mongkut and Prince Chulalongkorn were infected with malaria . The king died six weeks later in

7865-590: 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

8008-479: The arrival of American missionaries, but the debate about Earth's shape remained an issue for Siamese intellectuals throughout the 1800s. During his reign, Mongkut urged his royal relatives to have "a European-style education." The missionaries, as teachers, taught modern geography and astronomy, among other subjects. Six years after Mongkut's death, the first Thai-language geography book was published in 1874, called Phumanithet by J.W. Van Dyke. However, geography

8151-649: The authority of the Marine Department, while the Khlong San District Office building now occupies part of the fort's former area. Ayutthaya Kingdom 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

8294-531: The behalf of the Siamese. The result was the Bowring Treaty between the two nations. The main principle of the treaty was to abolish the Royal Storage (พระคลังสินค้า), which since Ayutthaya 's times held the monopoly on foreign trade. The Royal Storage had been the source of Ayutthaya's prosperity as it collected immense taxation on foreign traders, including the taxation according to the width of

8437-530: 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

8580-569: The buildings will be preserved. As of April 2018, all remaining residents have been evicted, and plans are underway to tear the remaining buildings down. However, the Mahakan Fort Community’s Facebook page has announced an initiative to create an online database about the Mahakan Fort community, and is crowdsourcing information about the site. In July 2018, BMA was completely developed surrounding area of Mahakan Fort to become

8723-579: The canals that formed the city moats, are listed as registered ancient monuments . Wichaiprasit Fort ( 13°44′32″N 100°29′27″E  /  13.74222°N 100.49083°E  / 13.74222; 100.49083 ) is now part of the Royal Thai Navy Headquarters . The fort, along with the royal palace of Thonburi, had been given for the establishment of the Royal Thai Naval Academy in 1903, and became home to

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8866-401: 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

9009-566: The capital, and was succeeded by his son, who survived malaria. It has been argued that the assimilation of Western geography and astronomy into 19th-century Siam "proved that Siam equalled the West in terms of knowledge, and therefore the imperialists ' claim that Siam was uncivilized and had to be colonized was unreasonable." This suggests that the Western form of these sciences may have saved Siam from actually being colonized by Western powers. Contrary to popular belief, King Mongkut did not offer

9152-498: 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

9295-553: The city in the royal temple of Wat Phra Kaew . Rama I's fortifications were built to address traditional defence concerns, especially the lingering threat of a Burmese invasion that continued on for several decades. However, they never came into actual military use, as the Burmese threat ended following the Anglo-Burmese Wars and Britain's colonization of Burma. By the mid-19th century, Rattanakosin's walled city had become overcrowded, and King Mongkut (Rama IV) ordered

9438-702: The competition eventually resulted in the lands ending up in the hands of nobility. The Bowring Treaty also had a legal impact. Due to the horror of the Nakorn Bala methods of torture in judicial proceedings, the British requested not to be tried under the Siamese system, securing a grant of extraterritoriality ; British subjects in Siam were therefore subject only to British law, while the Siamese in Britain enjoyed no reciprocal privilege. More treaties were then made with other powers, further undermining national revenue and legal rights. The Bowring treaty proved to be

9581-419: The construction of Phadung Krung Kasem Canal in order to expand the city limits. Eight new forts were built in 1852 to guard the new boundary: seven along the canal, and one on the opposite bank of the river to the canal's mouth. Defensive walls, outdated by then, were no longer built. The eight new forts received rhyming names. From south to north, they are: Bangkok underwent rapid modernization beginning in

9724-783: 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"

9867-450: 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

10010-406: The economic and social revolution of Siam. Mongkut's reign saw immense commercial activities in Siam for the first time, which led to the introduction of coinage in 1860. The first industries in Siam were rice milling and sugar production. Infrastructure was improved; there was a great deal of paving of roads and canal digging—for transport and water reservoirs for plantations. In 1862, following

10153-507: 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

10296-477: The fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. New walls and forts were built when the city of Rattanakosin replaced Thonburi in 1782, which were mostly removed and replaced in the second half of the 19th century in order to accommodate the expanding city. Today, four of the city's defensive forts remain, along with two short sections of the Rattanakosin city wall and one of the city gates. As an important outpost guarding

10439-535: The galleon and the tithe. Western products had to go through a series of tax barriers to reach Siamese people. The Europeans had been attempting to undo this monopoly for a long time but no serious measures had been taken. For Siamese people, trading with foreigners subjected them to severe punishment by the government. The taxation was partially reduced in the Burney Treaty . However, in the world of nineteenth-century liberalism , government control over trade

10582-471: The gate provided access to the top of the wall. The gate's 12-metre (39 ft) pointed roof, which had earlier collapsed, was rebuilt in 1981 using photographic evidence from the reign of King Rama V. Pong Patchamit Fort is the only remaining of those built in 1852–1854 to guard Phadung Krung Kasem Canal. In contrast to the earlier forts which were towers in the city wall, these were large star-shaped forts similar to those of Western design. Pong Patchamit Fort

10725-459: 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". Mongkut Mongkut ( Thai : มงกุฏ ; 18 October 1804 – 1 October 1868) was the fourth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty , titled Rama IV . He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai

10868-601: 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

11011-664: 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

11154-424: 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

11297-470: 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

11440-473: The late 19th century, and by the 1920s most of the city's original forts and walls had been demolished to make way for the construction of roads and buildings. During the reign of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII, 1925–1935), the Royal Society resolved to preserve the two remaining original forts, Phra Sumen and Mahakan, for their historical value. Today, Four of Bangkok's defensive forts remain, one of which

11583-511: 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

11726-711: 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

11869-402: 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

12012-646: The monastic rules of discipline, the vinaya . Vajirayan admired Buddhawangso for his obedience to the vinaya, and was inspired to pursue religious reforms. In 1835, he began a reform movement reinforcing the vinaya law that evolved into the Dhammayuttika Nikaya , or Dhammayut sect. A strong theme in Mongkut's movement was that, "…true Buddhism was supposed to refrain from worldly matters and confine itself to spiritual and moral affairs". Mongkut eventually came to power in 1851, as did his colleagues who had

12155-605: The more fictionalized account, Anna and the King of Siam , in 1944, which was adapted for films and a musical. Her story would become the inspiration for the Hollywood movies Anna and the King of Siam and Anna and the King as well as the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I and its subsequent film adaptation , which, because of their fictionalized historical references and perceived disrespectful treatment of King Mongkut, were initially banned in Thailand as

12298-601: 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,

12441-432: The most powerful noble during the reign of Rama III. He also had the support of British merchants who feared the growing anti-Western sentiment of the previous monarch and saw the 'prince monk' Mongkut as the 'champion' of European influence among the royal elite. Bunnag, with the supporting promise of British agents, sent his men to the leaving-from-monk-status ceremony for Prince Mongkut even before Nangklao's death. With

12584-450: The mouth of Khlong Rop Krung (the moat) where it meets the river, today the corner of Phra Sumen and Phra Athit roads ( 13°45′50″N 100°29′45″E  /  13.76389°N 100.49583°E  / 13.76389; 100.49583 ). The octagonal fort is built of masonry on a 2-metre (6 ft 7 in)-deep spread footing foundation. It is 45 metres (148 ft) in diameter, and has a height of 10.5 metres (34 ft) measured to top of

12727-519: 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

12870-536: 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

13013-491: 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

13156-533: The northwest and southwest corners. Around 1685–1687, the French-oriented King Narai commissioned the construction of Western-style bastion forts to replace them. Construction was overseen by French engineer de la Mare, but only the eastern fort had been completed when resentment of the French's growing influence led to the Siamese revolution of 1688 . The French garrison holding the fort

13299-421: 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,

13442-458: The old river channel), and had a moat dug to protect the city's western flank. The city was also extended to the eastern bank, with a moat also creating an island on the eastern side. The city walls were rebuilt along the newly created moats. The old fort on the western bank of the river was renamed Wichaiprasit ( Thai : ป้อมวิไชยประสิทธิ์ ), and became part of the Thonburi royal palace . Taksin

13585-513: 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

13728-401: The opinion that Siamese slaves were treated better than English servants. During his monkhood, Mongkut studied both indigenous astrology and English texts on Western astronomy and mathematics, hence developing his skills in astronomical measurement. One way that he honed his mastery of astronomy, aside from the accurate prediction of the solar eclipse of 18 August 1868 (Wakor solar eclipse),

13871-433: 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

14014-604: 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

14157-489: The power of the House of Bunnag reached its zenith: It became the most powerful noble family of Siam. Mongkut is known in the West primarily through the lens of the 1951 musical The King and I and its 1956 film adaptation . Mongkut ( มงกุฎ , literal meaning: crown ) was the second son of Prince Itsarasunthon , son of Phutthayotfa Chulalok , the first Chakri king of Siam (King Rama I ) and Princess Bunrot . Mongkut

14300-564: The pressure of Western expansionism during Mongkut's reign. Mongkut embraced Western innovations and initiated the modernization of his country, both in technology and culture—earning him the nickname "The Father of Science and Technology" in Siam. Mongkut was also known for appointing his younger brother, Prince Chutamani, as Second King , crowned in 1851 as King Pinklao . Mongkut told the country that Pinklao should be respected with equal honor to himself (as King Naresuan had done with his brother Ekathotsarot in 1583). During Mongkut's reign,

14443-485: The printing system and then resumed the publishing of Siam's first newspaper, the Bangkok Recorder . However, the missionaries were not as successful when it came to making religious conversions. In 1852, he ordered the nobles of the court to wear upper garments. Previously, Siamese nobles were forbidden to wear any shirts to prevent them from hiding any weapons in it and met the king bare-chested. The practice

14586-504: 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

14729-458: The resources of the Siamese army ran out and the army had to retreat. Accompanying the influx of Western visitors to Siam was the notion of a round earth. By many Siamese, this was difficult to accept, particularly by religious standards, because Buddhist scripture described the earth as being flat . The Traiphum , which was a geo-astrological map created before the arrival of Westerners, described "…a path between two mountain ranges through which

14872-508: 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,

15015-472: The ruins of Ayutthaya's fortifications. Rama I's city walls measured 7.2 kilometres (4.5 mi) in length, encircling an area of 2,589 rai (4.142 km; 1.599 sq mi). Fourteen defensive forts were built along the walls, and 63 gates provided access to the walled city. Each of the forts was named, and are as follows (from northernmost, in clockwise fashion): Of the 63 city gates, 16 were tower gates with pointed roofs. The rest were simple doors in

15158-610: The same progressive mission. From that point on, Siam more quickly embraced modernization. Vajirayan initiated two major revolutionary changes. Firstly, he embraced modern geography, among other sciences considered "Western". Secondly, he sought reform in Buddhism and, as a result, a new sect was created in Siamese Theravada Buddhism. Both revolutions challenged the purity and validity of the Buddhist order as it

15301-462: 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

15444-491: 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

15587-465: The stars, planets, moon and sun pass." Religious scholars usually concluded that Buddhist scriptures "…were meant to be taken literally only when it came to matters of spiritual truth; details of natural science are revealed figuratively and allegorically." Mongkut claimed to have abandoned the Traiphum cosmology before 1836. He claimed that he already knew of the round state of earth 15 years before

15730-428: The support of powerful nobility and Britain, Mongkut's ascension to the throne was ensured. After his twenty-seven years of monastic life, King Mongkut voluntarily defrocked and ascended the throne in 1851, aged 47. He took the name Phra Chom Klao , although foreigners continued to call him King Mongkut. The king was well known among the foreigners, particularly some British officers, as pro-British. Sir James Brooke ,

15873-510: 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

16016-501: The throne was irredeemable and to avoid political intrigues, Mongkut retained his monastic status. Vajirayan became one of the few members of the royal family who devoted his life to religion. He travelled around the country as a monk and saw the relaxation of the rules of the Pali Canon among the Siamese monks he met, which he considered inappropriate. In 1829, at Phetchaburi , he met a monk named Buddhawangso, who strictly followed

16159-529: 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

16302-474: The time he died, aged 64, he had 82 children. His awareness of possibility of an outbreak of war with the European powers led him to institute many innovative activities. He ordered the nobility to wear shirts while attending his court; this was to show that Siam was a "modern" nation from the Western point of view. However, Mongkut's own astrological calculations pointed out that his brother, Prince Isaret,

16445-520: The time it reached its destination, President Buchanan was no longer in office. Lincoln, who succeeded Buchanan, is said to have been asked what the elephants could be used for, and in reply he said that he did not know, unless "they were used to stamp out the rebellion." However, in his reply dated 3 February 1862, Lincoln did not mention anything about the Civil War. The President merely politely declined to accept King Mongkut's proposal, explaining to

16588-476: The two became close friends, and Vajirayan invited Pallegoix to preach Christian sermons in the wat. Vajirayan admired Christian morals and achievements as presented by the vicar, but could make nothing of Christian doctrine. It was then that he made the comment later attributed to him as king: "What you teach people to do is admirable, but what you teach them to believe is foolish." King Mongkut would later be noted for his excellent command of English, although it

16731-492: The two states then fought each other and Chiang Hung sought Siamese support. Nangklao saw this as an opportunity to gain control over Shan states but he died in 1851 before this plan was realized. In 1852, Chiang Hung submitted the request again. Mongkut sent Siamese troops northwards but the armies were turned aside by the mountainous highlands. In 1855 the Siamese marched again and reached Kengtung—though with even greater difficulty. They laid siege on Kengtung for 21 days. However,

16874-455: 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),

17017-475: The wall. All the gates bore enchantments warding off evil spirits, except for the gate known as Pratu Phi ( ประตูผี , "Ghost Gate"), which was used to transport dead bodies out of the city. The Ghost Gate was left unenchanted in order to allow the spirits of the dead to pass. To prevent evil spirits entering, it was situated in the direct line of sight of the Emerald Buddha , enshrined on the other side of

17160-457: Was Phra Poramenthra Ramathibodhi Srisindra Maha Mongkut Phra Chomklao Chao Yu Hua Phra Sayam Thewa Maha Makut Witthaya Maharat (พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรเมนทรรามาธิบดีศรีสินทรมหามงกุฎ พระจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว พระสยามเทวมหามกุฏวิทยมหาราช). The reign of Mongkut was marked by significant modernization initiatives and diplomatic engagements, which played pivotal roles in shaping Thailand's trajectory towards progress and international relations. Siam first felt

17303-484: Was besieged by Siamese troops for four months before being allowed to retreat, and the fort was subsequently demolished during the reign of Phetracha , who usurped the throne. Following the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, the newly declared King Taksin established his capital at the site of Bangkok, to be known as the Thonburi Kingdom. He extended the city proper northward as far as Bangkok Noi Canal (part of

17446-475: 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

17589-509: 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

17732-604: Was as well-favored as himself to be the monarch. So, Mongkut then crowned his brother as King Pinklao, the second king. As a prince, Pinklao was known for his abilities in foreign languages and relations. Mongkut also raised his supporter Dit Bunnag to Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawongse ( Somdet Chao Phraya was the highest rank of nobility on a par with royalty) and made him his regent kingdom-wide. Mongkut also appointed Dit Bunnag's brother, Tat Bunnag, as Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Pichaiyat, as his regent in Bangkok. As

17875-624: Was born in the Old (Thonburi) Palace in 1804, where the first son had died shortly after birth in 1801. He was followed by Prince Chutamani ( เจ้าฟ้าจุฑามณี ) in 1808. In 1809, Prince Itsarasunthon was crowned as Phutthaloetla Naphalai (later styled King Rama II.) The royal family then moved to the Grand Palace . Thenceforth, until their own accessions as kings, the brothers ( เจ้าฟ้า chaofa ) were called Chao Fa Yai ( เจ้าฟ้าใหญ่ ) and Chao Fa Noi ( เจ้าฟ้าน้อย ). In 1824, Mongkut became

18018-486: Was changing the official Buddhist calendar, "which was seriously miscalculated and the times for auspicious moments were incorrect." In 1868, he invited high-ranking European and Siamese officials to accompany him to Wakor village in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province , south of Hua Hin , where the solar eclipse that was to occur on 18 August could be best viewed as a total eclipse. Sir Harry Ord ,

18161-524: Was criticized by Westerners and so Mongkut ended it. However, Mongkut did not abandon the traditional culture of Siam. For Buddhism, Mongkut pioneered the rehabilitation of various temples. He also began the Magha Puja (มาฆบูชา) festival in the full moon of the third lunar month, to celebrate Buddha's announcement of his main principles. He instigated the recompilation of Tripitaka in Siam according to Theravada traditions. He also formally established

18304-414: 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

18447-547: 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

18590-453: 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

18733-422: 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

18876-492: 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

19019-592: 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

19162-464: 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

19305-438: 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

19448-452: 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

19591-531: 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

19734-597: Was only taught in select schools, mainly those that were run by American missionaries with English programs for upper secondary students. Thongchai Winichakul argues that Mongkut's efforts to popularize Western geography helped bring reform to education in Siam. 1852 saw an influx of English and American missionaries into Siam as Mongkut hired them to teach the English language to the princes. He also hired Western mercenaries to train Siamese troops in Western style. In Bangkok, American Dan Beach Bradley had already reformed

19877-473: Was overthrown in 1782, and the new King Phutthayotfa Chulalok ( Rama I ) reestablished the capital as Rattanakosin, moving the city proper to the river's eastern bank. He had new outer moats dug, creating what is now known as Rattanakosin Island . He had the new fortifications rebuilt along these new boundaries, using materials salvaged from Taksin's old city walls and the ruins of King Narai's old fort, as well as

20020-490: Was practiced in Siam at the time. In 1836, Vajirayan arrived at Wat Bowonniwet in what is now Bangkok's central district , but was then the city proper, and became the wat's first abbot ( เจ้าอาวาส ). During this time, he pursued a Western education, studying Latin, English, and astronomy with missionaries and sailors. Vicar Pallegoix of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangkok lived nearby;

20163-464: 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

20306-417: Was swiftly disappearing. The abolition of such trade barriers replaced the previous system of Siamese commerce with free trade . Import taxation was reduced to 3% and could only be collected once. This was a blow to national revenue. However, this led to dramatic growth of commercial sectors as common people gained access to foreign trade. People rushed to acquire vast, previously empty fields to grow rice and

20449-421: 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,

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