A HISTORY OF
SIAM is
FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE
A.D. 1781, WITH A SUPPLEMENT
DEALING WITH MORE RECENT EVENTS
<By W. A. R. WOOD, cut.
H.B.M., CONSUL-GENERAL, CHIENGMAI
ILLUSTRATED
T. FISHER UNWIN, LTD.
LONDON: ADELPHI TERRACE
H M. KINd PKAJADHIPOK ()! MAM
TO
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
PRINCE I>AMRONG RAJANUBHAB,
THIS BOOK
IS
BY PERMISSION
RESPECTFULLY ANI> GRATEFULLY
JDEDICATEJD
PREFACE
THIS book is the first attempt which has ever been made
to compile, in a European language, a history of Siam,
from the earliest times down to a comparatively modern
period. My intention in writing it was to provide a
handy book of reference for Europeans who are unac-
quainted with the main facts of Siamese history, and
have no time or desire to delve them out for themselves
from among a mass of contradictory documents.
I have tried to relate rather than to dilate, and have
not, I hope, obtruded my own opinions to an unreason-
able extent. I am aware that I shall be accused of
showing a pro-Siamese bias in many parts of this book.
I may as well, therefore, at once plead guilty to this
charge. I have written as a friend of Siam and the
Siamese, among whom I have spent the best years of
my life.
It will, I think, be frankly admitted that the Siamese
have some right to feel a pride in the history of their
country. It is the story of a collection of more or less
uncultivated immigrants from Southern China, who
settled in the country now known as Siam, overcoming
a mighty Empire, and establishing a number of free
States, which became finally fused into the Siam of
to-day. We see them humbled to the dust again and
again by a more powerful neighbour, yet always rising
up and regaining their freedom. A hundred years ago
8 PREFACE
there were dozens of independent States in South-
Eastern Asia. To-day there remains but one Siam.
Those who believe in the survival of the fittest will
admit that the Siamese, whatever their faults, must
possess some special qualities which have marked them
out to maintain this unique position.
People who are interested in fairies, goblins, giants,
magic talismans, and the like will apt find much to
please them in this book. There are plenty of super-
natural beings and events to be met with in native
histories, but I have preferred, even at the sacrifice of
picturesqueness, to stick to prosaic facts.
My original intention was to bring my work to an
end with the accession of the first king of the dynasty
now reigning. For the sake of convenience I have,
however, added a brief Supplement, giving the main
events of the history of the kingdom down to the present
time. I do not consider myself well qualified to write
a detailed history of modern Siam ; if, however, nobody
else undertakes the task, I may perhaps attempt it at
a later date.
I have received a very great amount of kind assistance,
notably from Professor G. Coedes and from Mr. G. E.
Harvey, I.C.S. My deepest gratitude is, however, due
to His Royal Highness Prince Damrong Rajanubhab,
whose researches alone have made it possible for me to
undertake this work, and whose help and advice have
been of incalculable value.
CHIENGMAI,
June 30^, 1924.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
PAGE
Various versions of Siamese History (P'ongswadan)
Carved inscriptions Old European authorities Modern
works consulted Transliteration of Siamese names . 23
CHAPTER I
Early Tai tribes in Southern China Affinity between Tai
and Chinese languages Ancient references to Tai in
Chinese history State of Nanchao Records of Tai
rulers of Nanchao from A.D. 650 to 884 Kublai Khan
conquers Nanchao Migrations of the Tai Habits and
customs of the Tai of Nanchao 31
CHAPTER II
Prehistoric inhabitants of Siam The Sakai The Was or
Lawas TheKhmers Indian civilisation in Cambodia
Missionaries of King Asoka Suvarnabhumi Mis-
sionaries of King Kanishka Nak'on Prat'om Mission-
aries of King Ciladitya Ancient Kings of Cambodia
Famous Cambodian temples Ambassador sent by Kublai
Khan to Cambodia 40
9
io CONTENTS
CHAPTER III
Early Tai settlers in Siam Conquests of Prince P'rohr
First Tai city founded at Miiang Fang Luang P'rabang
Conquests of King Anurutha of Burma Pslyao
founded Suk'ot'ai captured by Tai from Cambodians
King Sri Int'arat'itya King Ramk'amheng the Great
His kingdom Submission of Pegu King Ramk'amheng
visits China King Mengrai founds Chiengmai King
Ramk'amheng's character His administration of j ustice
Inventor of Siamese alphabet King Loet'ai Disintegra-
tion of kingdom of Suk'ot'ai King T'ammaraja Liit'ai
His noble character Suk'ot'ai submits to Ayut'ia
Later Kings of Suk'ot'ai 49
CHAPTER IV
King Rama T'ibodi I founds Ayut'ia His supposed
origin Extent of his dominions War with Cambodia
War with Suk'ot'ai Law of Evidence Law on Offences
against the Government Law on Receiving Plaints
Law on Abduction Law on Offences Against the
People Law Concerning Robbers Law on Miscel-
laneous Matters Law of Husband and Wife Death of
King Rama T'ibodi I 62
CHAPTER V
King Ramesuen His abdication, and accession of King
Boromoraja I Relations with China Wars with
Suk'ot'ai War with Chiengmai Death of King
Boromoraja I King T'ong Lan killed by ex-King
CONTENTS ii
PACK
Ramesuen, who resumes power War with Chiengmai
Conquest of Cambodia Death of King Ramesuen and
accession of King Ram Raja King Ram Raja deposed
King Jnt'araja I War with Chiengmai Relations with
China Death of King Int'araja Fight for the throne,
and accession of late King's youngest son ... 70
CHAPTER VI
King Boromoraja II War with Cambodia War with
Maharaja Tilok of Chiengmai King Boromoraja II
dies, and is succeeded by King Trailokanat Reforms in
administration Sakdi Na Law Palace Law War with
Chiengmai Expedition to Malacca Capital moved to
P'itsanulok War continued against Chiengmai Battle
of Doi Ba King Trailokanat becomes a priest Siamese
Ambassadors to Chiengmai massacred Maha Uparat
appointed End of War with Chiengmai Death of
Maharaja Tilok Emerald Buddha Capture of Tavoy
Death of King Trailokanat His character . .81
CHAPTER VII
King Boromoraja III King Rama T'ibodi II Trouble
with Chiengmai Gigantic image of Buddha cast War
with Chiengmai Relations with Portuguese Successes
against Chiengmai Reorganisation of system of military
service King Boromoraja IV Boy King Ratsada
King P'rajai Canals dug Law for Trial by Ordeal
War with Burma First invasion of Chiengmai by King
P'rajai Fire at Ayut'ia Second invasion of Chiengmai
12 CONTENTS
PAGE
Severe defeat Death of King P'rajai His character
Note on Pinto's Peregrinations .... 95
CHAPTER VIII
Young King Keo Fa His mother becomes Regent Her
intrigue with K'un Jinarat Murder of King Keo Fa
K'un Jinarat usurps throne with title of K'un Worawongsa
Conspiracy against him K'un Worawongsa and
Princess Regent killed, and Prince T'ien proclaimed King,
with title of King Chakrap'at First Burmese invasion
Death of Queen Suriyot'ai Burmese retire King
Chakrap'at's preparations for further invasion Unsuc-
cessful invasion of Cambodia Rebellion of Prince Sri Sin
King Bhureng Noung of Burma conquers Chiengmai
Second Burmese invasion Arduous terms imposed by
Burmese Rebellion of Rajah of Patani Siamese
Princess, sent to Luang P'rabang, is captured by Burmese
Prince Mahin becomes Regent Trouble with Maha
T'ammaraja, Governor of P'itsanulok King Chakrap'at
resumes power Third Burmese invasion Death of King
Chakrap'at His character King Mahin's mismanage-
ment Ayut'ia falls through treachery Death of King
Mahin Maha T'ammaraja set up by Burmese as vassal
KingofSiam 108
CHAPTER IX
Siam under Burmese rule Cambodian invasion Prince
Naresuen Burmese invade Wiengchan Tharawadi
Min becomes Prince of Chiengmai Rebellion of Yan
CONTENTS 13
PAGE
Prajien Death of Bhureng Noung of Burma Prince
Naresuen in Burma Plot to murder Prince Naresuen
He declares Siam independent Burmese defeats
Alliance with Cambodia Burmese invasion fails
Prince of Chiengmai defeated Quarrel with Prince of
Cambodia Burmese again invade Siam and besiege
Ayut'ia They fail and retire Prince Naresuen invades
Cambodia Death of King Maha T'ammaraja His
character 126
CHAPTER X
King Naresuen His brother made Maha Uparat Burmese
invasion repulsed Further Burmese invasion King
Naresuen slays Crown Prince of Burma in single combat
Siamese take Tenasserim and Tavoy Naval battle
Depopulation of Siam King Naresuen offers to assist
China against Japan Cambodia invaded and subdued
King Naresuen invades Burma and conquers part of Pegu
Treaty with Spain Chiengmai under Siamese
suzerainty King Naresuen again invades Burma King
of Burma taken to Taungu Hanthawadi sacked by
Arakanese King Naresuen invades Taungu He fails,
and returns to Siam Affairs at Chiengmai Prince
Srisup'anma made King of Cambodia King Naresuen in-
vades Shan States His death at Miiang Hang His
character 139
CHAPTER XI
King Ekat'otsarot His taxes Dutch, Portuguese, and
Japanese in Siam Execution of Prince Sut'at Death
i 4 CONTENTS
PAGE
of King Ekat'otsarot His character King Songt'am
Japanese attack Palace and force concessions from King
Luang P'rabang invasion Japanese subdued and Luang
P'rabang army defeated First English merchants and
ships in Siam System of trading Trouble with Burma
Tavoy captured by Burmese, but retaken Burmese
invade Chiengmai territory and take Lampang Treaty
between Siam and Burma Naval battle between English
and Dutch at Patani Disastrous invasion of Cambodia
Relations with Japan Discovery of P'rabat or footprint
of Buddha King Songt'am's illness ; intrigues as to
succession Death of King Songt'am His character . 158
CHAPTER XII
King Jett'a P'ya Kalahom's origin and history Prince Sri
Sin's rebellion and execution P'ya Kalahom dethrones
and executes King Jett'a Yamada and P'ya Kalahom
King At'ityawong Yamada at Nak'on Srit'ammarat
King At'ityawong executed P'ya Kalahom usurps throne
as King Prasat T'ong Expulsion of Japanese Trouble
with Patani Affairs at Chiengmai Relations with the
Dutch Expedition to Nak'on Srit'ammarat Barbarities
of King Prasat T'ong Unsuccessful attacks on Patani
Patani submits Dutch maltreated King Prasat T'ong
tries to alter calendar Quarrel with the Dutch Letter
from Prince of Orange Expeditions to Singora Law of
Appeal Law on Debt Slavery Law of Inheritance
Law of Debt Anti-foreign legislation King Prasat
CONTENTS 15
PAGE
T'ong and Cambodia Death of King Prasat T'ong
His character 172
CHAPTER XIII
King Jai His deposition and execution King Sri
Sut'ammaraja Attack on the Palace The King deposed
and executed King Narai Trouble in Cambodia
English merchants flee from Cambodia to Siam English
factory reopened at Ayut'ia Events in Burma King
Narai invades Chiengmai territory P'ya Kosa T'ibodi
reforms Siamese Army Second invasion of Chiengmai,
and capture of city War with Burma King Narai
invades Pegu Dutch blockade of Menam River Treaty
with Dutch French missionaries arrive in Siam Favour
shown to them Progress of French Mission, and relations
with France Constantine Phaulkon His rise to
power His policy displeases East India Company More
French missionaries French company opens factory at
Ayut'ia First Siamese Embassy to Europe Ship bearing
Embassy lost King Narai and the English Patani and
Singora Potts, the East India Company's Agent,
quarrels with Phaulkon Company's factory burnt
Strangh and Yale visit Siam They quarrel with Phaulkon
Second Siamese Embassy visits France and England
English commercial mission to Ayut'ia First French
Embassy to Siam Treaty between France and Siam
Attempts to convert King Narai to Christianity His
reply Disputes between Siam and the East India Com-
pany Third Siamese Embassy to France Rebellion of
1 6 CONTENTS
PAGE
the Macassars and death of Captain Udall War between
Siam and the East India Company Trouble at Mergui
Massacre of Europeans at Mergui King Narai's declar-
ation of war Second French Embassy French troops in
Siam New Treaty with France Anti-foreign Party
P'ra P'etraja King Narai falls ill Difficulty about
succession Arrest and execution of Phaulkon His
character Execution of Princes Death of King Narai
His character His legislation 189
CHAPTER XIV
King P'etraja Persecution of Christians French leave
Siam Trouble about hostages Second persecution
Treaty with Dutch Negotiations with English
Settlement with French Rebellion of T'am T'ien
Claim of East India Company End of war between
Siam and East India Company Rebellions Siege of
Nak'on Srit'ammarat Cambodia Further negoti-
ations with French Rebellion of Bun K'wang
Trouble in Luang P'rabang Illness of King P'etraja
Murder of Prince Chao K'wan P'ra P'ijai declared heir
Death of King P'etraja His character P'ra P'ijai
resigns crown King P'rachao Siia His occupations
The King and the steersman The King's low tastes and
brutality Famine Death of King P'rachao Siia King
T'ai Sra Invasion of Cambodia Defeat of southern
army Successes of northern army Cambodia submits
Disputes about succession Death of King T'ai Sra His
character Events in Chiengmai . . . .216
CONTENTS 17
PACK
CHAPTER XV
Civil war King Boromokot Late King's sons executed
Numerous executions Chinese rebellion Family
troubles Princes flogged to death Happy condition of
Siam under King Boromokot Events in Burma
Burmese Embassy King Boromokot's pro-Burmese
policy Saming T'oh Siamese troops sent to Cambodia
Alaungpaya, King of Burma Embassy from Ceylon
Religious Commission sent to Ceylon Misconduct and
execution of Maha Uparat The succession Death of
King Boromokot His character King Ut'ump'on
Execution of Princes King Ut'ump'on abdicates in
favour of his brother King Ekat'at His character
Plot to reinstate ex-King War with Burma Burmese
invade Peninsula and advance to A^ut'ia Siege of
Ayut'ia Death of Alaungpaya and abandonment of
siege Burmese take Chiengmai and Luang P'rabang
Trouble at Tavoy and Tenasserim Burmese again invade
Siam English Captain Pauni resists Burmese Second
siege of Ayut'ia Inefficiency and mismanagement
People's army at Bangrachan Defeat of Prince T'ep
P'ip'it Progress of siege of Ayut'ia P'ya Taksin flees
from Ayut'ia Burmese capture Ayut'ia Death of
King, and capture of ex-King Vandalism of Burmese
Loss of Records of Kingdom 231
CHAPTER XVI
P'ya Taksin at Rayong He captures Chantabun He
recaptures Ayut'ia from the Burmese His respect for
Bs
1 8 CONTENTS
PAGE
late Royal Family He becomes King Siam divided
into five separate States Further Burmese' defeats
Events at P'itsanulok Priest-King of Fang captures
P'itsanulok Capture of K'orat and P'imai Execution
of Prince T'ep P'ip'it Plague of rats Restoration of
order and prosperity Invasion of Cambodia Capture of
Nak'on Srit'ammarat Priest-King of Fang subdued
Priesthood reformed Unsuccessful attempt to take
Chiengmai Conquest of Cambodia Burmese attack on
P'ijai Events in the north Capture of Chiengmai
Burmese again invade Siam, but are driven out Burmese
again invade the north Fall of P'itsanulok Chao P'ya
Chakri and the Burmese General Burmese again
defeated Burmese attack Chiengmai Trouble in the
Eastern Provinces Chao P'ya Chakri given princely rank
King Taksin shows signs of mental derangement War
with Wiengchan Invasion of Cambodia King Taksin
becomes insane His barbarities Rebellion at Ayut'ia
P'ya Sank'aburi joins rebels King Taksin abdicates
P'ya Sank'aburi plots to make himself King He fails
Chao P'ya Chakri returns to Ayut'ia Execution of King
Taksin and P'ya Sank'aburi Chao P'ya Chakri
becomes King Character of King Taksin . . .251
SUPPLEMENT
King Rama I Revision of laws Burmese invasion
Malay States Penang ceded to England by Sultan of
Kedah Second Burmese invasion Tavoy Burmese
CONTENTS 19
PAGE
invade Chiengmai Chiengsen retaken by Siamese
Death of King Rama I King Rama II Burmese
invade Peninsula Opium Decree Invasion of
Cambodia Trengganu Treaty with Portugal Inva-
sion of Kedah and flight of Sultan to Penang Dr. John
Crawford visits Bangkok First Anglo-Burmese war
Death of King Rama II King Rama III Captain
Henry Burney visits Bangkok and concludes Treaty
Treaty with United States Second invasion of Kedah
Death of King Rama III King Rama IV
His character Second Anglo-Burmese war Siamese
invasion of Kengtung Sir John Bowring visits Bangkok
Anglo-Siamese Treaty Treaties with other Powers
Cambodia becomes French Protectorate Death of King
Rama IV King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) Reforms
Trouble with France Abolition of slavery Abolition
of office of Maha Uparat Death of the King Rama V,
and accession of King Rama VI Siam and the Great
War. Death of King Rama VI, and accession of King
Prajadhipok 274
List showing Pali forms of names and titles . . .281
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
H.M. KING PRAJADHIPOK OF SIAM . . Frontispiece
Facing page
H.R.H. PRINCE DAMRONG RAJANUBHAB ... 28
LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF AYUT'IA .... 63
DEATH OF QUEEN SURIYOT'AI 113
PRINCE NARESUEN ATTACKS THE VESSEL OF P'YA CHIN
CHANTU 129
RUINS OF PAGODA ERECTED ON THE SPOT WHERE KING
NARESUEN OVERCAME THE CROWN PRINCE OF BURMA . 142
SIAMESE BOOK-CASE 189
ARRIVAL OF THE FRENCH MISSIONARIES AT AYUT'IA . 195
SIAMESE AMBASSADORS RECEIVED BY Louis XIV . . 206
" KING TIGER " AND THE STEERSMAN .... 225
RETURN OF CHAO P'YA CHAKRI FROM CAMBODIA . .272
MAP OF SIAM 23
ii
INTRODUCTION
THE principal difficulty which confronts the writer who
tries to compile a history of Siam is the almost entire
absence of reliable native chronicles.
The official records and annals of the Kings of Ayut'ia
were all destroyed when the Burmese captured that
city in 1767. During the reigns of King Taksin and
King P'ra Putt'a Yot Fa Chulalok (Rama I) attempts
were made to reconstruct the history of Ayut'ia from
such sources as were then available. The result is the
P 'ongsawadan, several versions of which are in existence.
Unfortunately, the compilers of the P'ongsawadan either
destroyed, or at least did not preserve, the documents
from which they derived their information. Con-
sequently, although it is now possible to say that many
of their statements were erroneous, it is not easy to
discover how the errors arose, and still less easy to
correct them.
The two most widely known versions of the P'ong-
sawadan are the P'ongsawadan in Two Volumes^
published at Bangkok by Dr. Bradley in 1863, and the
" Royal Autograph Edition/' which was revised by
King Maha Mongkut (Rama IV) and printed in 1907,
with notes by Prince Damrong. There have been several
printed editions of both these versions.
The principal difference between these two versions
is that the " Royal Autograph Edition " gives a King,
Int'araja II, who is said to have reigned from 1449 to
24 INTRODUCTION
1473. The name of this King does not appear at all
in the main text of Bradley's version, though it is given
in two brief summaries incorporated by Bradley in his
first volume. In the present book this King's name will
not be found, as I have followed the version, which
will be referred to later, known as "Luang Prasoet's
History."
Both the usual versions of the P* ongsawadan, that is
to say, Bradley's and the " Royal Autograph," are
derived from a version drawn up in 1840 by Prince
Promanujit Jinnorot, under the orders of King P'ra
Nang Klao (Rama III). Prince Promanujit's work
was, in its turn, compiled from two manuscript editions
of the P* ongsawadan, which are preserved in the National
Library at Bangkok. The first of these was written in
1783, under King Taksin, and the second in 1795,
under King P'ra P'utt'a Yot Fa Chulalok (Rama I).
These two versions, as well as all the printed versions,
are, practically speaking, one and the same book.
The chief peculiarity which strikes the student of
all these versions of the P'ongsawadan is that, starting
from about the year 1370, almost every date given is
wrong. This can easily be proved by comparing the
dates with those given in the annals of neighbouring
countries, such as Burma, Luang P'rabang, Chiengmai,
and Cambodia, or those recorded by European authors,
e.g. Mendez Pinto, P. W. Floris, and J. van Vliet.
Moreover, the error is not uniform; sometimes the
dates given are wrong only by one or two years, some-
tfmes by eighteen or twenty. The only conclusion to
be drawn is that the compilers of the P'ongsawadan,
for some reason or other, invented a complete system
of chronology for themselves, and this does not make
us too ready to accept without question their authority
INTRODUCTION 25
as to facts, especially in cases where their statements
are contradicted by the histories of neighbouring
countries or by the evidence of contemporary witnesses.
In the year 1905 King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
instituted a new National Library, under the presidency
of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince (afterwards
King Rama VI), and since that time historical research
has been carried out in a scientific and careful manner,
and steps have been taken to discover and preserve
ancient versions of the history of the country. 1
The book known as the P'ongsawadan of Luang
Prasoet was discovered and presented to the National
Library in 1907 by an official named Luang Prasoet.
It was compiled in 1680, under orders from King Narai.
It gives briefly the history of the Kings of Ayut'ia from
1350 to 1605. The earlier part of this book, down to
about the year 1500, is similar, in the main, to the usual
versions of the P* ongsawadan, and the compilers of the
latter probably possessed a copy of Luang Prasoefs
P'ongsawadan. The dates given in Luang Prasoet's
book agree, generally speaking, with those given in the
native histories of Burma and other neighbouring
countries. 1
There is further evidence of the correctness of the
dates given in Luang Prasoet's book. A Pali version of
Siamese history, 1 incorporated in a religious work called
Sangitivamsa, composed in 1789 by a Buddhist priest
named Vimaladharma, gives practically the same series
of dates, and another Siamese version, written in 1774
of which only a small fragment has been preserved
*The present President of the National Library is Prince Damrong
Rajanubhab, who has held the position since 1913.
* Luang Prasoet's History has been translated into English by the late Dr.
Frankfurter, and was published in the Journal of the Siam Society, vol. vii.,
part 3 (Bangkok, 1909).
1 Translated into 1'rcnch by Professor G. Coedes, and published in the Bulletin
de I'Ecvlc kranfaisc d' Extreme Orient, vol. xiv., No. 3.
26 INTRODUCTION
also supports, 90 far as it goes, Luang Prasoet's
version.
For these reasons I have, whenever possible, followed
Luang Prasoet's dates, and have, moreover, accepted
his statement of facts whenever this does not coincide
with the account given in later editions of the
P* ongsawadan.
As for the Siamese Kingdom of Suk'ot'ai, no written
history of it, if such ever existed, has been preserved,
but many facts connected with it can be gleaned from
the histories of Burma and of Chiengmai, as well as
from various carved inscriptions which have been
discovered, notably the celebrated stone of King Ram-
k'amheng, the earliest known specimen of Tai writing.
This stone may be seen in the National Library at
Bangkok, and a translation of it was made by Professor
Bradley, and published in the Journal of the Siam Society^
vol. vi., part i.
The history of Chiengmai, and of the Lao States
generally, is given in the P'ongsawadan Tonok, compiled,
from various documents, by the late P'ya Prajakit, and
published at Bangkok in 1907. It is a most interesting
book, and throws a great deal of light upon the history
of Siam.
There is also a book called the Jinakalamalini^ written
in the Pali language at Chiengmai in 1516 by a priest
named Rat'ana Panyayana. It deals mainly with
religious subjects, but contains many details about the
early Kings of Chiengmai. 1
The above are the principal books of Siamese origin
on which I have relied in compiling the present volume.
I have also studied Siamese versions of the histories of
* A French translation of the Jinakalamahm, by Professor G. Coedes, appeared
in the Bulletin dc VEcole Franynse d' Extreme Orient, vol. xxv. 1925, No. i.
INTRODUCTION 27
Burma, Luang P'rabang, and Cambodia, as well as
Nai T'ien's excellent English translation of the Burmese
Chronicle, published in various numbers of the Siam
Society's Journal.
To come to European authorities, the earliest is the
Perigrinations of Fernando Mendez Pinto, The English
translation, by Cogan, published in London in 1663,
is rather incorrect, but does not differ, as regards Siam,
in any essential respect from the original Portuguese
(Lisbon, 1614). Pinto was a most extraordinary romancer.
Nevertheless, it is interesting to find a contemporary
European account of the death of King P'rajai and the
usurpation of K'un Worawongsa, agreeing, in many
important particulars, with the version given in the
Siamese P* ongsawadan. 1
Jeremias van Vliet is another European writer who
deals at length with historical events in Siam. I have
been unable to find a copy of his book in the Flemish
original, but a French translation was published in
Paris in 1673, in the same volume as Herbert's Voyage
to India and Persia. It was written by Van Vliet in
1647, and is entitled Revolutions arrivees au Royaume
de Siam.
Van Vliet's work, even in the very imperfect French
translation, is most valuable, and enables us to reconstruct
to a great extent the reigns of King Songt'am and his
two sons, which are described very incorrectly in the
P'ongsawadan.
Van Vliet also wrote another book, the Description
of the Kingdom of Siam> an excellent English translation
of which, by Mr. L. F. van Ravenswaay, was published
in the Journal of the Siam Society (vol. vii,, part i).
This book describes Siam in the reign of King Prasat
1 An abndged version of Pinto's book was published in London in 1891.
28 INTRODUCTION
Tong, and contains a good deal of useful historical
information.
For the reign of King Narai there are a great number
of European authorities, the best known being La
Loub&re, Tachard, and the anonymous author of the
Full and True Relation of the Great and Wonderful
Revolution that happened in the Kingdom of Siam y
published first in Paris in 1690, and later translated into
English and Italian.
Turpin's History of Siam was published in Paris in
1771. There is an English translation by B. O. Cart-
wright (Bangkok, 1909) and an abridged English version
is to be found in Pinkertorfs Voyages. Turpin derived
his information from the French missionaries. He does
not, to quote his own words, " attempt to lift the veil
which conceals the beginnings of this kingdom," but
he gives a more or less detailed history of the country
from 1550 to 1770. He is a most exasperating writer,
as he cites very few dates, and usually refers to his
characters in a vague way, giving no names, so that it
is often difficult to decide whom or what he is writing
about. Nevertheless, he has preserved many interesting
facts which cannot be traced elsewhere.
The above are the principal old authorities whom I
have consulted, but many facts have been gleaned from
other sources, notably from various Records of the
English and Dutch East India Companies.
Of modern works I must mention two, one English
and one Siamese, namely Anderson's English Intercourse
with Siam in the Seventeenth Century (London, 1890)
and Prince Damrong's History of the Wars between
Burma and Siam (Bangkok, 1920). The latter book is
a perfect gold-mine of interesting information.
With regard to the system of transliterating Siamese
H R H 1'RINC E DAMRONC, RAJANUBHAIi
p 28
INTRODUCTION 29
names and titles used in this book, I trust that it will
not be found entirely unsatisfactory. There are two
main systems in use in Siam, namely the phonetic,
which gives the sound of each word as heard or imagined
by the transliterator, and the scientific, which gives the
equivalent in Roman characters of the original Pali
or Sanscrit pronunciation of the word. The former
system, as a rule, utterly disguises the origin of all
Pali and Sanscrit words, and the latter completely
distorts their modern pronunciation.
As this book will, I hope, be read by many persons
who know no Siamese, and by more who know no
Sanscrit or Pali, I have thought it best to follow a
phonetic system. For the sake of those readers who
may be interested in tracing the Pali origin of the names
and titles used, I have, however, with the kind assistance
of Professor G. Coedfes, added a list, in which the Pali
forms are set forth.
There are two main classes of Siamese guttural,
labial, and dental consonants, namely the unaspirated
and the aspirated. The latter are often represented by
adding an " h," e.g. Phya, Thien ; but this misleads
many people into pronouncing those combinations as
in English. I have, therefore, indicated the aspirated
consonants by adding an apostrophe, e.g. P'y a > T'ien.
There are two Siamese classes of letters which are
usually transliterated by " ch." One is more or less
soft, as in " church," the other is hard, rather like the
" tch " at the end of the word " pitch." To distinguish
between these two classes of letters I have represented
the soft sound by "j " and the hard sound by " ch,"
An exception has been made in the names of such well-
known places as Chiengmai and Chiengsen, and perhaps
a few more slight inconsistencies may be found.
30 INTRODUCTION
In regard to this matter, I crave the indulgence of
my readers. No two persons can be found to agree as
to the best method of transliterating Siamese names,
and no system is entirely satisfactory. All I can hope
for is to cause as little confusion as possible to readers
who do not know Siamese or Sanscrit.
A HISTORY OF SIAM
CHAPTER I
EARLY HISTORY OF THB TAI
EVERYBODY knows, in a general way, that the Chinese
claim to possess a national history dating back to the
earliest ages ; and those who have not studied the history
of that remarkable people are apt to suppose that the
dominions ruled over by the earliest Emperors were
more or less identical in extent with the China of to-day.
This, however, was not the case. The original limits
of China were not very extensive. We read in Mr.
Demetrius Boulger's History of China that in the year
585 B.C. the Chinese Empire did not extend farther
south than the great River Yang-tse-kiang. The region
of the barbarians then included all the Provinces lying
south of that stream.
Who were these barbarians ? Doubtless many and
various tribes were included among them ; but most
of them were Tai 1 people, the ancestors of the Siamese,
Laos 1 and Shans of to-day.
1 The unaspirated form Is used by almost all the members of this
race. The aspirated form, " T'ai," is only known among the inhabitants of
Southern Siam. The word is usually taken to mean " free." The attempt to
fix a meaning into every racial or national name is, however, often useless and
misleading. It is enough to say that " Tai " is the name of a particular kind
of man.
1 Purists will object to the use of this word. It is, in fact, a corruption
of the word " Lawa." The Laos have thus acquired the name of their aboriginal
predecessors. Similarly, many a man of pure Saxon or Norman blood is proud
to be known as a Baton. Another theory is that " Lao " simply means a man.
The word is used in this sense in certain Tai dialects. Whatever its origin, the
word " Lao " is a convenient term, in general use to-day to describe the inhabitants
of Northern Siam.
32 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Even at the present time the population of Southern
China shows signs of a strong Tai strain of blood. The
Yunnanese are more Tai than Chinese, and pure Tai
communities are to be found within a few hundred
miles of the city of Canton, speaking a dialect which
a Bangkok Siamese could understand with but little
difficulty.
The Tai and Chinese are cognate races. Long before
the dawn of history they must have had a common
origin, as is shown by the physical resemblance between
them, and also by the fact that the Tai and Chinese
languages are identical in construction, both of them
presenting certain peculiarities which distinguish them
from any other languages in the world.
Chinese annals from the sixth century B.C. onwards
contain many references to the " barbarians " south
of the Yang-tse-kiang.
In A.D. 69 a Tai Prince, named Liu Mao, submitted
to the Chinese Emperor Mingti of the Han dynasty,
together with seventy-seven minor Tai chiefs and
51, 890 families, comprising 553,711 persons.
In A.D. 78 they rebelled against China, and their
Prince, Lei Lao, was defeated in the great battle, as
a result of which many of his people emigrated to the
region now known as the Northern Shan States.
In A.D. 225, during the temporary division of China
into three Empires, the Tai were attacked by the Chinese
General Kong Beng and forced to submit to the Emperor
of Szechuan. Up to this period the Tai were known
to the Chinese by the name of " Ailao."
By A.D. 650 the Tai were again independent, and had
formed themselves into a powerful Kingdom, known
as Nanchao. They were ruled over by a King, named
Sinulo, who sent an embassy to conclude a treaty of
A HISTORY OF SIAM 33
friendship with Kaotsong, the third Emperor of the
Tang dynasty.
In A.D. 745, during the reign of the Emperor Mingti
(sixth of the Tang dynasty) the Tai King Pilawko
entered into a new treaty with China. Later on, King
Pilawko attacked Tibet, capturing several cities.
In A.D. 750, Pilawko was succeeded by his son, Kolo-
feng, who made Talifu his capital. This King paid a
visit to China, and while there was insulted by the
Governor of Hunan. He returned home very indignant,
and at once proceeded to invade China, capturing thirty-
two towns and villages. The Chinese made several
attempts to subdue him, but without success. They
were twice beaten in the field, and on their third attempt
a pestilence broke out, fear of which caused all the
Chinese soldiers to run away.
Fearing that he could not resist the Chinese unaided,
Kolofeng entered into an alliance with the King of
Tibet, who conferred upon him the title of " younger
brother."
In A.D. 754 the Chinese again invaded Nanchao, but
were defeated again and again with great slaughter.
Numbers of them also fell victims to pestilence.
In A.D. 770 King Kolofeng died, and was succeeded
by his grandson Imohsun. He signalised his accession
by at once invading China, assisted by the Tibetans,
but was repulsed. This was in the reign of Taitsong,
the eighth Emperor of theTang dynasty.
In A.D. 787 Imohsun, acting on the advice of one
Cheng-hui, a Chinese literate who had formerly been
his tutor, entered into negotiations with China. He
wrote to the Emperor Tetsong (ninth of the Tang
dynasty) saying that his grandfather had been forced
by ill-treatment to throw in his lot with the Tibetans.
Cc
34 A HISTORY OF SIAM
He was, however, now tired of their arrogance. They
were taskmasters rather than allies, forced his people
to fight their wars, and levied taxes in his dominions.
As a result of this a treaty was concluded between
China and Nanchao. The Emperor recognised Imohsun
as King of Nanchao, and conferred upon him a gold
seal. All the Tibetans in Nanchao were then massacred.
A Tibetan army, which was sent to avenge the massacre, '
was utterly routed.
A Chinese envoy was then sent to Talifu and received
with great pomp. Soldiers lined the roads, and the
horses' harness was ablaze with gold and cowries.
Imohsun wore a coat of gold mail and tiger-skin, and
had twelve elephants drawn up in front of him. He
kotowed to the ground, facing north, and swore everlasting
fealty to China.
Imohsun now embarked upon a career of conquest,
invading the territory of other states and tribes.
In A.D. 794 he invaded Tibet, capturing sixteen towns,
and taking immense booty.
In A.D. 820 one of Imohsun's successors invaded
China, capturing Sui-chu, Yong-chu, and Kong-chu.
He was forced to retreat, but took with him many
captives, among them some skilled artisans, who soon
placed Nanchao on a par with China in matters of art,
literature, and weaving.
In A.D. 858 the Tai of Nanchao invaded Tonkin an4
brought back a great amount of booty.
In A.D. 850 one Tsui Lung became King of Nanchao.
He assumed the title of Emperor. This offended the
Emperor Suentsong (i6th of the Tang dynasty), who
retaliated by declining to send an envoy to the funeral
of the late King of Nanchao. Tsui Lung thereupon
invaded China and besieged Chengtu. Before he was
A HISTORY OF SUM 35
forced to retire " eighty per cent, of the inhabitants of
certain towns in Szechuan were wearing artificial noses
and ears made of wood." It is not recorded what the
noses were made of.
The war thus started was continued under the Emperor
Ytsong, who succeeded to the throne of China in A.D. 860.
The Chinese were consistently unsuccessful, and Nanchao
became entirely independent.
In A.D. 863 the Tai conquered Annam, but it was
retaken three years later by the celebrated Chinese
General Kaopien.
In A.D. 870 Tsui Lung again invaded China and
besieged Chengtu, but was driven back. Another
invasion in A.D. 875 was equally unsuccessful.
In A.D. 877 a Tai King, called by the Chinese " Fa "
(P'ra ?), succeeded to the throne of Nanchao. This
King made peace with China, and received a Chinese
envoy at his Court. In A.D. 884 his son married a
daughter of the Emperor.
These events, chronicled with some detail by the
Chinese historians, clearly show us that Nanchao was
a powerful State, holding its own against the Chinese
Emperors for many hundreds of years.
From the time of King Fa onwards, little mention
is made in Chinese history of Nanchao, which had
apparently once and for all accepted the position of a
vassal kingdom, though Chinese control over the country
was probably of a very shadowy kind.
In A.D. 1253 Nanchao (or Yunnan) was conquered by
Kublai Khan, This finally put an end to the Tai
kingdom, and resulted in a wholesale emigration of the
inhabitants southwards, with important effects upon
the history of Siam, as will be seen later.
As mentioned above, many of the Nanchao Tai had
3 6 A HISTORT OF SIAM
emigrated to the region now known as the Northern
Shan States as far back as the first century of the Christian
era, and during the succeeding centuries we may assume
that a steady stream of Tai settlers proceeded to the
west and south-west. These people were the ancestors
of the tribes now known as Shans or Tai Yai (great
Tai). They formed a kingdom, or confederation of
kingdoms, known in ancient chronicles as the kingdom
of Pong. 1 Pong is one of the mysteries of history.
Its position and extent are unknown, and the accounts
given concerning it are so contradictory and so full of
fable that the frivolous might say that the kingdom of
Pong was Mrs. Harris, as Sir George Scott wittily
remarks.
It is certain, however, that a strong Shan, or Western
Tai, kingdom existed from about the sixth century
onwards, with its capital probably at Miiang Mao, on
the Shweli River.
Luckily for the author, it does not fall within the
scope of a history of Siam to seek to unravel the mysteries
of the mediaeval Shan Kingdom. The inhabitants of
Siam are not descended from these Western Tai, but
from the Eastern Tai, sometimes called the Tai Noi,
whose early history is fairly well known from Chinese
sources, as has been seen above.
The Chinese referred to the Nanchao Tai as bar-
barians, but we need not attach much meaning to this
expression. They called all foreigners barbarians down
to a very recent date, and doubtless the term is not
even yet obsolete.
The truth is, as shown by Chinese history, that the
Tai were no more barbarous than the Chinese themselves,
1 Kengrung, in the south-west of Yunnan, is referred to as " Pong " in the
history of Chiengmai (A.D. 1560).
A HISTORY OF SIAM 37
and, if we possessed histories written by those early
Tai, we might perhaps find that the Chinese had as much
to learn from the ancient Tai as their descendants have
to learn from the Siamese of to-day.
It is clear from the annals of the Tang dynasty that
the Tai kingdom of Nanchao was a highly organised
State. There were Ministers of State, Censors or
Examiners, Generals, Record Officers, Chamberlains,
Judges, Treasurers, Ministers of Commerce, etc., the
native name of each Department being given as
" Shwang." 1 Minor Officials managed the granaries,
royal stables, taxes, etc. The military organisation was
similar to that of modern Siam. It was arranged by
tens, centurions, chiliarchs, deka-chiliarchs, and so on.
Military service then, as now, was compulsory for all
able-bodied men, lots being drawn for each levy. Each
soldier was supplied with a leather coat and a pair of
trousers ; they wore helmets and carried shields of
rhinoceros hide.
Land was apportioned to each family according to
rank, a system which survives in Siam to the present
day, in the nominal sakdi na grade conferred upon
officials.
There were six Metropolitan Departments and six
Provincial Viceroys in Nanchao.
The people were acquainted with the art of weaving
cotton and rearing silkworms. West of Yang-chang
a mulberry-tree grew, the wood of which was used for
making bowls ; and gold was found in many parts, both
in the sands of the rivers and in the mountains.
When the Tai King appeared in public eight white-
scalloped standards of greyish purple were carried
1 Possibly the same as modern Siamese Krasuang, a department. " Kra "
is a common prefix.
3 8 A HISTORT OF SIAM
before him, also two feather fans, a hair plume, an axe,
and a parasol of kingfisher's feathers. The standards
of the Queen-mother were scalloped with brown
instead of white.
The chief dignitaries wore a tiger skin.
Each man paid a tax of two measures of rice a year,
and there was no corvie labour. Some may say that in
the last respect the ancient Tai set a good example to
their Siamese descendants.
Had the Nanchao Tai a written character, or did they
use Chinese ideographs ? We do not know. In the
opinion of the author, it is very improbable that any
system of writing at all resembling those now in use
(all of which are of Indian origin) was adopted before
the eleventh century. It is likely that the Nanchao
Tai used Chinese characters.
As to the religion of the ancient Tai, we likewise have
no definite information. We know that Buddhism, the
religion of almost all the modern Tai, was introduced
into China, from the south, during the first century of
the Christian era. It is, therefore, probable that the
Buddhist religion was quite familiar to the Tai
inhabitants of Nanchao for several centuries before
many of them migrated south. The Buddhism of
China is, however, the later form of the religion, known
as the " Mahayana " or Great Vehicle, whereas all the
Tai since the dawn of their modern history in the twelfth
century have been followers of the " Hinayana " or
Small Vehicle, which claims, with some justice, to be
the true religion taught by the Buddha himself.
It is fairly certain, therefore, that the Tai, as a race,
became Buddhists after they had emigrated to the
south. There may have been some Buddhists among the
old Nanchao Tai, but as a nation they were almost
A HISTORY OF SIAM 39
certainly animists, worshipping the beneficent spirits
of the hills, forests, and waters, and propitiating numerous
demons with sacrifices and offerings. This simple
faith survives in Siam to the present day, and in the
north is still more truly the religion of the country
people than is Buddhism.
NOTE TO CHAPTER I
Marco Polo visited southern China about A.D. 1872, after the
conquest of Nanchao by Kublai Khan. He describes non-
Chinese races living in the south and south-west of China;
presumably these were Tai people.
Marco Polo mentions the Province of Karaian, with its capital
at Yachi (probably Talifu). The people of this Province were
idolaters, had a language peculiar to themselves, lived on rice,
and used cowrie shells as money and for ornament. They also
ate raw meat, chopped up and put into a pickle of salt and spices.
This is the dish known as lap in northern Siam at the present
time.
In the Province of Kardandan, presumably also a Tai
Province, Marco Polo found the people tattooing themselves with
a five-pronged implement, just as the Tai do to-day. In this
district they had neither temples nor idols, but worshipped their
ancestors. They possessed no knowledge of writing. The
treatment of disease was carried out by a process of exorcism of
evil spirits, and the description given of this process does not
greatly differ from the method in use at the present time in
many parts of Siam.
CHAPTER II
SIAM BEFORE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TAI DOMINION
WE have seen in the preceding chapter the Tai in their
original home, Nanchao. We have seen them migrating
southwards, driven forth by the pressure of the Chinese.
What manner of country was Siam in the days of those
early Tai settlers ?
The first inhabitants of Siam, long before the dawn of
history, must have been very much the same as the
cave-dwellers of Europe. Their old flint tools and
weapons are constantly being dug up. These are just
like those made by primitive man throughout the world.
We can form no clear mental picture of the makers of
these flint weapons.
Later on, Siam was inhabited by two races, whose
descendants may still be seen. In the south dwelt a
curly-headed, prognathous race, of Negrito or Indo-
nesian type. A few of these, now known as Sakais, are
still to be found wandering, naked and squalid, in the
forests of the Malay Peninsula. For centuries past
they have been looked upon by their more cultured
Siamese and Malay successors as mere animals. Sir
Hugh Clifford, in graphic language, has described
the annual Sakai hunt held by a former Sultan of
Pahang.
A strain of Sakai blood is probably to be found among
the Siamese inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula. Curly
40
A HISTORY OF SIAM 41
hair, rare among men of pure Tai race, is often to be
seen there, and the curious chanting voice and clipped
words of the Peninsular Siamese is [said to bear some
resemblance to Sakai speech.
In northern Siam dwelt a different race, the Was
or Lawas. These people have not, like the Sakais, been
almost exterminated. To the north of Burma they
still inhabit several extensive districts. They are there
divided into the wild and the tame Was. The former
are chiefly known through their habit of collecting
human heads, and decorating the approaches of
their villages with rows of skulls. The tame Was
of the Shan States, and their brethren the Lawas of
Siam, have long since abandoned these ghoulish
practices, and live as peaceful cultivators or hunters
in their mountain villages. Most of the Lawas of
Siam are now Buddhists. 1
The Was and Lawas are rather tall, of fair complexion,
and generally pleasing in appearance and manners.
The present Laos, or Tai of northern Siam, show distinct
traces of Lawa blood. 1
Many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years before
the Christian era, another race of men settled in southern
Siam, and gradually dispossessed and almost exterminated
the aboriginal Negrito (Sakai) inhabitants. These
intruders were the Khmers. Their origin is uncertain,
but they were members of a race which now numbers
many millions of descendants in the Indo-Chinese
1 Heylyn, in his Cosmo graphic (London, 1664), says that the Laps were obliged
to seek the protection of Siam owing to constant attacks by the hill tribes, called
" Guc'om," who used to kill and eat their prisoners. This may point to a tradition
that the Lawas of northern Siam were at one tune head-hunters.
* In the southern Shan State of Kengtung, the present inhabitants of which
arc Tai, a curious custom still exists. At the inauguration ceremony of each
ruling Prince, two Was are brought down from one of their mountain villages,
and take a prominent part in the proceedings. This is supposed to be an acknow-
ledgment that the Was were once masters of the country. Ethnically and
linguistically the Was or Lawas are allied to the Mon- Khmer race.
42 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Peninsula, The Cambodians are the direct descendants
of the Khmers, and the Mohns or Takings of Pegu, the
K'amuks of French Laos, and the K'as and other smaller
tribes in the Shan States are all scions of the same original
stock.
These Khmers, whatever their origin may have been,
settled in prehistoric times along the whole sea coast
from the mouth of the Irawadi to the mouth of the
Mekong river. To judge by their modern descendants,
they were a people of comparatively small stature, of
darker complexion than the Lawas or Was, and somewhat
effeminate in appearance.
These early Khmer settlers, as also the Lawas in the
north, were animists, and have left behind no stone
or brick buildings of any kind. They were probably
an illiterate and uncultured race.
The Khmer civilisation, the monumental remains of
which have so astonished all investigators, was of purely
Indian origin. It is not possible to say for certain when
the first Indian settlers came to Siam or Cambodia, but
there is no reason to suppose that any of their buildings,
the remains of which are now in existence, date from
pre-Buddhist times. It may here be remarked that even
in India the most ancient monuments which have as
yet [been discovered are of Buddhist, not Brahmanic,
origin. 1
King Asoka, the famous ruler of Magadha, before he
embraced the tenets of Buddha, invaded the country of
Kalinga, in southern India. According to a rock
inscription of King Asoka, over a hundred thousand
natives of Kalinga were made prisoners in this campaign,
and large numbers were slain.
1 Buddha died 543 B.C., according to the computation in use in Buddhist
countries. The best European authorities believe that the real date was about
seventy years later.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 43
All the ancient stone inscriptions found in the region
peopled by the Khmers are purely southern Indian,
both in lettering and language, and there seems some
reason to suppose that the first great influx of Indians
into this region dated from the time of King Asoka's
invasion of Kalinga, and that the settlers were natives
of Kalinga. We may assume that within a few years
these Indians formed colonies at various points along
the coasts of the countries now known as Pegu, Siam,
Cambodia and Cochin China.
Some time after his conquest of Kalinga, King Asoka
adopted the doctrines of Buddha, and became a most
resolute apostle of Buddhism. In the year 307 B.C.
he presided over a great Buddhist Council at Pataliputta.
At this Council not only was the Buddhist Church
purified from many abuses which had crept in, but a
great missionary effort was inaugurated, for the purpose
of spreading the faith in foreign lands.
The Mahavamsa 1 gives a list of ten Buddhist mission-
ary monks, who were sent forth to various parts of the
world by King Asoka. Among these were the monks
Sona and Uttara, who were sent to the land of Suvarnab-
humi. Professor Rhys Davids, in his work on Buddhism,
identifies Suvarnabhumi as consisting of the region
extending from Pegu right down through the Malay
Peninsula. There has been considerable controversy
on this point, some authorities claiming that Suvar-
nabhumi was Pegu, the others that it was southern Siam. 1
The exact situation of the original Suvarnabhumi is
translation of Geiger and Bode.
Suvarnabhumi means " land of gold." There is no gold found in Pegu,
but there are gold mines in southern Siam. There is also a town in Siam called
Uthong, or " source of gold," which was known in the Middle Ages as Suwanp'umi,
or Suvarnabhumi. It was the capital of the State ruled over by King Rama
T'ibodi before he founded Ayuthia. Not far from this place was the ancient
Buddhist shrine of Nak'on Prat'om or P'rapat'om, meaning " Original town "
or " Original Pagoda." These are the principal points relied upon by those who
claim that southern Siam was the cradle of Buddhism in Indo-China.
44 A HISTORY OF SIAM
immaterial. Certain it is that it was somewhere in the
Indo-Chinese Peninsula, and that the Buddhist Church
which was founded there gradually spread its teaching
over the whole of the countries now known as Siam,
Burma and Cambodia.
Another point as to which there has been some di-
vergence of opinion is whether Brahmanism or Buddhism
was first introduced into Siam. It seems possible
that there were Indian settlers in pre-iBuddhistic times.
They must have professed Brahmanism. On the other
hand, Brahmanism is not, and never was, a missionising
faith. Early Buddhism was strong in missionary
endeavour, and we may therefore assume that the
first foreign religion adopted by the Mohn-Khmers
was Buddhism.
About the end of the first century of the Christian
era, a certain King Kanishka was ruling over the realm
of Gandhara in northern India. This monarch set up his
capital at Purushapura (Peshawar). He was, like King
Asoka, a great supporter of the Buddhist faith. He
called together a Buddhist Council, at which the Sanscrit
tongue was adopted as the religious language of Bud-
dhism, and at which a large number of innovations in
faith and practice were admitted. This Council resulted
in the division of the Buddhist world into two sections ;
those in the north of India followed the so-called
Mahayana, or Greater Vehicle, those in the south
clung to the original teaching of Buddha, which
was distinguished by the name of Hinayana, or
Lesser Vehicle. Among the Buddhists of to-day the
Nepalese, Tibetans, Chinese, Japanese and Annamites,
follow various forms of the Mahayana. The Cinga-
lese, Burmese, Siamese and Cambodians adhere to the
Hinayana.
A HISTORT OF SUM 45
King Kanishka, like King Asoka, sent forth mission-
aries, who preached the new Mahayana creed in foreign
lands. In many of the ancient cities of Indo-China, for
instance at Nak'on Prat'om (also called P'rapat'om)
in Siam, and Thaton in Burma, images of Buddha,
describing with finger and thumb a circle to emblemise
the "wheel of the law," have been dug up. These
are Mahayana images, and the fact of their dis-
covery in Siam and Burma shows that the Mahayana
form of Buddhism was at one time followed in these
countries.
The approximate date of the earliest Buddhist archi-
tectural remains in Siam is not known. Prince Damrong
and other competent authorities believe that the original
stupa over which the existing large pagoda of Nak'on
Prat'om was built dates from the time of King Asoka.
Others place it much later.
After the death of King Kanishka of Gandhara,
Buddhism gradually decayed in India before the
influence of Brahmanism, and even in those parts
in which held its own it became debased by the
introduction of all kinds of Brahmanic ceremonies
and superstitions.
In the year A.D. 629 a Chinese monk, Hioun Tsang,
who travelled to India for the purpose of investigating
the Buddhist religion, has left it on record that he met
with a certain monarch named Ciladitya, the ruler of
Kanyakubja (now known as Kanauj) who was a devout
supporter of Buddhism. The King held a general
Council, at which both Brahman and Buddhist teachers
were present. He also sent out missionaries to foreign
countries. We may conclude that King Ciladitya's
missionaries had some following in Siam, since images
peculiar to that period have been discovered at Nak'on
46 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Prat'om, Nak'on Srit'ammarat, and in other parts of
Siam.
As time went on, we may suppose that among
the Khmers of Siam, as in India, the religion of the
people consisted of a jumble of northern and southern
Buddhism and Brahmanism.
As Buddhism declined in India, it may be supposed
that it likewise declined among the Khmers. However
this may be, it is certain that the earliest Khmer Kings
of whom we have any knowledge were followers of
Brahmanism. This line of Kings, presumably of Indian
origin, commenced to rule early in the seventh
century A.D.
The eighth King of this Indian dynasty, named
Jayavarman II, who reigned for over sixty years (A.D.
802 to A.D. 869), was the builder of the famous stone
temple at Angkor T'om, and one of his successors,
Suryavarman II, built the still more celebrated temple
at Angkor Wat, about A.D. noo.
All these Kings of Cambodia were Brahmans, not
Buddhists, and their temples were dedicated to the
worship of Indian deities.
The statement that these huge temples, the remains
of which fill all beholders with awe and wonder, were
built under any particular monarch, requires some
qualification. Hundreds of years were probably spent
in the construction of these buildings. Sir Hugh Clifford
has given us a wonderful picture of the miserable Khmer
serfs toiling from generation to generation to complete
these Brahman temples for their Indian rulers and
taskmasters. 1 Yet in the end the work was never
finished. As we shall see in chapter iv., the power of
the Cambodian Kings was so undermined by the Tai
1 The Downfall of the Gods,
A HISTORY OF SIAM 47
immigrants from the north that in A.D. 1388 their capital
was moved to Phnon Penh, and their still unfinished
temples were abandoned. Long before that time,
Brahmanism, triumphant in India, had declined in
Indo-China. Before the great Brahman shrines of
Cambodia were forsaken, Buddhism had been introduced
into them.
Buddhism and Brahmanism continued to exist side
by side, but it is probable that neither of them really
superseded the old animistic beliefs of the Khmer and
Lawa inhabitants, or the Tai immigrants, until about
the eleventh century, when the conquests of the
Burmese King Anurutha resulted in a general
adoption of Buddhism. To this day very many
animistic beliefs and ceremonies persist, particularly
in northern Siam.
In A.D. 1296 a Chinese Ambassador was sent by the
Emperor Kublai Khan to Cambodia. He has left an
account of his embassy. 1 He describes the magnificent
walls and buildings of the capital, Angkor T'om, though,
strangely enough, he makes no mention of Angkor Wat,
which he must presumably have seen. At that time
the Cambodian Empire had already lost a great part of
its possessions. As will be seen in the next chapter,
Chiengmai, P'ayao, Suk'ot'ai, and probably Ut'ong
(Suwanp'umi) were independent States, under Tai
rulers, when the Chinese diplomat wrote his memoirs.
According to this ambassador, Cambodia was a vassal
State of China. Doubtless the independent Tai States
were likewise regarded by the Chinese as vassals. These
Chinese claims need not, however, be taken too seriously.
Every nation of the earth was at one time regarded as
subject to the " Middle Kingdom." It would probably
1 Translated by M. Abel Remusat (Nouvellcs mtlangts Asutitques, Paris, 1829.)
48 A HISTORY OF SIAM
not be difficult to prove by Chinese documentary evidence
that Queen Victoria was a vassal of the Emperor of
China. There is no reason to suppose that China at
any time exercised any real political control over
Cambodia or over any of the ancient Tai States of
Siam.
CHAPTER III
THE TAI ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN SIAM. THE EARLY
TAI KINGDOMS
WE must not picture to ourselves the Tai as an invading
army, marching southwards, attacking the Cambodian
Empire, and filching away its dominions. No ; the
establishment of free Tai Kingdoms in Siam was the
result rather of a series of rebellions than of an invasion.
When did the first Tai settlers come to Siam ? We
cannot say, but it may be confidently stated that for
hundreds of years before any Tai ruler appeared, settlers
from the north had been coming in, forming Tai com-
munities, and intermarrying with the Lawa and Mohn-
Khmer inhabitants.
We have plenty of histories concerning the early
achievements of the Tai in Siam; unfortunately, however,
they are so intermingled with fable that it has become
impossible to extract from them whatever germ of truth
may exist, and the author, who desires to write a history,
not a book of fairy tales, has been forced to abandon
these early records in despair,
We are given, for instance, a list of Kings (presumably
Tai) of Chiengsen, going back to a time previous to the
birth of Buddha, one of whom reigned for 120 years.
This history of Chiengsen is a mere myth, but it provides
us, in the end, with the name of a man who may perhaps
be a real historical character. This man, Prince P'rohm,
*
50 A HISTORT OF SIAM
who is stated to have been a scion of the family of the
Kings of Chiengsen, founded the city of Miiang Fang,
about A.D. 857. He then attacked the Cambodian
Empire, and conquered their territory down to the present
town of Sawank'alok, where he founded a city. l
This Prince P'rohm, if he existed, may be regarded as
the first real Tai ruler in Siam, and his city, Muang
Fang, as the earliest Tai stronghold.
Doubtless Prince P'rohm found plenty of Tai settlers
to welcome him on his victorious advance to the south.
An independent, or semi-independent, Tai State was
thus formed in northern Siam during the ninth century,
and another Tai State was probably established at Miiang
Sao, the modern Luang P'rabang, about the same time.
In 1057 a famous King rose to power in Burma,
namely King Anurutha the Great. His capital was at
Pagan. This King extended his dominions in every
direction, conquered southern China, and attacked the
Cambodian Empire, then already waning in power.
There is no doubt that practically the whole of the present
territory of Siam was for some time under the sway of
King Anurutha.
King Anurutha was an ardent Buddhist. Some
authorities think that he first introduced Buddhism into
Burma. If so, he probably acquired his Buddhism from
the great Buddhist centre of Nak'on Prat'om in southern
Siam. Certain it is that there was some close connection
between Nak'on Prat'om and Pagan. This is shown by
the discovery in these two places of carvings and of ancient
coins of a type found nowhere else in the world.
Wherever King Anurutha acquired his religion, it is
known that he was most ardent in spreading it. A great
Buddhist revival took place in India at about the same
'Then called Jalieng.
A HISTORT OF SUM 51
time, and King Anurutha had no difficulty in importing
missionaries from India and Ceylon, by whom Buddhism
was preached in Burma and Siam. There is little doubt
but that Buddhism acquired that predominating position
which it still holds in both countries owing to the efforts
of King Anurutha.
King Anurutha's conquests permanently weakened
the Cambodian Empire, and resulted, after the removal
of Burmese control, in the formation of numerous
independent, or semi-independent, Tai States.
Siam has suffered much from Burmese invasions, and
the shameful destruction of Ayut'ia in 1767 will never be
forgotten. But it should also be re&iembered that Tai
freedom owed its inception largely to the Burmese King
Anurutha, and that to the same monarch must be ascribed
the final establishment in Siam of that wonderful Faith
which has, without doubt, strengthened the Siamese
Kingdom and elevated the national character.
In 1096 a descendant of Prince P'rohm, K'un Chom
T'amma, founded the city of P'ayao, 1 which became the
capital of an independent Tai State.
About 1238 a blow was struck at the Cambodian
Empire from which it never recovered. For some time
before that date the Tai in the centre of Siam had been
causing trouble to the Cambodian Government, being
doubtless inspired by the examples set them at Miiang
Fang and P'ayao. A Cambodian general named Khlon
Lamphong was sent by the King of Cambodia to restore
order, but he was defeated in a pitched battle by K'un
Bang Klang T'ao and K'un P'a Miiang, two Tai chiefs.
After the battle, these two chiefs entered the town of
Suk'ot'ai, then the northern capital of the Cambodian
Empire, and K'un Bang Klang was consecrated as
1 North of Rahcng, at the junction of the Me P'ing and Me Wang Rivers.
52 A HISTORT OF SIAM
King of Suk'ot'ai with the title of King Sri Int'arat'itya,
a title originally conferred upon his ally, K'un P'aMttang,
by the King of Cambodia.
Thus was founded the Tai Kingdom of Suk'ot'ai,
destined to become a mighty state, though its power was of
but short duration.
The capture of Suk'ot'ai was an event which so fas-
cinated the imagination of the Tai people that they have
invested the first Tai King of Suk'ot'ai with the mysterious
attributes of a certain legendary hero, P'ra Ruang. The
name P'ra Ruang is, in fact, conferred without discrimina-
tion upon all the Kings of Suk'ot'ai.
The reign of King Sri Int'arat'itya, first King of
Suk'ot'ai and, one might say, first King of Siam, was
spent in extending his dominions at the expense of the
King of Cambodia and also of his Western neighbours.
In particular, as we know from a carved inscription,
he entered upon a war with the Prince of Chot (Mesort)
who had tried to capture the town of Tak. In this war,
Prince Ramk'amheng, the third son of King Int'arat'itya,
greatly distinguished himself by engaging in single
combat with the Prince of Chot ; both the combatants
were mounted on elephants, and the young Prince
Ramk'amheng utterly defeated his opponent and forced
him to flee, with all his army.
During this King's reign, Siam received a tremendous
wave of Tai immigrants, who fled from Yunnan after
Kublai Khan's conquest of the Nanchao Kingdom in
1254. Doubtless it is due to this fact that King Int'-
arat'itya was able to deal so successfully with the Cam-
bodians ; he had a constant supply of Tai recruits from the
north. Few now realise that the existence of Siam as a
sovereign State is partly due to the conquests of Kublai
Khan in southern China.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 53
The date of King Int'arat'itya's death is not known.
His eldest son died young, and he was succeeded by his
second son, who bore the name of King Ban Mliang.
This King did not reign for long ; he died about 1275
and was followed by his ambitious and valiant younger
brother, Ramk'amheng.
King Ramk'amheng justly earned the title of Ram-
k'amheng the Great. He was one of the most redoubtable
warriors and conquerors whom Siam has ever produced.
In his long reign of over forty years he raised the strug-
gling state of Suk'ot'ai to be a powerful and extensive
Kingdom. When he died, the following cities and dis-
tricts were subject or tributary to him : Phre, Nan,
Luang P'rabang, P'itsanulok, Lomsak, Wiengchan, Nak'-
onsawan, Suwanp'umi, 1 Ratburi, P'etchaburi, Nak'on
Srit'ammarat, Raheng, Mesot, Tenasserim, Tavoy,
Martaban, Taungu, Pegu right up to the Bay of
Bengal, and other districts which cannot now be
identified.
It must not, however, be assumed that King Ram-
k'amheng exercised effective control over all these regions.
For instance, the Prince of Sup'an had by this time already
attained to a powerful position, and the Tai rulers of
Lopburi and the ancient city of Ayodhia (both related
to King Ramk'amheng) were either independent or
were subject to the King of Cambodia. We read in
Chinese history that in 1289 a Tai State to the south of
Suk'ot'ai sent an embassy to China. This State was
called by the Chinese " Law Hok Kok " and is stated
to have later overcome Suk'ot'ai. It was probably
Lawo. 1
The eastern portion of Siam, including Chantabun,
still belonged to Cambodia. To the north-west lay two
* Sup' an. ' Now called Lopbun.
54 A HISTORY OF SIAM
independent States, namely : (i) The Kingdom of Lan-
nat'ai, comprising Chiengmai, Nak'onLamp'ang,Lamp'un,
Chiengrai, Chiengsen, and the present State of Kengtung
(then called K'emarat) ; and (2) the small but redoubtable
Principality of P'ayao.
A great many of the events of King Ramk'amheng's
reign are known to us, partly from Burmese, partly from
Chinese sources, and partly from stone inscriptions which
have been discovered.
The circumstances under which King Ramk'amheng
acquired ascendancy in Pegu are very interesting.
The Burmese Governor of Martaban, Alienma,
having disobeyed the orders of the King of Burma,
Tarekpyemin, was turned out by the Burmese. He
escaped to Siam and took an oath of fealty to King
Ramk'amheng, who thereupon restored him to power
at Martaban. The Burmese Government was at
that time so disorganised that no interference was
attempted. For some time previous to this, a Shan
adventurer named Mogado had been residing at
Suk'ot'ai, where he became a great favourite with
the Siamese King, to whom he presented a white
elephant which had come into his possession. This,
be it said, is the first Siamese white elephant of
which history makes mention.
While King Ramk'amheng was absent on a campaign
against Cambodia, Mogado eloped with one of his
daughters, and escaped to Martaban, where he was well
known, having previously resided there as a trader. He
rebelled against Aleinma, murdered him, and made
himself Governor of Martaban. He later quarrelled with
the King of Pegu, defeated him, and made himself King.
In order to strengthen his position he submitted to his
old patron, King Ramk'amheng, to whom he swore
A HISTORT OF SIAM 55
fealty, and in 1286 the Siamese King conferred upon him
the title of Chao Fa Rua. 1
An interesting feature of the reign of King
Ramk'amheng was the opening of direct political relations
with China. Kublai Khan, in his old age, sought to
consolidate his power by conciliating those neighbouring
rulers whom he had not thought it necessary to subdue.
In 1282 a Chinese Mandarin named Haw Chow Chi
arrived at the Court of Suk'ot'ai to negotiate a treaty of
amity between China and Siam, and in 1294 King
Ramk'amheng himself proceeded on a visit to the
Emperor. Would that he had kept a diary of his journey !
We may conclude that he enjoyed his visit, for he repeated
it in 1300, and on this second occasion brought back with
him a number of Chinese artisans, who inaugurated the
famous Sawank'alok potteries, the products of which are
now so much sought after by collectors. King Ram-
k'amheng did not meet Kublai Khan on his second visit
to China, for the aged Emperor had died in 1295.
King Ramk'amheng maintained friendly relations with
his northern neighbours, the King of Lannat'ai (Chieng-
mai) and the Prince of P'ayao.
King Mengrai of Lannat'ai was born at Chiengsen in
the year of the establishment of a Siamese Kingdom at
Suk'ot'ai (1238). Legend has it that he was born under
miraculous circumstances, and has invested him with
superhuman strength, and semi-divine attributes ; but
he was certainly a remarkable man. Early in his life he
founded the town of Chiengrai, where he ruled for
several years. In 1281 he attacked and captured the
ancient city of Lamp'un, then called Harip'unjai, which
appears then to have been ruled by a Mohn dynasty, as
1 Wareru in Burmese history. It is related that the King of Siam sent him
a present of a white elephant This is improbable, as the Kings of Siam never
gave white elephants to vassal Pnnces.
56 A HISTORY OF SUM
vassals of the King of Cambodia. Lamp'un did not
satisfy his requirements as a capital, so in 1290 he founded
the city of Wieng Kumkan, the remains of which can
still be seen five miles from Chiengmai. 1 This site
being subject to inundations, the present city of Chiengmai
was founded in 1296.
Before laying the foundation of Chiengmai, King
Mengrai invited King Ramk'amheng and K'un Ngam
Miiang, Prince of P'ayao, to co-operate with him in
choosing a suitable site. The task was an easy one : the
two advisers heard of a site on which two white sambhurs,
two white barking deer, and a white mouse with a family
of five little white mice had been seen. Such omens
were not to be despised, and on that spot the town of
Chiengmai was built.
The friendship of these three potentates must have
been very genuine, for it had withstood a severe strain.
King Ramk'amheng, like many other great men, could
not resist a pretty face. Some years before the foundation
of Chiengmai, during a visit which he paid to Prince
Ngam Miiang at P'ayao, he was found paying far too much
attention to the Prince's beautiful consort. Prince
Ngam Miiang discovered the intrigue, and seized King
Ramk'amheng. In his jealous anger, his first impulse
was to slay the offender, but on second thoughts he
decided to submit the matter to the arbitration of King
Mengrai (then of Chiengrai). King Mengrai proceeded
at once to P'ayao and to him Prince Ngam Miiang poured
out his bitter complaints ; but King Mengrai pointed out
to him the importance of maintaining friendship between
the three Tai States, so as to resist their common enemies,
and urged him to do nothing rash. Finding that King
1 There was probably a more ancient nty near the sight of Chiengmai, stated
by some authorities to have been called Lamaing. The rums of the temple called
Wat Chet Yot date from before the time of King Mengrai.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 57
Ramk'amheng admitted his fault, King Mengrai in-
structed him to apologise, and to pay to Prince Ngam
Miiang 990,000 cowrie shells as compensation. King
Ramk'amheng carried out these conditions, and Jthe
friendship between the three potentates became thereafter
even firmer than before.
This incident shows that King Ramk'amheng truly
deserved the title of " Great/' A pettier man would have
sought to revenge himself on the weaker neighbour who
had humbled him ; but King Ramk'amheng was noble
enough to admit when he was in the wrong, and to apolo-
gise to the man whom he had injured.
We are further told concerning King Ramk'amheng
that he caused a bell to be put up at Suk'ot'ai, to be rung
by any person who had suffered wrong or injury, and was
desirous of appealing to the King for justice. When
the bell was heard to ring, the King came forth and held
enquiry into the matter complained of. No man ever
appealed in vain to this great ruler of justice.
King Ramk'amheng's chief claim to fame, however,
is founded upon his reorganisation of the Siamese
alphabet. Until his time various forms of the Cam-
bodian alphabet had been in use in Siam. King Ram-
k'amheng altered and adapted the existing characters so
as to render them suitable for writing Tai words. The
alphabet introduced by him is, in its essential features, the
same as that in use at the present day. This alphabet
was first brought into use in I283. 1
The exact date of King Ramk'amheng's death is not
known, but he was still living in 1314, for in that year he
invested the grandson of Wareru (Mogado) as vassal
1 The alphabet of King Ramk'amheng was adopted throughout Siam including
the Cluongmai dominions. The present western Lao alphabet is a more modern
form, corrupted by Durmese influence. It is, in fact, merely a relic of foreign
domination. The Luang P'rabang alphabet is a form of the Ramk'amheng
alphabet.
58 A HISTORT OF SIAM
King of Pegu, with the title of " Prachao Sen Mttang
Min."
Prince Damrong fixes the date of King Ramk'amheng's
death in (about) the year 1317. If this is correct, he
died in the same year as his friend King Mengrai of
Chiengmai, who also departed this life in 1317, after
reigning for 59 years. The old Prince Ngam Muang of
P'ayao lived on until 1328. He reigned for sixty years.
Ten years after his death P'ayao ceased to be an
independent State, and was annexed to Chiengmai (1338).
King Ramk'amheng was succeeded by his son, who
bore the title of Loet'ai.
Not much is known concerning King Loet'ai, Like
so many of the sons of the great warriors of whom we
read in history, he was utterly unable to defend his father's
hard-won possessions. Scarcely had he ascended the
throne when the King of Pegu threw off his allegiance and
attacked and captured Tavoy and Tenasserim ; and an
attempt made by King Loet'ai in 1330 to recover those
cities met with no success. 1
In Siam itself, moreover, a rival power had sprung up,
which was destined to obtain, in time, dominion over the
whole Kingdom. This was the Principality of Suwanp'-
umi, or Ut'ong, ruled over by an energetic Prince who
was descended from the Chiengsen Princes, and was
probably a distant relative of King Mengrai. Before the
end of King Loet'ai's reign, the Prince of Ut'ong had
annexed a large portion of the dominions of the Suk'ot'ai
Kingdom. Parts of the Cambodian Empire, moreover,
which had never been conquered, even by King Ram-
k'amheng, were annexed by the Prince of Ut'ong, includ-
ing Lopburi, the old city of Ayodhya, and Chantabun.
*The Burmese annals relate that Tavoy and Tenasserim were retaken by
Siam. This was probably the work of King Rama T'ibodi of Ayut'ia.
Near the modem town of Sup* an.
A HISTORY OF SUM 59
In 1350 the Prince of Ut'ong founded a new city at
Ayut'ia, and proclaimed himself King, with the title of
Rama T'ibodi I. This was the commencement of the
present Kingdom of Siam.
The reign of King Rama T'ibodi must be dealt with in
another chapter, but it will be convenient first to describe
briefly the concluding events of the Kingdom of Suk'ot'ai.
KingLoet'ai died in 1347 ; his son, Prince T'ammaraja
Liit'ai was compelled to fight for the throne against some
rebels or conspirators, whom he overcame and executed.
He succeeded to a very small Kingdom, including only the
towns of Suk'ot'ai, Sawank'alok, Kamp'engp'et, P'itsan-
ulok, P'ichit, and Nak'on Sawang, and some claim to
suzerainty over P're, Nan and Luang P'rabang. 1
King T'ammaraja did not seek to recover the lost
Suk'ot'ai dominions, but devoted himself to religious
works, such as the building of pagodas and monasteries,
and sought in every way to promote the happiness and
welfare of his subjects.
The King effected religious reformations with the aid
of Buddhist priests whom he caused to come from Ceylon,
and had several large images of Buddha set up at Suk'ot'ai.
One of these, cast in 1361, may be seen to-day in Wat
Sut'at at Bangkok.
In the same year (1361) King T'ammaraja Lut'ai
became a Buddhist priest, an event which was considered
so remarkable that it was connected in the public mind
with an earthquake and other portents which occurred at
about the same time.
King T'ammaraja Liit'ai was a great builder of roads
and digger of canals. He made a road from Suk'ot'ai
to Sawank'alok, and other roads to connect his capital
with Kamp'engp'et and other smaller cities. It is
1 He appears to have been crowned as King or Viceroy of Sawank'alok in 1340.
60 A HISTORY OF SIAM
further recorded of him that " his mercy and charity
were as boundless as the waters of the ocean. He loved
his people like his own children. He was wont to pardon
criminals, give them the wherewithal to make restitution
for their crimes, and send them home. In his time there
were no slaves in all the land. All men were free and
happy. His fame spread among all nations, and men
flocked from every side to live in peace under his gracious
rulc."
King T'ammaraja Liit'ai was a lover of peace. Only
the few occasions when he was forced to go to war, such
as an expedition which he undertook against P're and
Nan in 1359, he won less renown by his military prowess
than by the humanity with which he treated his prisoners.
In the East, at that period, prisoners of war who were not
slaughtered usually became slaves. But this King had
no use for slaves, so " he supported and fed his prisoners,
and would not let them come to misery and ruin."
Sic transit gloria mundi. The very name of this great
and good King was forgotten, together with all his noble
deeds, until the year 1833, when the stone inscription
describing his reign was deciphered, after having lain
neglected for five hundred years. Later, in 1912, a
treatise on Buddhist cosmology, composed by this King,
was discovered and published. It is called the Trai-
bhumikatha y and bears, both in its style and in its spirit,
the imprint of the personality of King T'ammaraja
Lttt'ai.
This monarch also built palaces and other public
1 This is from a stone inscription in the Khmer language, discovered in 1833
by Prince Maha Mongkut (later King Rama IV) and translated by Prime
Pawaret. This stone has since crumbled away to such an extent that a large
part of the inscription has now vanished for ever. There is reason to suppose
that Pnncc Pawaret's translation was not very exact.
For a French translation of this inscription, in its present state, and of other
stone inscriptions dealing with the Kings of Suk'ot'ai, see the Rtccuil des
Insrri7>f?ons du Siam, Part I, by Professor G. Coedes published in Siamese and
French, Bangkok, 1924.
A HISTORT OF SI AM 61
buildings at Suk'ot'ai, the ruins of which may still be
seen. He was, moreover, an astronomer, and reformed
the calendar, and was also an adept at astrology, for the
teaching of which science he instituted a school in the
palace.
The date of King T'ammaraja Lfit'ai's death is not
known, but he probably died about 1370. He was
succeeded by his son, Prince Sai, who assumed the same
title of T'ammaraja. This title became a kind of generic
one for the rulers of Suk'ot'ai and P'itsanulok.
King T'ammaraja II (Sai), after a reign of eight years,
was forced to become a vassal of the King Ayut'ia. This
event marks the end of the independent Tai Kingdom of
Suk'ot'ai, after an existence of 132 years. The glory of
this kingdom was mainly due to one man, King Ram-
k'amheng ; had his successors been warriors like him, the
Siamese Kingdom of Suk'ot'ai might have endured until
the present time.
The Kings of Suk'ot'ai continued for some years to
rule as vassals of Ayut'ia. T'ammaraja II reigned until
about 1406, and was succeeded by his son, T'ammaraja
III, who was probably a mere boy, since it is recorded
that in 1409 the Queen -mother assisted at the consecra-
tion of a high priest. He died in 1419. The next
King, T'ammaraja IV, appears to have been a brother of
T'ammaraja III. He was little more than hereditary
Governor of Suk'ot'ai, and his successors hardly deserve
the title of King ; though, as we shall see later, a scion of
this family was destined, in 1568, to become King of
Siam and to revive the title of T'ammaraja.
CHAPTER IV
FOUNDATION OF AYUT*IA REIGN OF KING RAMA T'lBODI I
As already related in the preceding chapter, Ayut'ia was
founded by the Prince of Ut'ong (now called Sup'an)
in the year 1350.
There are few persons mentioned in Siamese history
around whose names there hangs a greater amount of
mystery than the founder of Ayut'ia. It has been sug-
gested that he came from Kamp'engp'et, from Cambodia,
or from Sawank'alok. To discuss all the arguments
would be out of place in a work of this kind. The best
authorities now hold that he was the ruler of Ut'ong,
or Suwanp'umi, an ancient city standing near the site of
the modern town of Sup'an, and that the name by which
he is known in the Siamese annals, P'ya Ut'ong, is not
a personal name, but the name of his original domain.
In this same manner, the Chief of Chiengmai is called at
the present time " Chao Chiengmai."
We do not, therefore, know the personal name of the
founder of Ayut'ia.
It would appear that he was not the son, but the son-
in-law, of the preceding Prince of Ut'ong. He is
supposed to have been a scion of the family reigning at
1 Most of the names of the Kings of Siam given in this book are titles rather
than real names. It was not customary to icfcr to a King by his name during
his lifetime, and in many cases the personal names of the Kings are not now
known. Even the titles are often doubtful. Each King had his full style and
title inscribed on a golden plate, but these were all lost when Ayut'ia was de-
stroyed by the Burmese in 1767. The names or titles used m this book are those
commonly used by Siamese historians.
62
O c
X
O
c
J ~
H
A HISTORY OF SIAM 63
Chiengsen, and was, therefore, related to the King* of
Chiehgmai. It is probable that the old Prince of jut'ong
had no sons by his chief wife, but only a daughter* This
daughter was married to the founder of Ayut'ia, who
later became Prince of Ut'ong"(P'ya Ut'ong) by the right
of his wife, in preference to his brothers-in-law, the sons
of inferior wives of the old Prince.
His predecessor, the former P'ya Ut'ong, had been a
great warrior, and had acquired a considerable part of
the dominions once ruled over by King Ramk'amheng
of Suk'ot'ai, including Nak'on Srit'ammarat, Ratburi,
and P'etchaburi, as well as TenasseYim and Tavoy,
which had been lost to Suk'ot'ai in 1318, and which
Ut'ong had annexed about 1325.
The history of the rise of P'ya Ut'ong's power is very
obscure, and it is impossible to say what portion of the
domain which was under his control when he founded
Ayut'ia had been acquired by him, and what portion
have been inherited from his father-in-law.
The reasons which led to the foundation of Ayut'ia are
likewise not known for certain. Legends are plentiful
with regard to this question, but the truth appears to be
that Ut'ong was abandoned owing to an epidemic.
P'ya Ut'ong first settled to the south of the present town
of Ayut'ia, but after three years he decided to build his
capital on an island in the river. This was the beginning
of the city of Ayut'ia, the ruins of which are familiar to
all travellers to Siam. The sea was at that period much
nearer to Ayut'ia than is now the case. The site chosen
was not far from the ancient city of Ayodhya, which had
been abandoned or destroyed.
P'ya Ut'ong, after founding Ayut'ia, assumed the
title of Rama T'ibodi, a title later borne by many other
Kings of Siam, including His late Majesty.
64 A HISTORY OF SIAM
At the time of the foundation of Ayut'ia, according to
the Siamese annals, King Rama T'ibodi's dominions were
of great extent, including the whole of the kingdom of
Suk'ot'ai. We know, however, that this is an exaggera-
tion. Suk'ot'ai, though declining in power, was still
an independent State, ruled over by King Loet'ai.
King Rama T'ibodi probably held sway over the
districts of Ayut'ia, Lopburi, Sup'an, Ratburi, P'etcha-
buri, Nak'on Srit'ammarat, Singora, Chantabun (con-
quered from Cambodia), Tenasserim, and Tavoy. He
had even extended his conquests as far as Malacca, and
was thus the first King of Siam to rule over a Malay
State.
Those who have visited the ruins of Ayut'ia and have
seen the remains of mighty walls and ramparts, and the
ruins of magnificent temples and pagodas, must not sup-
pose that all these date from the time of King Rama
T'ibodi I. In his time Ayut'ia was a very small city,
with a wall of mud, and the buildings, including the
Royal Palace, were constructed of timber. The brick
wall, parts of which may still be seen, was built by King
Chakrap'at (1548)' and the Palace, the ruins of which
are still discernible, dates from the time of King Trail-
okanat (1448).
Early in his reign as King of Ayut'ia King Rama
T'ibodi installed his brother-in-law, Prince P'angoa, as
Governor of Sup'an, with the title of Boromoraja Chao,
and his own son, Prince Ramesuen, was appointed
Governor of Lopburi. The King was only thirty-seven
years of age at that time, so Prince Ramesuen must have
been a mere lad.
It seems likely that King Rama T'ibodi, when still
Prince of Ut'ong, had had occasion to measure his
l The walls of Ayut'ia were restored by King Prasat T'ong in 1634.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 65
strength against the waning power of the Cambodian
Empire. However this may be, in 1352 we find him
engaged in a war with Cambodia. A young monarch,
named Boroma Lamp'ongsaraja, had recently succeeded
to the Cambodian throne, and the King of Siam doubtless
thought it a good opportunity to deal a blow at his eastern
neighbour. He therefore placed his son, Prince Rame-
suen, at the head of an army for the invasion of Cambodia.
The young Prince soon showed himself an incompetent
commander. He allowed his army to become separated
into two portions, with the result that his advance army,
consisting of five thousand men, was attacked by the
Cambodian forces, led by the Crown Prince of that
country, and utterly routed.
The news of this reverse caused consternation at
Ayut'ia, and Prince Boromoraja (P'angoa) was hurriedly
despatched with another army to the assistance of his
nephew. He defeated the Cambodians and invested
their capital, which was taken after a siege of nearly a
yejr. The King of Cambodia died during the siege, and
the Crown Prince was set up as King, apparently as a
vassal of Siam. He bore the title of King P'asat.
In the year 1354, as related in the last chapter, King
Loet'ai of Suk'ot'ai died, and his death was followed by
disturbances in the northern kingdom. King Rama
T'ibodi seized this opportunity to invade the Suk'ot'ai
dominions, and captured the town of Jainat. The new
King of Suk'ot'ai, T'ammaraja Liit'ai, made no attempt
to resist this aggression by force, but sent envoys to
beg for the return of Jainat. This was agreed to, but
history does not relate upon what conditions,
In the year 1357 two Princes of Ayut'ia, Chao Keo and
Chao T'ai, died of cholera. This is the first mention
of cholera in Siam. Would that it had been the last 1
Es
66 A HISTORY OF SUM
King Rama T'ibodi was a great legislator.
We may assume that the Tai brought many of the legal
customs of Nanchao into Siam with them, and it is not
improbable that many laws had been committed to
writing in Suk'ot'ai and elsewhere long before the
foundation of Ayut'ia. The first Siamese laws of which
we possess any definite knowlege are, however, those
promulgated by King Rama T'ibodi I. Many of these
laws have since been altered and extended by additions
from the Code of Manu, which was introduced later
from Burma, and was not altogether an improvement ;
but it may be taken that in their main principles the laws
have not been greatly changed ; and many of them are
still in force at the present time.
To give a complete commentary on the laws of King
Rama T'ibodi I would require a volume of some size.
A few extracts and examples may, however, be of interest,
as showing the general type of Siamese mediaeval legis-
lation.
The following laws are attributed to King Rama
T'ibodi I :
i. The Law of Evidence (A.D. 1350).
The most curious feature of this law is the large
number of classes of persons who were precluded from
giving evidence, except with the consent of both parties,
to a case. These included : infidels, debtors of the
parties, slaves of the parties, diseased persons, children
under seven, old persons over seventy, backbiters,
covetous persons, professional dancers, beggars, homeless
persons, the deaf, the blind, prostitutes, pregnant women,
hermaphrodites, impotent persons, sorcerers, witches,
lunatics, quack doctors, fishermen, bootmakers, gamblers,
thieves, criminals, and executioners.
It must have been rather hard on a man who happened
A BISTORT OF SUM 67
to be assaulted in the presence of an executioner, a
bootmaker, and a hermaphrodite.
2. The Law on Offences against the Government
(A.D. 1351).
This law provides very severe penalties for offences
against the Government, but perhaps not so severe as
those in vogue in Europe at the same period.
An official who stole Government money was liable to
one of eight punishments : (i) death, (2) degradation,
(3) twenty-five strokes with a rattan, (4) to be reduced to
the position of a commoner, (5) a fine equal to three times
the amount stolen, (6) a fine of double the amount stolen,
(7) to refund the amount stolen, (8) to be suspended
from his functions.
This law, however, showed care for the common
people as well as for the King's Government. An
official who oppressed or despoiled those subjected to his
control was liable to be punished by death or by flogging,
or to undergo other severe penalties.
3. The Law on Receiving Plaints (A.D. 1355).
This law provides fines for offences similar to Cham-
perty and Maintenance.
It contains some curious provisions, e.g. : " If any
worthless and unfilial man attempts to bring a case
against his parents or grandparents, let him be soundly
flogged as an example to others ; and his claim shall not
be admitted."
4. The Law on Abduction (A.D. 1356).
This law deals with offences such as the abduction of
the wives, daughters, and more especially the slaves, of
others. It is particularly interesting as showing that
slavery was a widely spread and strongly established
institution in King Rama T'ibodi's realm. As we have
seen in Chapter HI, the northern Siamese Kingdom of
68 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Suk'ot'ai discouraged slavery. It is not, therefore,
surprising to find in the Law on Abduction a reference
to the prevalence among slaves of a habit of escaping away
to the dominions of the King of Suk'ot'ai.
5. The Law on Offences Against the People (A.D.
1357);
This law deals with offences such as trespass, assault,
false imprisonment, and so forth. One section provides
for the payment of damages in cases where property is
lost during an affray. The effect of this may still be seen
in Siam : a person who is assaulted is very apt to allege
that his ring came off, or that his money rolled out of his
pocket and was lost.
6. The Law Concerning Robbers (A.D. 1350 and 1366).
This law deals with robbery, burglary, arson, murder,
and other serious crimes. It contains several wise
provisions. Here is one : " If any person receive stolen
property, knowing it to be stolen, let him produce the
thief. Should he fail to do so, let him be punished as
though he were himself the thief."
Some of the punishments seem curious to-day. " If
any person shall steal fish from a private pond or tank,
let him pay a fine of 333,333 cowrie shells. 11 Let us hope
that the thief was made to count the shells.
7. The Law on Miscellaneous Matters (A.D. 1359).
This law deals with a great variety of subjects, such,
for instance, as the theft of growing crops, diversion of
irrigation ditches, cheating, etc. It also provides punish-
ment for various kinds of witches, sorcerers, necromancers
and harbourers of familiar spirits. The methods of these
worthies, such as preparing love philtres, and burying
small wax images of those whom they wished to destroy,
seem to have been very similar to those of their confreres
in England at that period.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 69
8. The Law of Husband and Wife (A,D. 1359).
This law, as may be supposed, recognises polygamy.
Most of its provisions, however, appear to be meant to
apply to monogamous unions. Then, as now, polygamy
was probably a luxury for the few.
Section 65. " If a husband and wife have a physical
or mental distaste for one another and desire to be
divorced, let it be as they wish ; for they two have no
further blessing on their union, and therefore should not
be compelled to live together." The author begs to
bring this section to the notice of the Spiritual Lords of
the British Parliament.
On the whole, the laws of King Rama T'ibodi I were
wise and just, judged by the standards of his time, and
were well adapted to meet the needs of Siamese society
as then constituted.
King Rama T'ibodi I died in 1369, at the age of
fifty-seven. There is no other example in comparatively
modern times of a founder of a powerful State concerning
whom we possess so little knowledge. What was his
name ? Who was his father ? Where was he born ?
We do not know. Nor do we know anything definite of
his history until he founded Ayut'ia, being then aged
thirty-seven. We can read his laws, and we can see the
results of his conquests ; but, considered as a man, he
remains one of the mysteries of History.
NOTE TO CHAPTER IV
The most probable conjecture as to the origin of King Rama
T'ibodi I is that advanced by Prince Damrong, namely that he
was a scion of a family which came down from die north
(presumably from Chiengsen) and which set up an independent
Principality on the site of the then deserted city of Nak'on
Prat'om (P'rapat'om). As King Rama T'ibodi left his ancestral
city and settled in the realm of his father-in-law, we may perhaps
assume that he was a younger son.
CHAPTER V
REIGNS OF KING RAMBSUEN, RING BOROMORAJA I, KING
LAN, KING RAM RAJA, AND KING INT*ARAJA I
KING RAMA T'IBODI left the throne to his son, Prince
Ramesuen, the Governor of Lopburi. The new King
was unpopular, probably owing to the incompetence he
had shown as a General in the Cambodian war. A
year after his accession disturbances broke out which he
was unable to quell, and he was urged by his Ministers
to abdicate in favour of his uncle, Prince Boromoraja
(P'angoa), the Governor of Sup'an. The matter was
amicably arranged. Prince Boromoraja became King,
and King Ramesuen reverted to his former position as
Governor of Lopburi (1370).
King Boromoraja I was the fifth son of the former
Prince of Ut'ong (Sup'an) and was the brother-in-law
of King Rama T'ibodi I. His name, P'angoa, is an
archaic form of the word ngoa y meaning five. At that
time it was very common to call children by numbers,
even in noble or princely families. Ngoa may be com-
pared to the Roman name Quintus. 1
Shortly after ascending the throne, King Boromoraja
sent an embassy to the Emperor of China. The power
of the Mongol rulers of China had just succumbed to a
series of blows dealt by the virtuous and illustrious
I This system of nomenclature was as follows : i, Ai ; 2. Yi ; 3, Sam ; 4,
Sai ; 5, Ngoa ; 6, Lok ; 7, Chet ; 8, Pet ; 9, Chao ; xo, Chong. These same
names are in use among the Shans at the present day, though most of them have
There was a ftirnilar system for naming girls*
A HISTORY OF SUM 71
Hongwou, first Emperor of the Ming dynasty. This
Emperor made Nankin his capital, and thither, in the
year 1371, repaired the Siamese Ambassadors, with a
letter announcing that King Boromoraja had taken over
the government from his nephew, King Ramesuen, who
was unable to control the people.
Cordial relations with China were continued through-
out this reign. In the year 1373 a Siamese Princess,
probably the mother of the ex-King Ramesuen, sent
envoys to Nankin, who were well received by the
Emperor and Empress ; later, in 1384, the King's
nephew, Prince Nak'on In 1 (later King of Siam), sent
envoys with presents to the Imperial pair, who received
them graciously, and despatched gifts in return.
In 1375 a son of the ex-King Ramesuen sent an
embassy to Nankin, and in the same year Prince Nak'on
In visited Nankin in person, and brought back an auto-
graphed letter from the Emperor to King Boromoraja.
While King Boromoraja was cultivating friendly
relations with China, he was occupied nearer home in
subjugating the dominions of his neighbour, the King of
Suk'ot'ai.
The two Tai Kingdoms, as may be supposed, could
not continue to exist side by side. The weaker was
bound to succumb. The continual escape of slaves into
the free State of Suk'ot'ai was doubtless a cause of
friction.
Whatever the excuse for war may have been, we find
King Boromoraja in 1371, shortly after his accession,
invading Suk'ot'ai and capturing several towns. In
1372 he made further annexations, and in 1373 he invested
Kamp'engp'et, the western outpost of the Suk'ot'ai
1 This title means " Prince of Int'aburi." The town of Int'aburi, which still
exists, was at that time under Sup'an.
72 A HISTORY OF SIAM
dominions. The Governor of Kamp'engp'et was killed
in the fighting, but the town was not taken.
In 1375 P'itsanulok, the second capital of the King of
Suk'ot'ai, was captured, and a large number of prisoners
" swept away " doubtless into slavery.
In 1376 another attempt was made to take Kam-
p'engp'et. A Lao army was sent down from Chiengmai,
under a leader named T'ao P'a Kong, 1 to assist the
Governor of Kamp'engp'et. The Governor and the
Lao General tried to lure the Siamese army into an
ambush, but failed, and were driven away with great
slaughter. In spite of this, the town of Kamp'engp'et
was still able to resist, and remained untaken till the
next year.
In 1378 Kamp'engp'et was once more attacked.
This time the King of Suk'ot'ai was himself present.
Realising the hopelessness of further resistance, he
surrendered the city, and made submission to King
Boromoraja.
This event marks the final extinction of the independent
Kingdom of Suk'ot'ai. At the time of King Boromoraja's
accession Suk'ot'ai was but a shadow of the Kingdom
of King Ramk'amheng. Nevertheless, six invasions,
extending over a period of eight years, were necessary
before final success was obtained by the southern
Kingdom.
The King of Suk'ot'ai, T'ammaraja II, was not
deposed, but was left to reign over a portion of his former
dominions as a vassal of Ayut'ia, with his capital at
P'itsanulok. His descendants continued to reign there
as vassal Kings for over seventy years more. The
western part of the Suk'ot'ai dominions, including
Kamp'engp'et, was annexed to Ayut'ia.
1 P'a Kong was the ancient name of Nan*
A HISTORT OF SIAM 73
Suk'ot'ai having been disposed of, no impediment lay
in extending Siamese influence to the Kingdom of
Lannat'ai (Chiengmai). No good opportunity arose,
however, until the last year of King Boromoraja's reign.
King Kii Na, 1 the ninth King of Chiengmai, died about
1387, and was succeeded by his son, Sen Miiang Ma,
a lad of fourteen. He had an uncle, Prince P'rohm,
Governor of Chiengrai, who, needless to say, at once
attempted to seize the throne. Failing in his attempt, he
applied for the aid of King Boromoraja. The latter
was only too pleased to grasp this opportunity of extending
his power ; he therefore espoused the cause of Prince
P'rohm and despatched a Siamese army to attack
Chiengmai.
The young Lao King had made full preparations, and
had a large force waiting for the Siamese. A strenuous
battle was fought at the village of Sen Sanuk, near
Chiengmai, in which the Siamese were worsted. The
Siamese army then retired through Miiang Li.
In this battle a Chiengmai Princess, Nang Mtlang,
distinguished herself by taking an active part in the
fighting, wearing a man's clothes and riding an elephant.
She was at that time well advanced in pregnancy, and
shortly after the battle gave birth to a son, who was
called Chao Kla Te T'ong (Prince Brave-from-the-
womb).
This first invasion of Chiengmai was not a very
successful one. Prince P'rohm relinquished his hopes
of mounting the throne of Chiengmai, and became
reconciled to the young King, his nephew, to whom
he presented a very sacred image of Buddha, known
as the P'rasingh or P'rasihing, which he had
1 This ruler built the beautiful Wat Sut'ep temple on the Doi Sut'ep mountain
near Chiengmai.
74 AHISTORT OF SIAM
compelled the Governor of Kamp'engp'et to deliver
up to him. 1
This image-stealing expedition of Prince P'rohm's
to Kamp'engp'et had serious consequences for King
Boromoraja. The latter set out to assist the Governor
of Kamp'engp'et against Prince P'rohm, but was taken
ill on the way, and died before he could be brought back
to Ayut'ia (1388).
King Boromoraja I was a worthy successor to King
Rama T'ibodi I, whose life-work he completed by the
subjection of the Kingdom of Suk'ot'ai.
King Boromoraja I was succeeded by his son,
T'ong Lan, a boy of fifteen. The ex-King, Ramesuen,
Governor of Lopburi, immediately proceeded to
Ayut'ia, seized the young King, T'ong Lan, and
caused him to be executed, after a reign of only seven
days.
The method presumably adopted in this case, as in
later cases where it was thought necessary to get rid of
a Royal personage, consisted in tying the victim in a
velvet sack, and clubbing him to death with a club
of sandal-wood. By this means, no menial hand was
allowed to touch the Royal body. This mark of
respect cannot, however, have afforded much comfort
to the victim,
I This image bad an eventful history. It was cast in Ceylon early in the
Christian Era. King Ramk'amheng of Suk'ot'ai sent an envoy to Ceylon to
ask for it. It was despatched by sea, was shipwrecked, but swam or floated
ashore at Nak'on Srit'ammarat. It was taken to Jainat, whence it was removed
to Ayut'ia by Boromoraja I, about 1378- In the same reign it was taken away,
by means of a stratagem, by a son of the Governor of Kamp'engp'et, and remained
in that town until 1388, when Prince P'rohm obtained it by force, and took it
to Chiengmai. About 1548 it was removed to Luang P'rabang, together with
the Emerald Buddha and other very sacred images, by King Jai Jett'a. In
1556 it was sent back to Chiengmai. In 1662 King Narai took it to Ayut'ia.
After the capture of Ayut'ia in 1767, the Burmese returned it to Chiengmai.
The first King of the present dynasty caused it to be brought to Bangkok in
1795, and it is still in the royal palace there.
The P'rasingh now in Chiengmai is generally supposed to be a replica, cast
about 1388. Some believe, however, that it is the original image, and that the
one in Bangkok is the replica.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 75
Judged by modern standards, the murder of this boy
King, and other similar deeds which deface the annals
of the Kings of Ayut'ia, were cruel and atrocious crimes.
It must be remembered, however, that the law of suc-
cession in Siam was very vague, and it may have been
thought better to sacrifice one life even a King's life
rather than to run the risk of disturbances which might
cause great bloodshed and throw the whole realm into
confusion. In regard to this matter, moreover, the
history of Siam has nothing to fear from comparison with
that of neighbouring countries. As late as 1879, King
Theebaw signalised his usurpation of the throne of
Burma by the most brutal massacres of his many relatives.
He murdered about as many Princes in a single day as
were accounted for by all the Kings of Siam put
together.
King Ramesuen thus resumed the throne, to which he
was without doubt entitled, as being the son of the founder
of Ayut'ia.
About two years after King Ramesuen 's second ac-
cession, the young King of Chiengmai, Sen Miiang Ma,
came down at the head of an army to assist the vassal
King of Suk'ot'ai to throw off his allegiance. According
to the Chiengmai chronicle, King T'ammaraja requested
the aid of the King of Chiengmai ; but this would appear
to have been merely a ruse, for the Chiengmai army was
suddenly attacked by night by the Suk'ot'ai forces, and
dispersed with great loss. The young King of Chiengmai
himself only just managed to escape through the faith-
fulness of two of his servants, who carried him on their
backs, turn and turn about. As a reward, titles and land
were conferred upon them, and they signalised their rise
to greatness by setting up two figures of white elephants
outside one of the gates of Chiengmai ; these can be seen
76 A HISTORY OF SIAM
there to the present day, though doubtless often since
restored. 1 This reverse kept Chiengmai quiet for the
rest of the reign of King Ramesuen. 1
In 1393, war broke out with Cambodia.* The King
of Cambodia, Kodom Bong, was the aggressor. He
suddenly invaded the Jonburi and Chantabun districts,
and removed 6,000 or 7,000 of the population back to
Cambodia.
King Ramesuen took prompt and forcible action. He
at once assembled an army and invaded Cambodia.
The Cambodian forces were utterly routed and the
Siamese advanced to the capital, Angkor T'om. The
King of Cambodia escaped by boat and his final fate is
not recorded. The Crown Prince was captured, and a
grandson of King Kodom Bong, named Sri Suriyo
P'awong, was set up as a vassal King, under the
tutelage of the Siamese General, P'ya Jai Narong,
who remained in Cambodia with a garrison of five
thousand men.
No less than 90,000 Cambodians were taken away as
prisoners to Siam.
1 According to some authorities, however, these elephants are of much more
modern origin, having been set up by Pnnce Kawila in 1780.
*The P'ongsawadan, except the earliest version (Luang Prasoet's history),
gives a detailed account of an invasion of Chiengmai by King Ramesuen. The
wall of Chiengmai was battered down by a big cannon. The King of Chiengmai
demanded a truce, which he treacherously made use of to repair the damage.
The city was then taken by force, and a son of the King, named Nak Srang,
was set up in his place. A large number of prisoners were taken.
It seems impossible that these events can really have taken place. King
Sen Muang Ma of Chiengmai succeeded to the throne during the reign of King
Boromoraja I of'Siam. He was not set up by the Siamese, who, on the contrary,
supported a rival claimant, Prince P'rohm. The date of King Sen Muang Ma's
death is variously given, but the earliest possible date was six years after the death
of King Ramesuen. The next King of Chiengmai, Fang Ken, was likewise not
set up by the Siamese, who again supported a rival candidate.
The literary style in which this alleged invasion of Chiengmai is related is
quite out of keeping with that used in describing other events of the period.
The story is an interpolation. It is probably a description of some quite different
war at a much later date. The name Nak Srang is rather suggestive of Cambodia.
* Cambodian war. According to Cambodian history, this invasion took place
in A.D. 1357, during the reign of Rama T'ibodi I. It is inserted here on the
authority of Prince Damrong.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 77
Firearms are stated to have been used in this war. 1
A great procession was held at Ayut'ia in honour of
these victories, and suitable rewards and promotions
were awarded to the successful leaders.
Cambodia did not recover from this blow for some time.
She remained quiet for almost fifty years.
King Ramesuen died in 1395, having reigned, since
his second accession, for seven years. He was about
sixty-two years of age at the time of his death. He had
shown himself, when young, an incompetent General, and
it is probable that his later victories were the work of
P'ya Jai Narong. The murder of his nephew, King
T'ong Lan, is a blot on his memory ; even if such an act
could be justified on grounds of policy, King Ramesuen
might well have remembered how much more nobly
King Boromoraja I had acted towards himself on his
abdication, and spared the son out of gratitude to the
father.
A phantom King, Ram Raja, the son of King Ramesuen,
now succeeded to the throne. He reigned for fourteen
years, during which time nothing whatever is recorded as
having occurred.
In 1408 King Ram Raja quarrelled with his principal
Minister, whose arrest he ordered. The Minister fled
to Sup'an, and appealed for assistance to Prince Nak'on
In, the Governor of that town, a nephew of King Boro-
moraja I. The Prince proceeded to* Ayut'ia, seized
King Ram Raja, and forced him to abdicate. He then
proclaimed himself King, with the title of King Int'araja I.
1 It has been suggested that firearms cannot have been
this time. Chiengmai history first mentions firearms as havin
siege of P'ayao in 1411. Burmese history tells us that c
siege of Martaban in 1354. In Chinese history a weapon,
a cannon, is said to have been used at the siege of Yuent
Cannon were used by the English at the siege of C
been known in Europe for several years previously.
The author does not regard it as impossible that c
used in Siam in 1390.
78 A HISTORT OF SIAM
King Ram Raja was treated as a harmless nonentity,
and was permitted to live in retirement until his death.
King Int'araja I was the son of one of the younger
brothers of King Boromoraja I, and had succeeded his
father as Governor of Sup'an.
On attaining the throne, the new King overwhelmed
with honours the Minister whose action had brought
about his elevation. He gave him one of his daughters
in marriage, and invested him with *all kinds of gold
ornaments and insignia of rank.
In 141 1 King Sen MUang Ma of Chiengmai died. His
two sons, Prince Yi Kumkam and Prince Fang Ken,
fought for the succession, and the unsuccessful candidate,
in this case Prince Yi Kumkam, appealed to Siam for
aid. An army, commanded by the vassal King T'am-
maraja III of Suk'ot'ai, was despatched to Chiengmai
to place Prince Yi Kumkam on the throne.
The Siamese first invested P'ayao, but failed to take it.
This attack on P'ayao is interesting, as affording the first
mention in the Chiengmai annals of the use of cannon.
It is said that the Siamese erected a mound twenty-four
yards high in order to shoot into the city. The people
of P'ayao therefore melted down the brass tiles on one of
their temples and made a five-inch cannon, wherewith
they destroyed the Siamese fort.
The Siamese abandoned the siege of P'ayao and went
on to Chiengrai. After resting there for some time, they
advanced on Chiengmai. The siege of Chiengmai lasted
for some time. Finally the young King of Chiengmai
suggested that the matter in dispute should be submitted
to trial by single combat. Each side was to choose a
champion ; if the Siamese champion won, King Fang
Ken would abdicate in favour of his brother ; if the Lao
champion were the victor, Prince Yi Kumkam would
A HISTORT OF SIAM 79
abandon his claim. These terms were accepted, and the
two champions were chosen. They fought for several
hours without result, but at last the Siamese champion
received a scratch on his big toe, and was adjudged the
loser.
This siege was also memorable owing to the pluck of a
young lad named P'etyot. He collected a band of two
hundred boys and youths on the Doi Sut'ep mountain
and continually harassed the Siamese army. After the
siege, the King of Chiengmai was so delighted with
P'etyot, that he appointed him to be P'ya Dekjai (Lord
Little-Boy) a title which survives in Chiengmai even to
the present time.
The Siamese army retreated ; it can, however, hardly
be said that the spirit of the compact made with the Laos
was observed, for it retreated northwards, and attacked
the town of Chiengrai, which was captured. A large
number of prisoners were taken back to Ayut'ia.
In the year 1410 the vassal King of Suk'ot'ai died.
His death was followed by serious disturbances, caused
by the claims of two Princes, Ban Miiang and Rama, to
the right of succession. 1 King Int'araja, at the head of his
army, advanced to Nak'onsawan ; the show of force
was sufficient, and the differences between the two Princes
were composed. It is not known which of them was
appointed King, or Governor, of Suk'ot'ai.
King Int'araja, as we have seen, had visited China
before he became King, and during his whole reign he
maintained friendly intercourse with the Emperor
Yonglo (third of the Ming dynasty). Several embassies
were sent to China, and several Chinese envoys visited
Ayut'ia during this reign.
1 Tammaraja II of Suk'ot'ai had died about 1409. This was Tammaraja III,
a youthful King. The two Princes who claimed the throne were probably his
brothers. See chapter iii.
8o A DISTORT OF SIAM
King Int'araja had three sons, named according to the
numerical system already referred to. We might call
them Princes Primus, Secundus and Tertius. On their
father's death, in 1424, the two elder sons proceeded to
fight for the throne. They and their adherents met on a
bridge in the city of Ayut'ia, and the two Princes, mounted
on elephants, engaged in personal combat. The result
was that both of them were thrown from their
elephants and killed. The youngest brother was then
proclaimed King without opposition, under the title of
Boromoraja II (1424).
CHAPTER VI
REIGNS OF KING BOROMORAJA II AND KING BOROMA
TRAILOKANAT
KING BOROMORAJA II, whose accession to the throne of
Siam was due to such an extraordinary event, proved to
be a warlike and capable monarch.
In 14$* war broke out with Cambodia. The Siamese
invaded that Kingdom and invested the capital, which
was taken after a siege of seven months. The King of
Cambodia, T'ammasok, died during the siege, and the
King of Siam set up his own son, the Prince of Int'aburi,
as King of Cambodia.
After the retirement of the Siamese army, the Prince
of Int'aburi died according to Cambodian history he
was murdered and a Cambodian Prince was appointed
King, with the title of Boromoraja T'irat Rama T'ibodi,
apparently without opposition on the part of the Siamese.
This King of Cambodia moved the capital to Phnom Penh. 1
King Boromoraja II brought back from Cambodia,
after the invasion, a quantity of bronze images of animals,
including one of a sacred cow, which may still be seen at
P'rabat. He also captured a vast number of prisoners.
In 1438 Prince Ramesuen, eldest son of King Boro-
moraja II, was appointed Governor of P'itsanulok ; this
1 Visitors to Angkor Wat and Angkor Tom sometimes wonder why the ancient
Cambodian capital was abandoned. The reason is simple. It was dangerously
near the Siamese frontier. Phnom Penh was not the capital of Cambodia for
long, being superseded by Lowek. In the nineteenth century Phnom Penh
again became the capital, and remains so till the present time.
Fs 81
84 A HIStORT OF SIAM
Rama T'ibodi I, which had been kept embalmed, and
built a Pagoda 1 to enshrine the ashes of that monarch,
as well as a temple to mark the site of the cremation.
Until the time of King Trailok, the different provinces
of the Kingdom, whether presided over by Princes or
by officials of lower rank, had been governed more or
less like small independent States, levying their armies,
controlling their own finances, and managing their own
internal affairs. King Trailok made the first attempt
at centralisation. At the same time he brought about
a separation between the civil and the military adminis-
tration, which had previously been closely interwoven.
He raised the rank of the principal officials at Ayut'ia,
and placed them in charge of different Departments
for the control of the affairs of the whole Kingdom.
For the civil administration, five Departments were
instituted, namely : (i) the Ministry of the Interior,
under an official who held the rank of Prime Minister ;
(2) the Ministry of Local Government, which was in
charge of the affairs of the Province of Ayut'ia ; (3)
the Ministry of Finance ; (4) the Ministry of Agriculture,
in charge of cultivation, food supplies, and matters
connected with the tenure of land ; and (5) the Ministry
of the Royal Household, in charge of Palace affairs
and the administration of Justice.
For the military administration, a separate Prime
Minister, the Kalahom, was set up, with several officials
under him, ranking as Ministers, and in charge of different
military Departments. Most of the titles of these
military officials are still in use to-day, e.g. P'ya Sriharat
Dejo, P'ya Ramk'amheng, etc.
1 A separate pagoda was built in the Royal Palace Temple at Ayut'ia to
enshrine the ashes of each of the earlier Kings. Later on, the space available
being insufficient, a pagoda containing a number of niches was erected, to contain
the remains of a urge number of Kings. This pagoda may still be seen at Ayut'ia.
A DISTORT OF SUM 85
Another very important measure which Siam owes
to King Trailok may conveniently be mentioned here,
though not brought into force until 1454. This was the
law regulating Sakdi Na grade. As mentioned in
chapter i,, the Tai, even in the most ancient times,
possessed a system whereby every man was allowed
to hold a certain amount of land, regulated in accordance
with his position. King Trailok laid down definite
rules on this subject. Every Prince, official, and private
person, had a certain amount of land allotted to him.
For instance, the Chao P'y as > or P'yas holding important
posts, were allowed to hold from 1,000 to 4,000 acres.
Subordinate officials, such as K'uns and Luangs, held
from 1 60 acres upwards. Common people held 10 acres.
This system not only definitely fixed the relative rank
of every man in the Kingdom, but it actually placed
a value upon him. He was literally " worth " so and
so much. If he had to be fined for any offence, the
fine was graded according to his Sakdi Na, and if com-
pensation had to be paid for his death or for any injury,
this was likewise computed on the same scale.
So far as officials are concerned, the Sakdi Na repre-
sented their pay. They were expected to live on the
produce of their land, and therefore received no salaries.
Since the time of King Chulalongkorn, all officials
have been paid salaries in cash and are not, therefore,
given any land. Nevertheless, they still receive a nominal
rank based on an assumed grant of land. The system
of King Trailok thus survives to the present day, in
theory if not in practice.
King Trailok was also responsible for another remark-
able piece of legislation, namely the Palace Law 1 (Kot
1 It is probable that this law is really a compilation of regulations dating
from much more ancient times. In its original form, it was divided into three
parts : (a) Ceremonies ; (b) Functions of officials ; (c) Punishments.
86 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Mont'ien Ban) promulgated in 1450. This law is still
nominally in force at the present day. It commences
by enumerating the neighbouring States which sent
tribute to Ayut'ia, in the form of gold and silver trees.
Students of the history of this period will be surprised
to find that Hsenwi, Kengtung, Chiengmai and Taungu
were claimed as tributary States,
The relative rank of different classes of Queens and
Princes is regulated by this law ; the office of Maha
Uparat, referred to later in this chapter, is mentioned
as being confined to a son of the Chief Queen. All
kinds of palace ceremonials are dealt with, and the
proper programmes for observance on various feast
days and holidays are laid down.
Severe punishments are provided for all kinds of
offences against the Palace Law ; these include :
For immoral intercourse with a lady of the Palace :
the man to be tortured for three days and then killed :
the woman to be killed.
For introducing amatory poems into the palace: death.
For shaking the King's boat : death.
For a palace official who permits stray animals to
come to the palace : death. The sentry on duty at the
time to have his eyes put out.
For kicking the door of the palace : the offender's
foot to be cut off.
For striking the King's elephants or horses : the
hand to be cut off.
For abusing them : the mouth of the offender to
be cut.
For whispering during a Royal audience : death.
For other minor offences severe flogging was inflicted.
This law also provides for the punishment of Royal
culprits. Princes of high rank were shackled with gold
A HISTORY OF SIAM 87
fetters ; those of lesser rank wore silver fetters. The
procedure to be followed when a Prince was beaten to
death with a sandalwood club is likewise carefully set
forth.
King Trailok had not been long upon the throne
before he was involved in a war with Chiengmai, which
lasted, with intervals, throughout his whole reign.
The cause of this war was probably the dissatisfaction
felt by some of the inhabitants of the former Kingdom
of Suk'ot'ai at the abolition of the authority of their
own Royal Family, which had taken place in the preceding
reign. In 1451 P'ya Yut'it T'ira, the Governor of
Sawank'alok, 1 determined to revolt against the King
of Siam, and secretly applied to Maharaja Tilok of
Chiengmai for assistance, offering to become tributary
to him. The Maharaja at once seized this chance of
dealing a blow at Siam, and despatched an army to the
south. The Lao army attacked Suk'ot'ai, but was
repulsed with great loss. In a later engagement they
were more successful, but the King of Luang P'rabang,
who was at that time on very bad terms with Maharaja
Tilok, seized the opportunity of invading the Chiengmai
dominions. The news of the incursion caused the Lao
army to retire.
A second Chiengmai army had been sent to Kam-
p'engp'et. That city was captured and was annexed for
a time to the Chiengmai dominions.
During the next few years hostilities between Ayut'ia
1 and Chiengmai were perforce suspended. The Maharaja
had his hands full with the Luang P'rabang war, and the
King of Siam was likewise occupied with other matters,
1 P'ya Jalieng. There has been much discussion as to the identity of the
ancient town called Jalieng. It is, however, impossible to study the histories
of Siam and of Chiengmai at all carefully without coming to the conclusion that
Jalieng was identical with Sawauk'alok.
88 A BISTORT OF SUM
In 1454 his Kingdom was ravaged by a terrible outbreak
of smallpox, and in 1455 a military expedition was made
to Malacca.
As already mentioned, Malacca had been subject to
Siam since the time of King Ramk'amheng. It may be
assumed, however, that Siamese control was of a more
or less shadowy nature. The Malays were originally
Buddhists, but Mohammedanism was introduced before
the tenth century, and by the time of King Trailok
it was the prevailing religion at Malacca. It is possible
that the people of Malacca were encouraged to rebel
by their Arab co-religionists, who had started to form
settlements in the Peninsula. The town was captured,
but subsequent events go to show that Siamese control
was not effective for long,
In 1460 the Governor of Sawank'alok's treachery
became known, and he therefore fled to Chiengmai,
and was appointed by Maharaja Tilok to be Governor
of P'ayao. Encouraged by him, in the following year
(1461), a Lao army was sent by the Maharaja to invade
Siamese territory. They captured Suk'ot'ai and invested
P'itsanulok. News of an invasion of Yunnanese from
the north caused them to retire, but Suk'ot'ai remained
in the hands of the Maharaja until the year 1462, when
it was retaken. Sawank'alok became for a time part of
the Chiengmai dominions.
As a result of these constant incursions from Chieng-
mai, King Trailok determined to establish his capital
at P'itsanulok. He therefore appointed his elder son,
Prince Boromoraja, to be Governor or Regent of Ayut'ia,
and proceeded in 1463 to P'itsanulok, accompanied by
his younger son, Prince Int'araja. P'itsanulok remained
the capital of Siam for about twenty-five years.
Maharaja Tilok, far from being overawed by this step,
A HISTORT OF SUM 89
at once invaded Siam, and attacked Suk'ot'ai for the
third time. He was repulsed with great loss and was
pursued by the Siamese, led by the King and Prince
Int'araja, far into the interior of his own territory. The
Siamese advance guard caught up the Chiengmai army
near Doi Ba, that rocky hill so well remembered by
visitors to Chiengmai before the completion of the
railway. There a fierce battle was fought by moonlight,
in which the young Prince Int'araja, then aged about
fifteen, showed great courage. Riding on an elephant,
and accompanied by the Governors of Kamp'engp'et
and Suk'ot'ai, also on elephants, he attacked four elephants
ridden by the ex-Governor of Sawank'alok and three
noted Chiengmai warriors. He and his companions
were driven down, on their elephants, into a swamp,
and the Prince received a bullet wound in the cheek.
The Prince and his troops were finally forced to retreat
and rejoin the main army of King Trailok. Prince
Int'araja presumably died from the effects of his wound,
as his name appears no more in history after this time. l
Neither side had as yet been entirely successful.
The Siamese retreated, and for a few years peace was
observed.
About this time, the turncoat Governor of Sawank'alok
made preparations to rejoin the Siamese side. A great
part of the city of Sawank'alok was burnt down by the
Laos in consequence, and the Governor was seized
and exiled to a distant part of the Chiengmai dominions.
The Maharaja's uncle, Mttn Dong Nak'on, the Governor
of Chiengjun, 1 was placed in charge of Sawank'alok.
In 1465 King Trailok entered a Buddhist monastery
1 The Chiengmai history gives the date of this battle as 1457. At that time
Prince Int'araja could not have been more than ten years old. The correct date
appears to be as given here.
Probably a city which stood near the present village of MUang Long, in
Larap'ang Province.
90 A HISTORT OF SIAM
as a priest. He was doubtless inspired to take this
step not only by his own inclinations, which had always
been religious, but also by the example previously set
by King T'ammaraja Lttt'ai of Suk'ot'ai. For a crowned
head to receive the tonsure of a priest was a rare event,
and created some stir in the Buddhist world. Neigh-
bouring potentates sent envoys to attend the ordination
ceremony. The Maharaja of Chiengmai despatched an
Ambassador to P'itsanulok, accompanied by twelve
priests of great sanctity. They were very well received
by King Trailok, and assisted at his ordination, which
took place at Wat Chulamani at P'itsanulok.
This rapprochement was, however, only apparent.
King Trailok demanded the surrender of Sawank'alok.
This was refused, and on the completion of the Siamese
monarch's term in the priesthood, which lasted for eight
months, both sides again prepared for war.
The Maharaja's uncle, Mtin Dong Nak'on, collected
an army on the frontier, with the intention of invading
Siam whenever a suitable opportunity arose. King
Trailok, on the other hand, following the superstitious
customs of that age, determined to employ occult means
for the purpose of weakening his adversary.
In 1467 a Burmese priest was sent by the Siamese
King to Chiengmai. This man, by his apparent sanctity
and learning, managed to ingratiate himself with Maharaja
Tilok, and found occasion to urge him to build a new
palace, overlooking the city wall of Chiengmai. In
order to prepare the site, it was necessary to fell a certain
sacred tree which had been planted by King Mengrai.
The Maharaja, encouraged by the priest, caused this
tree to be felled. A series of frightful misfortunes then
befell him. One of his wives accused his eldest son,
Prince Bun Riiang, of rebellious designs. The young
A HISTORT OF SIAM 91
Prince was executed. Later, a faithful official was
similarly accused and was punished by death.
In 1468 a Siamese embassy visited Chiengmai. The
chief envoy was a Brahmin. Some of the actions of
this person excited suspicion ; he and his party were
arrested, and, on being flogged, confessed that they had
buried in various parts of the city seven jars containing
magic ingredients. They also divulged the fact that the
Burmese priest who had advised the cutting down of the
sacred tree was a Siamese spy.
Maharaja Tilok thus found, when too late, that he had
caused his son and his faithful servant to be executed
on false charges. This he ascribed to the felling of the
sacred tree. To his grief was added terror, on the
discovery of the seven jars full of magic herbs and
talismans. These were burnt, ground to powder, and
the powder cast into the river. The Burmese priest
and the Brahmin followed them, with stones tied to
their feet. The other envoys were dismissed, but had
not gone far when they were set upon by troops
despatched ahead for the purpose, and massacred
to a man.
They had drastic methods in those days for dealing
with foreign representatives who abused their privileges.
In 1471 a female white elephant was captured in
Siam. This appears to have been the first white elephant
owned by a King of Siam since the foundation of Ayut'ia,
though, as has been seen, the Kings of Suk'ot'ai had
possessed some of these animals.
In 1472 a third son was born to King Trailok, He
was named Prince Jett'a, and later became King Rama
T'ibodi II.
In 1474 war broke out once more with Chiengmai.
Mun Dong Nak'on, the Maharaja's uncle, died about
92 A HISTORT OF SIAM
this time, and a new Governor was appointed to Chieng-
jfin. The Siamese suddenly invaded Chiengmai territory,
captured Chiengjun, and killed the Governor, At
the same time, Sawank'alok was taken. Maharaja Tilok
succeeded in recapturing Chiengjiin, but Sawank'alok
remained in the hands of the Siamese.
The result of a war which had lasted, off and on, for
twenty-three years, was that both parties found themselves
in exactly the same position as they were in when
hostilities first started. In 1474 the old Maharaja, tired
of the purposeless struggle, made overtures for peace.
Nothing definite appears to have been settled, but open
hostilities ceased for several years.
In 1484 King Trailok's youngest son, Prince Jett'a,
together with the eldest son of Prince Boromoraja,
became Buddhist priests. They left the priesthood in
the following years and Prince Jett'a was then appointed
Maha Uparat.
This is the first time that the office of Maha Uparat is
specifically mentioned in Siamese history, though there
is every reason to suppose that it had been customary
to confer the title upon one of the sons or brothers of
the reigning monarch. 1 The title, meaning literally
" Second King " or " Vice King," originated in India,
and became common among all the Indo-Chinese
nations, including the Burmese. The Uparat held a
position higher than any other Prince, and was invested
with some of the appurtenances of kingship. Among
the Siamese and Burmese, the Uparat was usually the
eldest son of the King and Queen, but many Kings
appointed their brothers or other relations to the post,
more especially in cases where their own sons were
1 In the Sakdi Na Law (1454) the office of Maha Uparat is referred to. The
Maha Uparat held 40,000 acres of landten times as much as the highest officials.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 93
either very young or were not born of mothers of high
rank. Among the Laos, it was, and is (for the title is
still in use in northern Siam), unusual to appoint a son
of the reigning King or Prince to be Uparat. The
choice almost invariably fell on a brother. 1
The Maha Uparat was, in fact, the Crown Prince.
It is not clear why King Trailok appointed Prince
Jett'a, his younger son, to be Maha Uparat, but it seems
probable that he intended Prince Boromoraja, who was
already Regent of Ayut'ia, to become King there, and
that Prince Jett'a was Uparat for the northern dominion
of P'itsanulok only. If this was King Trailok's plan,
namely to dismember his Kingdom, it was a very unwise
one. Fortunately, it was not carried into effect after
his death.
In 1486 war broke out once more with Chiengmai.
This was due to Maharaja Tilok's action in having all
the members of a Siamese embassy massacred. He
probably remembered the incident of the magic pots,
and was very suspicious of visitors from the south.
The Siamese invaded Chiengmai territory, but no
important engagements took place, and in the following
year (1487) Maharaja Tilok died. He was seventy-eight
years of age, and had reigned for forty-four years. He
was in every way a most remarkable man. A bad son,
a harsh and unnatural father, a tyrant to his people,
and a relentless foe to the Siamese, he yet appears to
have been a man of strong religious principles. A
Buddhist Council was held at Chiengmai in his reign,
and he did much in every way to foster religion. It
was during his tenure of power that the famous emerald
1 Several European writers, e.g. van Vliet, have asserted that the legal heir to
the throne of Siam was always a brother of the King. This is a mistake, caused
by the fact that the Uparat living at the time when the statement was made
happened to be a brother of the reigning King.
94 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Buddha, now to be seen in the Royal Palace at Bangkok,
was brought to Chiengmai. According to the most
probable account, this truly remarkable image was
discovered at Chiengrai in 1436, in the interior of a
pagoda which had been struck by lightning. It was
taken to Nak'on Lamp'ang, and thirty-two years later
(1468) was removed to Chiengmai. In 1470 it was
placed by Maharaja Tilok in a temple specially erected
for its reception. 1
In 1488 Prince Boromoraja captured Tavoy, 1 which
became a bone of contention between Burma and Siam
for hundreds of years.
King Trailok did not long survive his ancient foe,
Maharaja Tilok. He died at P'itsanulok in 1488, aged
fifty-seven, after a reign of forty years. 1 He appears to
have been a very capable and politic ruler. His natural
religious feelings doubtless made him averse to warfare,
but the restless ambition of Maharaja Tilok forced him
to spend most of his reign in fighting against Chiengmai.
Many of the actions of King Trailok were influenced
by an evident desire to imitate King Ramk'amheng of
Suk'ot'ai. One of his wives, the mother of King Rama
T'ibodi II, was a Princess of the Royal Family of
Suk'ot'ai.
1 King Jai Jett'a removed this image from Chiengmai to Luang P'rabang
in 1547. It was taken to Wiengchan, where it remained till 1779, when Chao
Pya Chakn (Rama I) removed it to Bangkok.
8 It is not certain whether Tavoy was at this time an independent principality,
or was subject to Siam, and had rebelled. There is no reason to suppose that it
belonged to Burma.
* According to some versions of Siamese history, King Trailokanat died in the
year when he left the priesthood (correct date 1465) and was surceudtd by his
son Int'araja, who reigned for 22 years, and was in turn succeeded by his son
ot brother) Rama T'ibodi II. The best authenticated account is that given
ere and in the next chapter.
CHAPTER VII
REIGNS OF KING BOROMORAJA III, KING RAMA T IBODI II,
KING BOROMORAJA IV, KING RATSADA AND KING P*RAJAI
KING TRAILOK was succeeded by his elder son, who is
known as King Boromoraja III. He was already Regent
of Ayut'ia, and on his accession P'itsanulok ceased
to be the capital. Prince Jett'a, the Maha Uparat,
remained at P'itsanulok as Viceroy or Governor.
King Boromoraja died in 1491, at the age of about 45,
and was succeeded by his brother, Prince Jett'a, who
assumed the style of King Rama T'ibodi II. He was
descended, through his mother, from the Royal Family
of Suk'ot'ai.
This King was born in 1472, and was therefore only
nineteen years of age when he ascended the throne.
His first act was to cremate the remains of his father and
elder brother and to erect pagodas for the reception of
their ashes. These pagodas may still be seen in Wat
Srisarap'et at Ayut'ia.
In 1492 trouble again arose with Chiengmai. A
Siamese Prince, named Suriwong, went to Chiengmai
and became a priest there. He managed to obtain
possession of a very sacred image of Buddha, made of
white crystal. This was an image which had been
taken from Lamp'un by King Mengrai in 1281. Legend
asserted that it had belonged to Cham T'ewi, a mythical
Queen of Lamp'un, supposed to have lived in the
seventh century A.D. Prince Suriwong smuggled this
95
96 A HISTORY OF SUM
image away to Ayut'ia. The Maharaja of Chiengmai,
P'ra Yot, the grandson and successor of Maharaja Tilok,
demanded its return. Meeting with an evasive answer,
he invaded Siam and compelled King Rama T'ibodi to
deliver up the Buddha. 1
In 1499 King Rama T'ibodi gave orders for a gigantic
image of Buddha to be cast, and erected in Wat
Srisarap'et. This image represented Buddha in an erect
attitude. It was 48 feet high, and the pedestal was 24
feet in length. It was covered with gold plates weighing
in all nearly 800 lb., and took more than three years to
complete. This was the largest standing image of
Buddha recorded as having ever existed in the world.
It was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. The first
King of the present dynasty had the broken pieces
brought to Bangkok in the hope of joining them together ;
this was found impossible, so they were buried under
the pagoda named Jedi Srisarap'etchadayan, in Wat
Jetup'on at Bangkok.
In 1507 war broke out anew with Chiengmai.
Maharaja Yot had been deposed in 1495, on account of
his reign " bringing ill luck upon his country." This
was due to his having been crowned on a Monday,
which was an unpropitious day. He was succeeded
by his son, known as Maharaja Ratana. This ruler
attacked Suk'ot'ai in 1507. A very sanguinary battle
was fought, in which the Laos were worsted and driven
back. In 1508 the Siamese retaliated by invading
Chiengmai territory. P're was captured, but after a
fierce battle the Siamese were forced to retreat ; in 1510
another Siamese invasion was attended with similar
results.
1 Siamese history makes no mention of this invasion. It may be regarded as
very doubtful that a Laotian army ever reached Ayut'ia.
A HISTORY OF SUM 97
King Rama T'ibodi II was the first King of Siam
who is known to have received European envoys and
to have concluded treaties with a European power.
In 1497 Vasco da Gama made his celebrated voyage
to India round the Cape of Good Hope. In the succeed-
ing years the Portuguese, with most extraordinary
rapidity, obtained possession of large tracts of terri-
tory in India, and by 1508 they already began to
turn their eyes farther east. In that year four Portuguese
vessels, under the command of Lopes de Sequiera,
arrived at Malacca. The town was then governed by
a Malay Sultan, nominally a vassal of Siam, but in
reality independent. Sequiera entered into negotiations
with a view to opening up trade relations ; a dispute
ensued ; Sequiera arrested certain Malays who were
on board his ships ; the Sultan retaliated by killing
some of the Portuguese on shore, and imprisoning
others. Sequiera, having too weak a force to attack
Malacca, retired, and reported the matter to Affonso
d'Albuquerque, the famous Viceroy of Portuguese
India.
In June 1509 Albuquerque arrived, with a considerable
force, off Malacca. After fruitless negotiations for the
surrender of the Portuguese prisoners, Malacca was
attacked and captured. The Malay population fled,
and the Portuguese returned to their ships.
Albuquerque, having learnt that the Siamese claimed
some rights over Malacca, determined to send an envoy
to Ayut'ia to explain matters. Taking advantage of
the presence of some Chinese junks which were
about to leave for Ayut'ia, he sent one Duarte
Fernandez, with a letter addressed to the King of
Siam.
In September 1509 a fresh attack on Malacca became
Gs
98 A HISTORY OF SIAM
necessary. The city was subdued and became a
Portuguese possession.
Fernandez arrived at Ayut'ia in 1511. He was well
received, and returned accompanied by a Siamese
Ambassador. No objection appears to have been raised
to the occupation of Malacca. It may probably have
been thought better to forego the somewhat shadowy
claims of Siam in the Peninsula, rather than become
involved in disputes with the Portuguese, which would
hamper the Kingdom in defending the northern frontier
against the continual aggressions of the Maharaja of
Chiengmai.
A second Portuguese envoy, Miranda de Azevedo,
visited Ayut'ia, by the overland route, about 1512,
and in 1516 a third envoy from Albuquerque, named
Duarte de Coelho, proceeded to Ayut'ia and concluded
a fresh treaty with Siam.
The final result of these treaties was that the
Portuguese were permitted to reside and carry on trade
at Ayut'ia, Tenasserim, Mergui, Patani and Nak'on
Srit'ammarat.
The broad-minded policy of King Rama T'ibodi II
with regard to foreign traders has been emulated by
every King of Siam since his time.
King Rama T'ibodi II also set a noble example in
regard to another matter, namely religious toleration.
He permitted Coelho to erect a wooden crucifix in a
prominent place in Ayut'ia. Not many European
monarchs of that period possessed such a liberal mind.
The whole history of Siam, in fact, is an object-lesson
to Europeans in the matter of religious tolerance, and
the Siamese may well be proud that their annals are not
stained with the record of such atrocious crimes as were
committed in every country of Europe in the name of
A HISTORY OF SIAM 99
Him who said : " This is My commandment, that
ye love one another."
While King Rama T'ibodi was engaged in these
negotiations with the Portuguese, he was also occupied
in fighting against Chiengmai, In 1513 a Chiengmai
General, Mtln P'ing Yi, carried out a raid on Suk'ot'ai
and Kamp'engp'et, capturing prisoners, elephants and
other booty. In 1515 the operation was repeated.
Suk'ot'ai and Kamp'engp'et were taken by the Laos.
The King of Siam was, however, ready for them. Ac-
companied by his sons, Prince Ek and Prince At'itya,
he drove back the Northern invaders, and followed them
with his victorious army as far as Na'kon Lamp'ang.
A fierce battle was fought on the banks of the Me Wang
River ; the Laos were defeated and Nak'on Lamp'ang
was stormed by the Siamese. Together with other
booty, a celebrated image of Buddha, carved out of black
stone, was removed to Ayut'ia.
This was the most serious blow which had been
dealt to Chiengmai for many years. It may be, perhaps,
that the advice and assistance of King Rama T'ibodi's
Portuguese Allies had something to do with his rapid
and striking successes.
In 1518 King Rama T'ibodi undertook the reorganisa-
tion of the system of military service. As has been seen
(chapter i.), the ancient Tai people had a system of
compulsory military service, which had been in force
since the earliest times. This system was now remodelled.
The whole Kingdom was divided up into Military
Divisions and Sub-Divisions, and every man of eighteen
years or more was enrolled, and was made liable to be
called up when required. As may be supposed, a large
1 The so-called persecution in the reign of King Fetraja (1688) was in reality
B, political movement against the French.
ioo A HISTORY OF SIAM
majority of those liable to military service were never
called up, but were permitted to spend their lives in
civil occupations. The principle of universal service
was, however, recognised. The system of King Rama
T'ibodi II remained in force, with modifications, until
the year 1899, when a new law for compulsory military
service, drawn up on European lines, was introduced.
In 1518 a book on military tactics was issued. This
work has long since been lost, and its exact nature is
not now knbwn.
In the year 1518 a canal, navigable for sea-going
vessels, was dug, connecting the Samrong and Tapnang
canals and debouching near the present town of Paknam.
In 1524 some kind of conspiracy was discovered,
resulting in the execution of several officials. In 1526
there was a severe famine. In the same year Prince
Noh P'utt'angkun, the King's eldest son, was
appointed Maha Uparat, and sent north as Governor
of P'itsanulok.
In July 1529 King Rama T'ibodi II was suddenly
taken ill, and died the same day, at the age of fifty-
seven, after a reign of forty years. His was a note-
worthy reign. Its chief features were : Striking successes
against Chiengmai, the reorganisation of the Siamese
army, and the opening up of relations with the Western
world.
The next King (named Noh P'utt'angKun) bore the
title of Boromoraja IV. The only event known to have
occurred in his reign was the despatch of envoys to
negotiate a Treaty with Chiengmai. This King died of
smallpox in 1534, leaving the throne to his son, Prince
Ratsada, a child of five.
Baby Kings did not reign for long in Ayut'ia. Five
months after his accession, King Ratsada was made
A HISTORT OF SIAM 101
away with, and Prince P'rajai, a half-brother of King
Boromoraja IV, reigned in his stead.
Nothing is known of this King before his usurpation
of the throne, but there is some reason to suppose that
he was Governor of P'itsanulok.
The first few years of this reign were peaceful ones.
The King was busy carrying out a scheme for improving
the navigation of the River Menam at Bangkok. Before
his time the course of the river followed the canals
which are now known as K'longs Bang Luang and
Bangkok Noi. The present river from Ta T'ien to T'a
Chang Wang Na was dry land. King P'rajai caused a
channel to be dug across this neck of land, which in
a few years became the main waterway.
To this period (1536) belongs a curious piece of
legislation, the Law for Trial by Ordeal. As is well
known, trial by ordeal was common in Europe at that
time ; nothing, indeed, is more natural and fitting to
a simple-minded people, firmly imbued with faith in
Divine justice, than to leave the decision of their disputes
to the arbitration of some Being wiser and less fallible
than a human judge. Unfortunately, experience has
shown that Divine Beings cannot be relied upon to
vindicate the principles of justice whenever called
upon to do so ; this, however, is a comparatively new
discovery ; in King P'rajai's time, and later, ordeal
was a very popular form of trial.
The Law for Trial by Ordeal provides for several
kinds of ordeal. One method consisted in walking
over red-hot charcoal ; the party whose feet were burnt
was adjudged the loser. Another system was by diving
under the water ; the man who stayed under the longer
won the case. Sometimes the parties were made to
swim a race across the river ; sometimes they lit candles
102 A HISTORY OF SIAM
of equal size, and the man whose candle went out first
was the loser. The Law lays down most minute regula-
tions as to the procedure to be followed for every kind
of ordeal, and provides long prayers to be read out by
the Clerk of the Court, begging for the intervention of
the heavenly powers to secure justice.
At the time of King P'rajai's accession the number of
Portuguese in Siam had greatly increased, and in 1538
the King engaged 120 of them to form a kind of body-
guard and to instruct the Siamese in musketry. The
reason for this step was the aggressive policy of the
King of Taungu, who had seized various towns on the
Siamese frontier.
Burma was divided up, during the reign of King
Boromaraja IV of Siam, into four Kingdoms, namely :
(i) the remnants of the original Kingdom, with the
capital at Ava ; (2) Prome ; (3) Pegu ; (4) Taungu.
In 1530 the King of Taungu died, and was succeeded
by his son, Tabeng Shwe T'i. This monarch was a man
of insatiable ambition, and determined to subjugate
the dominions of all his neighbours. In A.D. 1530 he
conquered Prome and in 1534 he proceeded to attack
Pegu. That country he finally subdued in 1540, in
which year he established his capital at Hanthawadi.
During his war against Pegu, Tabeng Shwe T'i came
into conflict with the Siamese. He occupied a town
referred to in Siamese history as Chiengkrai or Chieng-
kran (now called Gyaing, in the Moulmein district),
which was then subject to Siam. King P'rajai, at the
head of a strong army, attacked the Burmese, utterly
defeated them, and drove then out of his dominions.
In this expedition he was assisted by his Portuguese
mercenaries ; they did such good service that they were
rewarded with various commercial and residential
A HISTORY OF SUM 103
privileges. 1 It is interesting to note that the King of
Burma likewise had a large number of Portuguese in
his service. The Portuguese of that day, like true
soldiers of fortune, were ready to fight for anybody
against anybody.
This success against Burma proved in the end to be
a disaster for Siam. It was the original cause of the
bitter enmity between the two countries which later led
to long and sanguinary wars, bringing death, famine,
and unspeakable misery to both countries. It is not too
much to say that the evil results of the feud between
Siam and Burma may be seen in both countries even at
the present day.
In 1545 King P'rajai was called upon to intervene
in the affairs of Chiengmai. The history of the northern
Kingdom for some years previous to this had been very
troubled. In 1538 King Mtiang Kesa, the I5th King
of Chiengmai, was deposed by his son, T'ai Sai K'am.
The latter reigned until 1543, when a rebellion broke out,
caused by his cruelty and misgovernment. He was
killed, and King Miiang Kesa was restored. In 1545
he became insane, and a conspiracy was hatched against
him, headed by one Sen Dao. The King was murdered,
and with him the direct male line of King Mengrai
became extinct. Sen Dao offered the throne to the
Prince of Kengtung, who refused it. It was then offered
to Prince Mekut'i of Miiang Nai, a descendant of Prince
K'rua, one of the sons of King Mengrai, the founder of
Chiengmai. In the meantime, however, a party of
nobles hostile to Sen Dao met at Chiengsen, and sent
an envoy to ask the King of Luang P'rabang to accept
the Chiengmai throne for his eldest son, Prince Jai
1 The ruins of the houses and the church given by King P'rajai to the Portuguese
can still be seen at Ayut'ia.
104 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Jett'a, whose mother was a Chiengmai Princess. The
King of Luang P'rabang assented, with the probable
intention of uniting Chiengmai to the Luang P'rabang
dominions.
At the same time, the Prince of Hsenwi sent an army
to invade Chiengmai for the purpose of punishing Sen
Dao for the murder of King Miiang Kesa. Failing to
take the town of Chiengmai, Miin Hoa K'ien, the
Hsenwi General, established himself at Lamp'un, and
despatched messengers to ask for the aid of King
P'rajai.
King P'rajai at once prepared to invade Chiengmai
territory ; before he had completed his preparations,
however, the notables opposed to Sen Dao came down
from Chiengsen, succeeded in entering the city of
Chiengmai, and at once executed Sen Dao and all his
chief adherents. They then set up a Princess, named
Maha Tewi, as Regent of Chiengmai, pending the
arrival of Prince Jai Jett'a from Luang P'rabang.
King P'rajai arrived at Chiengmai in June A.D. 1545,
only to find that the ostensible object of his expedition,
namely to remove Sen Dao, no longer existed. The
Princess Regent received the Siamese monarch in a
friendly manner. He spent some time at Chiengmai,
and enjoyed a few days rest at Wieng Chet Lin, near
the present stone quarries. In September he returned
to Ayut'ia.
In the same year a terrible fire occurred at Ayut'ia.
Many temples and public buildings were destroyed,
together with 10,050 houses. Assuming that not more
than one-third of the city was destroyed, and allowing
five inmates to each house, we may conclude that Ayut'ia
contained over 150,000 inhabitants. It was, therefore,
a larger city than the London of that period.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 105
Hardly had King P'rajai returned back home when
Prince Mekut'i of Mttang Nai, supported by the Prince
of Yawnghwe, invaded Chiengmai territory. As we
have seen, Prince Mekut'i was a candidate for the
throne of Chiengmai, which was then being held by the
party in power, on behalf of Prince Jai Jett'a of Luang
P'rabang.
The Muang Nai and Yawnghwe armies were driven
out by the Princess Regent. Later, a Luang P'rabang
force arrived to assist in holding the city for Prince
Jai Jett'a.
King P'rajai determined upon a second expedition
to the north. 1 The Governor of P'itsanulok was sent
ahead with a strong force. The advisers of the Princess
Regent of Chiengmai hotly debated the question as to
whether martial resistance should be made to the Siamese,
or whether they should be received as allies. The
Princess gave her casting vote in favour of the latter
course. Envoys were sent out to receive the Governor
of P'itsanulok, who pitched his camp near Lamp'un.
At dead of night, however, the Siamese suddenly
burst into Lamp'un, and burnt down a great part of
the city.
The next day King P'rajai arrived with his army,
and the Siamese advanced to Chiengmai. The destruction
of Lamp'un caused the Princess Regent of Chiengmai
to determine on resistance. A fierce attack was made on
the city, but after three days' fighting the Siamese
failed to capture it. King P'rajai decided to retire,
which he did, after destroying some temples and a large
number of houses near Chiengmai. A Lao army pursued
the Siamese and defeated them at Wat Chiengkrung
1 It is probable that the Princess Regent had applied to King P'rajai for aid
against Prince Mekut'i.
io6 A HISTORY OF SIAM
(in the district now known as Sarap'i), five miles from
Chiengmai, many prisoners being taken.
The retreat continued through Mating Li. The Prince
of Nan, YiMangkala, assisted by Chiengmai and Nak'on
Lamp'ang troops, again attacked the retreating Siamese,
defeating them with great loss. The Governors of
Kamp'engp'et and P'ijai were killed in this battle.
Farther south, another Lao army lay in ambush. The
Siamese were once more attacked near the P'un Sam
Miim l stream and were once more routed, this time
with the loss of three Generals, 10,000 men, and 3,000
boats.
After these serious disasters, King P'rajai returned
to Ayut'ia. He had been in bad health for some months,
and died about June 1846. Pinto states that he was
poisoned by his wife, Princess Sri Suda Chan, and the
subsequent actions of that infamous woman were such
as to justify the accusation.
King P'rajai obtained the throne by means which are
repugnant to our moral sense. We must, however,
refrain from applying to Siam in the sixteenth century
the standards of Europe in our own time. If we believe
Pinto, King P'rajai was a wise ruler, well beloved by his
people and deeply mourned by them when he died.
" This Prince lived in the reputation of being charitable
to the poor, liberal in his benefits and recompenses,
pitiful and gentle towards everyone, and above all
incorrupt in doing of justice and chastening the wicked ;
his subjects spoke so amply thereof in their lamentations,
as if all that they said of it was true ; we are to believe
that there never was a better King than he, either
amongst these Pagans, or in all the countries of the
world."
1 Probably the stream now called the Me Pan Miin, in the Miiang Li distric
A HISTORT OF SIAM 107
NOTE TO CHAPTER VII
The above account of King P'rajai's wars with Chiengmai is
taken from the Chiengmai history. This is the only complete
and coherent account in existence. Luang P'rasoefs History is
not in conflict with the Chiengmai version ; in particular, all
mention of Chiengmai having been captured on the second
expedition (as interpolated in later versions of Siamese history)
is omitted.
Pinto professes to have accompanied King P'rajai on his
second expedition to Chiengmai. As, however, the Portuguese
adventurer states that he was shipwrecked near Pulo Condor in
December 1547, a f ter which he came to Siam, and elsewhere
asserts that he resided in Siam from 1540 till 1545, it is
impossible to place any reliance in his chronology. In Cogan's
translation (London, 1663) an attempt has been made to correct
Pinto's chronology, but without much success.
Pinto's description of the war with Chiengmai is a mere
incoherent jumble, made up from the accounts given to him by
some of his compatriots who had accompanied King P'rajai on
both expeditions. He mentions a Queen Regent, evidently
meant to be Maha T'ewi of Chiengmai, but he places her in an
independent country, called Guipen, with its capital at Guitor.
This Queen Regent was subdued and made to pay tribute.
After dealing with her, King P'rajai went on to Chiammay,
situated near a lake called Singipamor.
Pinto speaks of 40,000 horses and 4,000 elephants, and is
guilty of other gross exaggerations. For these reasons it is quite
impossible to treat him as a serious witness. Congreve, the
Restoration dramatist, refers to Pinto as one of the most famous
of the world's liars. Congreve was not far wrong.
CHAPTER VIII
REIGN OF KING KEO FA, USURPATION OF K*UN WORAWONGSA,
AND REIGNS OF KING MAHA CHAKRAP'AT AND KING MAHIN
KING P'RAJAI appears to have possessed no wife ranking
as Queen. The Princess whom Pinto accuses of poisoning
him held the title of T'ao Sri Suda Chan, a style reserved
by the Law of Sakdi Na l for one of the four senior non-
Royal Consorts of a King. By this lady King P'rajai
had two sons, Prince Keo Fa, born about 1535, and
Prince Sri Sin, born about 1541.
It is not clear what arrangements, if any, were made
by King P'rajai as to appointing a Regent. It would have
been most unusual to nominate a female for that position,
and King P'rajai had a younger half-brother, Prince
T'ien Raja, who would have been the most natural
person to appoint. However this may be, we find, not
long after the accession of the young King Keo Fa, that
the conduct of affairs was in the hands of his mother,
and that Prince T'ien had retired to the shelter of a
monastery. 8
1 See p. 85.
1 Called in some histories Yot Fa.
This period of Siamese history is obscure, and the various accounts differ
from one another and are not always consistent in themselves. Pinto was a
contemporary observer, but his narrative is, unfortunately, filled with demon-
strably incorrect statements. For instance, he asserts that Prince T'ien (King
Maha Chakrap'at) had, at the time of his accession (1549), been a Buddhist
priest for over thirty years. We know, however, that Pnnce T'ien was at that
time about forty-two years old, and had several more or less grown-up children.
Pinto also states that Princess Sri Suda Chan was pregnant when King P'rajai
died. If this was so, it is difficult to understand how she could have become
Regent.
The account here given appears to the author to be the most probable one.
xo8
A HISTORY OF SIAM 109
King P'rajai had not been long dead when the Princess
Regent fell passionately in love with a young man named
P'an Sri But T'ep, who held a petty official appointment.
He was nothing loath to respond to her amorous
advances, and ere long found himself transferred to a
post in the palace, with the title of K'un Jinarat.
As a result of this intrigue, the Princess Regent gave
birth to a daughter, and the infatuated woman, finding
further concealment impossible, determined to put a
bold face upon the matter by making her lover Regent.
It so happened that certain disturbances occurred at
this time in the northern provinces of the Kingdom.
The Princess Regent took advantage of this to obtain
the consent of her Ministers to raise a considerable
body of troops for the purpose, as she pretended, of
protecting the person of the young King. K'un Jinarat
was entrusted with the duty of enlisting the troops.
He filled the capital with troops officered by men in
whom he thought he could trust to acquiesce in the
projected plot.
The next step was to remove dangerous opponents.
P'ya Maha Sena, an aged nobleman, who was known to
disapprove of the Princess Regent's proceedings, was
treacherously stabbed in the back, and others shared
a similar fate. Pinto, with his usual exaggeration,
asserts that hardly a nobleman was left alive.
Having cleared her Council of all but a few subservient
reptiles, the Princess obtained their consent to the
appointment of K'un Jinarat as Regent during the
minority of King Keo Fa, with the title of K'un
Worawongsa.
The young King was now over thirteen years of age,
quite old enough to understand and disapprove of his
mother's conduct. We may easily suppose that he showed
i io A HISTORY OF SI AM
his resentment in one way or another. K'un Worawongsa
therefore decided to make away with him. The exact
manner of his death is uncertain. The earliest account
merely says that " something happened to him." Later
histories say that he was executed. The probability
is that he was poisoned, as stated by Pinto. Certain
it is that before the end of the year 1548 the short reign
and the short life of this unfortunate little King both
came to a sudden end. 1
On November nth, 1548, K'un Worawongsa was
publicly crowned as King of Siam, and his brother,
Nai Chan, was appointed Uparat.*
It seems extraordinary that anyone could have imagined
that the nobility and people of Siam would tamely submit
to this audacious usurpation of the throne by a worthless
ruffian, whose sole claim to distinction was that he had
attracted the eye of an abandoned woman. As may
easily be supposed, a conspiracy was at once hatched
against him. The ringleader was one K'un P'iren. 1
This young man had royal blood in his veins, his mother
being a relative of King P'rajai, and his father a descendant
of the Kings of Suk'ot'ai.
K'un P'iren held a secret meeting with three of his
friends. They determined to kill the usurper and to
place on the throne Prince T'ien, who, as we have seen,
had taken the wise step of donning the yellow robe
when he saw the direction in which events were tending
after his brother's death.
Having ascertained that Prince T'ien was prepared
1 Prince Damrong is unwilling to believe that King Keo Fa's mother was
privy to his murder, as stated both by Pinto and in the P'ongsawadan. But
it seems impossible to set a limit to the bounds of human depravity.
1 Prince Damrong doubts whether it was intended to divert the succession
to such an extent as this, and suggests that Nai Chan was appointed Chao Phya
Maha Uparat, a high title of nobliity sometimes conferred, and quite distinct
from the royal title of Maha Uparat, or Crown Prince.
* Afterwards King Maha T'ammaraja of Siam.
A HISTORT OF SI AM 1 1 1
to assume the crown if all went well, the four conspirators
next sought for a supernatural omen. They went at
dead of night to a temple, and there lighted two candles,
one representing the usurper and the other Prince T'ien.
They made a vow that if Prince T'ien's candle went
out first, they would abandon their enterprise. It so
happened that K'un Worawongsa's candle was mysteri-
ously extinguished when burning its brightest. This
was taken as a sign of Divine approval, and the
conspirators determined to proceed with their
design.
Early in January, 1519, a very large elephant was
observed near Lopburi. K'un Worawongsa ordered
that it should be driven into a corral, and announced his
intention of proceeding by boat to Lopburi on January
1 3th to see the animal caught.
K'un P'iren went on ahead, and initiated the Governors
of Sawank'alok 1 and P'ijai into his plans. One of the
conspirators, Miin Rajasenha, was told off to deal with
the pseudo-Uparat, Nai Chan. The other five waited,
each in a separate boat, to intercept the barge of K'un
Worawongsa and the Princess in a narrow creek leading
to the corral. When the royal barge appeared in the
creek, the conspirators surrounded it. "Who bars
my way ? " cried K'un Worawongsa. K'un P'iren stood
up in his boat, holding a drawn sword, and replied in a
terrible voice : " I do ; prepare to die ! " The trembling
usurper and his guilty partner were dragged ashore and
beheaded, together with their infant daughter. Their
bodies were impaled and left as a meal for the
vultures.
The little Prince Sri Sin, son of King P'rajai, had
1 This Governor of Sawank'alok was a Cambodian Prince who had been adopted
by King Prajai. P'mto speaks of him as King of Cambaye.
A HISTORY OF SI AM
accompanied his mother. He was given into the keeping
of Prince Tien.
In the meantime, Miin Rajasenha had been waiting
behind a tree for Nai Chan, who was riding to the corral
on an elephant, and accounted for him with a well-aimed
bullet.
Only four lives were sacrificed in this liberation of
Siam from the rule of a low-born scoundrel, namely
the lives of the usurper and his brother, of the Princess,
and of her baby. We may spare a moment's pity
for the little child ; but doubtless K'un P'iren felt
that it was his duty to extirpate all that hateful
brood.
Prince Tien was brought forth from his monastery,
and on the igth of January, I549, 1 was crowned as
King of Siam, with the title of Maha Chakrap'at.
The new King's first act on attaining the throne was
to shower unprecedented honours and rewards on those
who had elevated him. In particular, he bestowed upon
K'un P'iren the hand of his eldest daughter in marriage,
and conferred upon him the high title of Somdet Maha
T'ammaraja, with the position of Governor of P'itsanulok.
The rank and title of the former K'un P'iren were, in
fact, almost those of a feudatory King.
King Tabeng Shwe T'i of Burma had not failed to
take due note of the violent changes which had taken
place in the Kingdom of Siam. He felt that this was a
good opportunity to add Siam to the number of his
vassal States. Taking some petty frontier incident as
an excuse, iie therefore invaded Siam early in the year
1549, at the head of a very powerful army. Siamese
history gives the numbers of the King of Burma's
1 The day of the month, as well as that of the coronation of K'un Worawongsa,
is takenf rom Pinto. The year given by Pinto is 1546, which is certainly wrong.
A H1STORT OF SI AM 113
forces on this occasion jfe 30x^,000 men, 3,000 horses
and 700 elephants. 1 *
The Burmese army advanced by way of Martaban,
Kanburi and Sup'an. Little serious opposition was met
with, and by Junq Tabeng Shwe T'i was encamped in
the neighbourhood of Ayut'ia.
The siege lasted, according to Pinto, who professes
to have been in Ayut'ia at the time, for almost four
months. The fighting was extremely fierce. Several
times the Burmese came near to forcing an entry into
the city, but were always repulsed.
Not only King Chakrap'at and his sons took part in
the fighting, but likewise his wife, Queen Suriyot'ai, and
one of his daughters. These two valiant women, wearing
men's armour and mounted on elephants, fought
bravely side by side with the men. In attempting to
rescue the King from a dangerous position, Queen
Suriyot'ai and her daughter were both pierced through
by Burmese spears, and fell dead from the backs of their
elephants.
The Burmese army was badly equipped, and the
soldiers suffered great privations and distress. Added
to this, news reached the Burmese monarch that Maha
T'ammaraja was about to descend from P'itsanulok at
the head of a large army. Moreover, he received tidings
of disturbances in Burma. He therefore determined
to retire. In a rearguard action he was fortunate
enough to capture Maha T'ammaraja, the King's
son-in-law, as well as Prince Ramesuen, the King's
eldest son,
1 These figures seem high, but Pinto more than doubte^fe^ J3J wjlaf us
'
that the Burmese army consisted of 800,000 men, 40,000 ho
There were 1,000 cannon, drawn by 1,000 yoke of
The King of Burma, after taking Suk'ot'ai, proce
Tilau, descnbed as being on the coast, between Pukn ^nd Aedah. Qft^is left
wondenng whether Pinto was the most untruthful wf^iterixythe wor^sflr xnerely
the most credulous.
ii 4 A HISTORT OF SI AM
King Chakrap'at sent to beg for the return of these
two Princes. This was agreed to on two conditions ;
firstly, that the Burmese army should be allowed to
retire unmolested, and secondly, that two very celebrated
elephants should be delivered to the King of Burma.
The two elephants were sent, but they were so unmanage-
able that they threw the whole Burmese army into
confusion. They were, therefore, restored to the
Siamese, and Tabeng Shwe T'i returned to Burma with-
out even so much as a couple of elephants to show as
a result of his expedition.
King Chakrap'at, having had one taste of a Burmese
invasion, wisely set to work to prepare his Kingdom
for another. In 1550 he began to build brick walls and
fortifications round Ayut'ia, to replace the old mud
wall of King Rama T'ibodi I. He further strengthened
the defences of the city by causing an exterior moat to
be dug, in addition to the already existing moat. He
then proceeded to dismantle the defences of several
frontier towns which were thought difficult to hold,
and were more likely to serve as bases for the enemy
than as defences to the capital.
At this time, moreover, the system of calling
up men for military service was reorganised, and
the fleet of river warships was enlarged, and was
improved by the introduction of a new type of
vessel.
The towns of Nont'aburi, Nak'on Jaisri, and
T'achin were also founded at this period, together
with other towns, to be used as recruiting
centres.
King Chakrap'at had great faith in elephants as a
fighting arm, and he spent most of his spare time during
the next few years in catching these animals. Between
A HISTORT OF SI AM 115
the years 1550 and 1562 he captured nearly three hundred
elephants. 1
The Kings of Cambodia filled, with regard to Siam,
a similar role to that filled by the Kings of Scotland
with regard to England in the Middle Ages. Whenever
Siam was in difficulties, Cambodia was certain to be
troublesome. During the siege of Ayut'ia in 1549 the
King of Cambodia, Chandaraja, carried out a raid on
Prachim. This necessitated a punitive expedition in
1551, which was apparently successful. In 1556 war
with Cambodia broke out again. A Cambodian Prince,
named P'ya Ong, who had been adopted by King
P'rajai of Siam and made Governor of Sawank'alok,
was placed in command of the Siamese forces. 8 He
allowed his army to become separated from the supporting
fleet of boats. As a result, he was defeated with great
loss, and was himself slain in the conflict. No attempt
appears to have been made to repair this disaster.
In the year 1561 a serious rebellion occurred. The
younger son of King P'rajai, Prince Sri Sin, had been
adopted and brought up by King Chakrap'at. On
reaching the age of thirteen or fourteen he had been
ordained as a Buddhist novice. Shortly after his ordina-
tion he was accused of plotting against the King, and
was therefore kept under strict supervision until the
year 1561. As he was then nineteen years of age, King
Chakrap'at gave orders that he was to be ordained as
a Buddhist priest. The Prince escaped, gathered his
adherentr .ogether, and made a surprise assault upon
the capital by night. After defeating the Commander
of the King's troops in single combat, he forced his
1 Chinese history relates that in 1553 the King of Siam sent a white elephant
for the Emperor Si Chong Hong Te (eleventh of the Ming dynasty). The elephant
died on the journey, but its tusks and tail were taken to the Emperor.
This was probably the Governor of Sawank'alok who took part in the
conspiracy against K'un Worawongsa.
n6 A HISTORY OF SI AM
way into the palace. The King escaped by boat ; but his
two sons, Prince Ramesuen and Prince Mahin, assembled
their forces and attacked Prince Sri Sin's adherents. The
young Prince was killed, fighting bravely to the last.
Most of his adherents were apprehended and executed.
Prince Sri Sin deserves to be called one of the heroes
of Siamese history. Few will doubt but that this gallant
youth, who died sword in hand, fighting bravely for his
father's throne, would have made a better King than
his rival, the miserable Mahin. Had Prince Sri Sin
succeeded in his enterprise, Siam might possibly have
been spared the degradation into which she sank only a
few years later.
We must now retrace our steps for a few moments to
consider the course of events in Burma. Tabeng Shwe
T'i, after his retreat from Siam in 1540, fell under the
influence of a Portuguese named Diego Suarez, who
encouraged him to drink in excess. The King became
quite unable to govern, and in 1550 was assassinated.
Burma then fell into great confusion, and was once
more split up into several small States ; but Bhureng
Noung, the brother-in-law of Tabeng Shwe T'i, pro-
claimed himself King, and by 1555 had established his
control over Taungu, Prome, Pegu and Ava.
Bhureng Noung next picked a quarrel with Chiengmai.
The ruler of Chiengmai at that time was Maharaja
Mekut'i, who had been summoned to the throne in
1549.* In 1556 the Burmese monarch was engaged in
1 Prince Jai Jett'a was crowned as Maharaja of Chiengmai shortly after King
P'rajai's second expedition and death (1547). He only remained in Chiengmai
for two years, and then returned to Luang P'rabang to fight his younger brother,
who had assumed the crown of Luang P'rabang on the sudden death of their
father. It was on this occasion that King Jai Jett'a removed from Chiengmai
the emerald Buddha, the crystal Buddha of Lamp'un, the P'rasmgh, and other
particularly sacred images. None of them were returned except the P'rasingh.
King Jai Jett'a announced his intention of remaining at Luang P'rabang:
the Chiengmai nobles therefore held that the throne was vacant, ana summoned
the nval candidate, Prince Mekut'i of Miiang Nai, to become Maharaja. (1549.)
A HISTORT OF SI AM 117
an expedition against some of the Shan States, and he
accused Maharaja Mekut'i (himself a Prince of Mfiang
Nai) of assisting the Shans. Chiengmai was besieged
by a strong Burmese army, and was taken, after only
a few days' resistance, in April, 1556. Thus fell, never to
rise again, the independent Tai Kingdom of Chiengmai
or Lannat'ai, two hundred and sixty years after its
establishment by King Mengrai.
Maharaja Mekut'i was permitted to rule as a vassal
of the King of Burma, and a Burmese army of occupation
was left at Chiengmai.
By the irony of fate, the efforts made by King
Chakrap'at to capture elephants for the defence of his
country were the indirect cause of the second Burmese
invasion. Among the animals captured were no less
than seven white elephants. The King was persuaded
to adopt the title of " Lord of the White Elephants."
The King of Burma saw in this as good an excuse as
any other to precipitate war. He therefore sent envoys
to demand two of the white elephants.
King Chakrap'at consulted his advisers. Some held
that it was better to surrender a couple of white elephants
than to plunge the country into war ; others, headed by
Prince Ramesuen, advised the King that it would dis-
grace him in the eyes of the whole world if he were to
submit tamely to so unreasonable a request ; moreover,
they argued, submission would only encourage the King
of Burma to put forward still more outrageous demands.
In the end, an unfavourable reply was sent to Bhureng
Noung, who thereupon at once declared war.
Bhureng Noung, as has been seen, was far more
powerful than any of his predecessors had been. His
control over Chiengmai placed him in a position so
favourable for carrying out an invasion of Siam that the
n8 A HISTORT OF SI AM
result was almost a foregone conclusion. Moreover,
the northern provinces of Siam were at that time ravaged
by pestilence and afflicted by famine, and were, therefore,
in no condition to offer a very strenuous opposition to an
invader.
In the autumn of the year 1563 the King of Burma
advanced into Siam with an army said by the Siamese
historian to have numbered 900,000 men, including
troops not only from Burma, but also from Chiengmai
and other Lao States. Kamp'engp'et was invested and
was easily taken, the Maharaja of Chiengmai assisting
with a fleet of boats. Suk'ot'ai made a stout resistance,
but could not withstand the superior force of the Burmese.
Sawank'alok and P'ijai capitulated. P'itsanulok, then
a prey to famine and pestilence, fell after a short siege.
Maha T'ammaraja, King Chakrap'at's son-in-law,
accompanied Bhureng Noung on his march to the south,
together with an army of 70,000 men from the northern
Siamese provinces. Willingly, or unwillingly, he thus
openly ranged himself on the Burmese side.
The Siamese, aided by a few Portuguese free-lances,
made two attempts to stay the progress of the immense
Burmese army, but were defeated and driven back.
The Burmese reached Ayut'ia in February 1564.
The King of Siam was quite unable to raise a sufficient
force to offer any effective resistance. After the Burmese
had directed a cannonade against the city, the population,
realising that they were almost helpless, pressed the
King to come to terms with the invaders. Their demands
were supported by those nobles who from the first had
been in favour of surrendering the white elephants. A
conference was accordingly held between the two
monarchs in person.
The terms imposed by the King of Burma were
A HISTORY OF SI AM 119
onerous. Prince Ramesuen, P'ya Chakri and P'ya
Sunt'orn Songk'ram, the leaders of the war party, were
to be delivered up as hostages, an annual tribute of thirty
elephants and three hundred catties of silver was to be
sent to Burma, and the Burmese were to be granted the
right to collect and retain the customs duties of the port
of Mergui then the chief emporium of foreign trade.
In addition to this, four white elephants were to be
handed over, instead of the two originally demanded. *
It is possible that the terms imposed might have been
even harsher, but for the fact that the tidings of a rebellion
at home caused Bhureng Noung to be desirous of return-
ing to Burma as soon as possible. Leaving an army of
occupation in Siam, he hurried back by way of
Kamp'engp'et.
Hardly had the King of Burma left Ayut'ia when a
serious rebellion broke out, led by the Rajah of Patani.
The Rajah had raised an army, supported by a fleet of
two hundred boats, to fight the Burmese. Finding
that he had arrived too late, and observing that the King
of Siam was very ill-prepared for resistance, he attempted
to seize the throne. King Chakrap'at, for the second
time in his reign, fled from his palace in a panic. The
rebellion was, however, successfully suppressed.
Some time before the second Burmese invasion, King
Jai Jett'a, of Luang P'rabang, who had then recently
established a new capital at Wiengchan (Sri Satan-
akonahut), sent to ask for the hand of Princess T'ep
Krasatri, one of the daughters of King Chakrap'at and
the warrior Queen Suriyot'ai. The Siamese King agreed
to this marriage, although he had already given one of his
1 Burmese history relates that King Chakrap'at himself, as well as Prince
Ramesuen, was taken to Burma as a hostage. Prince Damrong has cited very
strong rcabons for believing this to be incorrect. The truth can never now be
known for certain.
120 A HISTORY OF SIAM
daughters in marriage to King Jai Jett'a. When the
time came for the Princess to leave for Wiengchan, she
was unwell, so King Chakrap'at sent another of his
daughters, by a different wife, in her stead. The King
of Wiengchan, whose taste in collecting Princesses seems
to have been equal to his discrimination in amassing other
people's images of Buddha, was very annoyed. As soon
as the Burmese had retired, and communication with
Ayut'ia was possible, he sent back the unwanted Princess,
with a message asserting his intention to accept Princess
T'ep Krasatri, and no other.
In April 1564 Princess T'ep Krasatri finally set out for
Wiengchan. Maha T'ammaraja of P'itsanulok had,
however, not been reckoned with. He had informed the
King of Burma about the business which was on foot.
Burmese troops were, we may assume, easily available in
various parts of Siam. The Princess was intercepted by
a Burmese force near P'etchabun, and carried off to Burma.
From this time onwards the King of Wiengchan and
the Governor of P'itsanulok lost no opportunity of
injuring one another.
Later in the same year (1564) Bhureng Noung dis-
covered that Maharaja Mekut'i of Chiengmai was
plotting to regain his independence. The Burmese
therefore reoccupied Chiengmai and took the Maharaja
back to Burma, leaving Princess Maha T'ewi as Regent
of Chiengmai. As has been seen, this lady had already
been Regent once before, at the time of the invasions by
King P'rajai. (1546-7.)
Bhureng Noung was accompanied on this expedition
to Chiengmai by Prince Ramesuen of Siam, The young
Prince fell ill and died on the journey.
1 Prince Damrong places these events a little later, namely about 1565, after
the Burmese invasion of Wiengchan. The author has followed the two oldest
versions of Siamese history.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 121
Some of the confederates of the Maharaja fled to
Wiengchan. Thither they were pursued by the Crown
Prince of Burma. King Jai Jett'a escaped to the jungle,
leaving his capital at the mercy of the Burmese, who
removed to Burma his brother and all his wives, including
a daughter of King Chakrap'at.
At the end of the year 1565 King Chakrap'at appointed
his son, Prince Mahin, to be Regent, and retired into
private life.
The task of the Regent was no easy one, and Prince
Mahin was a man of little ability, and quite incapable of
dealing with the difficult problems which faced him.
Maha T'ammaraja interfered in every detail of the
administration, and opposed every measure which
appeared to be contrary to the interests of the King
of Burma.
One P'ya Ram, Governor of Kamp'engp'et, being
dissatisfied with Maha T'ammaraja's policy, came to
Ayut'ia, and became before long the chief adviser of the
Prince Regent. His influence was strongly anti-
Burmese.
P'ya Ram conceived the plan of regaining control over
the northern provinces with the assistance of the King of
Wiengchan, who was secretly invited to attack P'its-
anulok. King Jai Jett'a needed no second invitation.
At the end of the year 1566 he advanced to P'itsanulok
at the head of a large army and laid siege to the town.
The Prince Regent of Siam marched northwards with a
strong force, supported by a fleet of boats, ostensibly to
assist his kinsman, but in reality with the intention of
gaining access to the town and delivering it to the King
of Wiengchan. The Prince was refused admittance, and
before long a Burmese army, sent for by Maha T'am-
maraja on the first threat of danger, arrived. The King
122 A HISTORY OF SIAM
of Wiengchan was forced to retire, and the Prince
Regent of Siam returned home discomfited, after seeing
his fleet of boats destroyed by means of burning rafts
which were turned loose in its midst.
In July 1567 King Chakrap'at became a Buddhist
priest.
Early in 1568 Maha T'ammaraja demanded the sur-
render of P'ya Ram, nominally in order to make him
Governor of P'ijai. The Prince Regent refused. Maha
T'ammaraja insisted. The Prince began to feel that the
situation was fast becoming one with which he was
incompetent to deal. He therefore begged the old
King to resume the reins of office, which the latter did
in the month of April 1568.
At about the same time Maha T'ammaraja left P'its-
anulok on a visit to Burma, probably to complain to
Bhureng Noung of the conduct of Prince Mahin during
the invasion of King Jai Jett'a. He now threw himself
entirely into the hands of Bhureng Noung, and accepted
the position of a vassal Prince, with the title of Chao Fa
Song K'we. l
King Chakrap'at and Prince Mahin took advantage of
Maha T'ammaraja's absence in Burma to carry out a
design which they probably thought was a great stroke
of policy, but which proved to be not only useless but
disastrous. They went to P'itsanulok, removed the
King's daughter, Princess Wisut Krasatri (Maha T'am-
maraja's wife), together with her children, and took them
to Ayut'ia as hostages. Prince Mahin then proceeded to
attack Kamp'engp'et. He failed to take it, and returned
to Ayut'ia, only to learn that the King of Burma was on
the point of avenging Maha T'ammaraja's wrongs by an
immediate invasion. Nothing now remained but to
1 Song K'we was the ancient name of P'itsanulok.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 123
prepare for defence. This King Chakrap'at did to the
best of his ability ; but the time at his disposal was short
and his resources scanty.
In December 1568, a Burmese army, 1 the largest which
had yet invaded Siam, arrived at Ayut'ia, having met with
practically no opposition on the way.
Maha T'ammaraja, needless to say, accompanied the
Burmese army. The Princess Regent of Chiengmai was
also compelled to send troops to assist.
In January 1569 King Chakrap'at died. He fell ill
almost immediately after the commencement of the
siege. His age at the time of his death was sixty-two.
Pinto says of this King : " He was a religious man, who
had no knowledge of arms or of war, and withal of a
cowardly disposition, a tyrant, and ill-beloved of his
subjects." But Pinto, who probably left Siam before
King Chakrap'at's accession, can have had no good
grounds for so harsh a judgment. The author pictures
this King as a weak, good-natured man ; generous to his
friends ; merciful, as shown by his conduct to Prince
Sri Sin, a dangerous rival. He seems always to have
tried to do his best for his country in very difficult
circumstances, and he occupies no unworthy place among
the Kings of Siam.
The new King, Mahin, gave up all attempt to conduct
the defence of the city, and devoted himself to puerile
amusements, leaving everything in the hands of P'ya
Ram. He could not have done better, for P'ya Ram,
assisted by several other nobles, put up a stubborn defence,
and inflicted severe damage on the enemy. The King's
young brother, Sri Sawaraja, a mere lad, also greatly
distinguished himself by his bravery and military capacity.
1 CaRsar Frederick, who was in Burma at the time, says that the Burmese army
numbered 1,400,000 men. Their losses were 500,000. (Purchas) Ralph Fitch
says 300,000 men and 5,000 elephants. The P'ongsawadan says 1,000,000 men.
I2 4 A HISTORY OF SIAM
The King of Burma now determined to get rid of
P'ya Ram. He therefore caused Maha T'ammaraja
to write secretly to his wife in Ayut'ia, saying that P'ya
Ram alone was the author and instigator of the war ;
if he were delivered up, terms could easily be arranged.
King Mahin, after asking the advice of members of the
faction opposed to P'ya Ram, was base enough to deliver
up his faithful General to the Burmese. He was punished
for his treachery, for Bhureng Noung, with equal base-
ness, broke his word, and refused to discuss terms,
demanding unconditional surrender.
In May King Mahin became jealous of his brave
young brother, Prince Sri Sawaraja. He accused the
young Prince of taking too much responsibility upon
himself, and cruelly ordered him to be executed.
The siege lagged on until August, and in the end the
city only fell through treachery. P'ya Chakri, who, as
will be remembered, was one of the hostages sent to
Burma with Prince Ramesuen after the second Burmese
invasion in 1563, had accompanied Bhureng Noung to
Ayut'ia. He appeared one day in chains before one of
the Siamese forts, pretending that he had escaped from
confinement. King Mahin received him well, and placed
him in a position of authority. Before long the traitor
had posted his creatures at several important points.
The vulnerable positions were duly notified to the
Burmese. On Sunday, August 3Oth, 1569, a great attack
was made, this time with success. Thus Ayut'ia fell
for the first time, a victim to the treachery of one of her
own sons. 1
King Mahin, and all the Royal Family, were taken
away captive to Burma, together with a vast concourse
1 Burmese history relates that Bhureng Noung found occasion, not long after
the fall of Ayut'ia, to have P'ya Ram executed ; a just fate for so infamous
a traitor.
A HISTORT OF SUM 125
of prisoners and a large number of cannon. After an
interval of three months Maha T'ammaraja was set up
as a puppet King.
King Mahin died of fever on the way to Burma. We
are told that Bhureng Noung encouraged the doctors who
attended the Royal prisoner by threatening them with
death if they failed to cure him, and that, when he died,
eleven doctors were executed. A severe punishment for
failing to save the life of a very worthless man.
CHAPTER IX
REIGN OF KING MAHA T'AMMARAJA
BHURENG NOUNG remained at Ayut'ia to witness the
coronation of his vassal, Maha T'ammaraja, who was
made King with the title of P'ra Sri Sarap'et, but who is
better known in history as King Maha T'ammaraja. This
monarch was, by virtue of his descent, a suitable occupant
of the throne of Siam. His mother was related to the
Royal Family of Ayut'ia, and his father was a descendant
of the Kings of Suk'ot'ai. His elevation to the throne
was, however, connected in the minds of his people with
the degradation of their country, and during the earlier
years of his reign we may suppose that he was an object
of hatred and contempt to his subjects.
The King of Burma removed most of the population
of Ayut'ia and dismantled the defences of the city.
Only ten thousand inhabitants were left behind in the
vanquished and now defenceless capital. Many Siamese
must have thought that the glory of their country had
departed for ever, and that nothing but a miracle could
restore their freedom. And truly, as we shall see, the
power of recuperation shown by this people was little
short of miraculous.
During the next fifteen years Siam was little more than
a province of Burma. Burmese officials resided at
Ayut'ia and at other important centres, and many
Burmese laws and institutions were forced upon the
126
A HISTORY OF SIAM 127
country. The Burmese era, established by T'inga Raja,
a ruler who usurped the throne of Pagan in A.D. 638, was
introduced into Siam at this time, to replace the old
Mahasakarat era 1 ; this Burmese era became known in
Siam by the name of Chulasakarat 1 or Little Era, and was
in use until 1887. It * s not 7 et entirely obsolete.
To the same period probably belongs also the intro-
duction of the Dhammathat, or Code of Manu. This
code, which was doubtless well suited to the needs of the
Indian Brahminical Society in 600 B.C., was with diffi-
culty grafted on to the laws of Buddhist Siam in the
sixteenth century of the Christian era. At the present
time the Siamese have freed themselves almost wholly
from Manu's paralysing influence ; but the more con-
servative Burmese still retain this hoary and anachronistic
piece of legislation.'
Siam's troubles with Burma afforded a good oppor-
tunity to Cambodia to pay off old scores. 4 In the year
following the fall of Ayut'ia, King Boromoraja of Cam-
bodia invaded Siam, thinking doubtless that he could
seize the new defenceless capital with great ease, and
return home with many prisoners and plenty of booty.
He was wrong ; a stern resistance was offered, and the
Cambodians were forced to retire after suffering heavy
losses. This Cambodian invasion, and others which were
carried out during the following few years, clearly show
the weakness of Siam at that time. Cambodia had not
been a formidable antagonist since the foundation of
1 The Mahasakarat Era was introduced in southern India by King Kanishka;
in A.D. 78. It was probably introduced into Siam and Cambodia by King
Kamshka's missionanes. (See chapter 11.)
2 The Siamese legend that the Chulasakarat Era was introduced by King
Ramk'amhcng of Suk'ot'ai is unworthy of serious consideration. All the carved
inscriptions of King Ramk'amheng and his successors use only the Mahasakarat.
"The Dhammathat was introduced into Burma in the reign of Wareru of
Pegu (1287-96). The version now in use was drawn up in the reign of T'ado
T'ammaraja (Thalun): (1629-48).
* One is reminded of the " weasel Scot," as pictured by Shakespeare (Henry V,
act i., scene 2).
128 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Ayut'ia, having, in fact, usually occupied the position
of a vassal State.
The Cambodian invasion proved to be a blessing in
disguise, for it afforded an excuse to King Maha T'am-
maraja to strengthen the defences of Ayut'ia without
exciting the distrust of the King of Burma. This
opportunity was eagerly grasped, for King Maha T'am-
maraja was not the man to resign himself to a permanent
state of subjection. New walls were built, canals were
dug, and cannon were purchased from the Portuguese
and other foreigners.
We must now introduce the most celebrated hero and
warrior who ever played a part upon the stage of Siamese
history, namely Naresuen the Great.
This Prince was the elder son of King Maha T'am-
maraja. He was born in 1555. After the invasion of
Siam by Bhureng Noung in 1564, Prince Naresuen was
taken to Burma as a hostage for the fidelity of his father
a precaution which seems to have had the desired
result. On becoming King of Siam, King Maha T'am-
maraja gave one of his daughters in marriage to Bhureng
Noung, and at the same time begged that Prince Naresuen
might be allowed to return to Siam. The request was
gran ted, and the young Prince, then aged sixteen, returned
home in 1571. He was appointed Maha Uparat, and
was sent up as Governor of P'itsanulok, in accordance
with ancient custom.
Prince Naresuen was popularly known as the Black
Prince, his younger brother, Prince Ekat'otsarot, born
about 1568, being known as the White Prince. As will
be seen, Siam's Black Prince was no unworthy namesake
of our English Black Prince.
In 1574 the King of Burma undertook an invasion of
Wiengchan, and compelled the King of Siam and Prince
-!*
DC
2
u
I
t ;
<
WH
A HISTORY OP SIAM 129,
Naresuen to accompany him, Prince Ekat'otsarot being
left behind as Regent at Ayut'ia. Prince Naresuen fell
ill with smallpox on the Way. The Burmese therefore
proceeded to Wiengchan without their Siamese auxiliaries. 1
In 1575 and 1578 Siam was disturbed by further
Cambodian invasions. 1 The Cambodians were repulsed
on both occasions, but they succeeded in capturing a
large number of prisoners. Siam, in her depopulated
condition, could ill afford this constant drain upon
her manhood. During these Cambodian raids the
young Black Prince had several opportunities of
displaying his military capacity and his personal
courage.
After the Cambodian invasion of 1578 P'ya Chin
Chantu, a Cambodian nobleman who had been visiting
Ayut'ia, ostensibly as a political refugee, but in reality
as a spy, escaped away. The Black Prince and his
young brother pursued the fugitive. An action ensued,
in which Prince Naresuen astonished all beholders by his
reckless disregard of danger. From that time onwards
he began to be looked upon, both in Siam and in Burma,
as the one man likely to undertake the difficult task of
freeing his country from Burmese dominion.
In 1578 Princess MahaT'ewi, the Regent of Chiengmai,
died. Bhureng Noung thereupon set up one of his own
*This was the second Burmese invasion of Wiengchan Luang P'rabang
territory since the fall of Ayut'ia. The first was in 1569-70. King Jai Jett'a,
as usual, fled to the jungle with the greater part of the population of Wiengchan,
and the Burmese retired, after suffering great hardships from famine and disease.
In 1571 King Jai Jett'a, while engaged in a war in Cambodia, lost himself in the
jungle, and was never seen again a judgment on him, perhaps, for stealing all
the best images of Buddha from Chieng nai. After some disturbances, an infant
son of Jai Jett'a was set up as King, with one P'ya Sn Suren K'wang
Regent. The King of Burma insisted on the abdication of the Regeg
of a brother of King Jai Jett'a, who had been a prisoner in
invasion of 1565. The Regent ignored this demand. Henc
1574, which resulted in the capture of Pnnce Noh Keo and tlj
brother of King Jai Jett'a to the throne of Wiengchan as
This marks the extreme limit attained by Bhureng Noung's i
threw off the Burmese yoke in 1595.
1 King Boromoraja of Cambodia died in 1576, and was
who assumed the title of P'ra Satt'a
Is
i 3 o A HISTORY OF SIAM
sons, Tharawadi Min, as vassal Prince of Chiengmai.
He was given the title of Nohrata Zaw.
In 1580 King Maha T'ammaraja began to make
further improvements in the fortifications of Ayut'ia,
doubtless giving the Cambodian menace as an excuse.
In the same year a serious rebellion broke out in eastern
Siam. The rebel leader, Yan Prajien, defeated and killed
the General who was sent against him, and the King's
troops went over to the rebels. Yan Prajien then attacked
Lopburi, but was killed in action, whereupon the rebels
were dispersed.
Later in that same year the King of Cambodia attacked
and captured P'etchaburi, removing most of the popula-
tion as prisoners, and in 1582 yet another Cambodian
incursion was made into eastern Siam.
Siamese history concerns itself but little with the
condition of the common people. We can, however,
easily guess that at this period they had reached the lowest
possible degree of misery and want. Numberless men
had been killed in the wars with Burma, and thousands
more had been swept away into slavery in Burma and
Cambodia. The few who remained were barely able,
we may suppose, to plant the rice crop from year to year ;
yet all had to work like slaves in order to raise the tribute
payable to the King of Burma.
But the day of deliverance was at hand. In the month
of December 1581 King Bhureng Noung of Burma died.
He was sixty-six years of age, and had reigned for thirty-
one years. The Burmese Empire, whose heterogeneous
elements had only been held together by the strong
personality of Bhureng Noung, was inherited by his son,
Nanda Bhureng, a man who possessed all his father's
ruthlessness and cruelty, but none of his will-power or
military capacity.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 131
One of Nanda Bhureng's first acts after ascending the
throne was to call upon all the vassal Kings and Princes
of Burma to attend in person to do him homage. The
King of Siam was unable to attend, and was represented
on this occasion by Prince Naresuen.
While the Siamese Prince was in Burma, a rebellion
broke out at Muang Kum, in the Shan States. The King
of Burma sent up Prince Naresuen with a Siamese force,
accompanied by two Burmese Princes, to subdue the
rebellious city. The Black Prince of Siam succeeded
in capturing the city after both the Burmese Princes had
failed ignominiously to do so. This success did not
enhance the Black Prince's popularity at the Burmese
Court. Relations between him and the Crown Prince
of Burma became strained, and he returned to Siam at
the end of 1582.* This visit served to show him the
internal weakness of the Burmese Empire, and he went
home fully determined to strike a blow for the freedom
of Siam as soon as a favourable occasion should
arise.
During the year 1583 Burma made preparations for
war. The road across the frontier to Kamp'engp'et
was improved, and large supplies for an invading army
were collected at Kamp'engp'et, which was at that time
included in the dominions of the Burmese Prince of
Chiengmai.
In 1584 trouble arose between Nanda Bhureng and
his brother-in-law, the Prince of Ava. A daughter of
the latter was married to the Burmese Crown Prince.
She complained to her father that she was being mal-
treated. He determined to rebel, and wrote to some of
the other subject Princes of Burma asking them to join
him. The design was revealed to Nanda Bhureng, who
1 According to some accounts he escaped, and was pursued to the frontier.
132 A HISTORT OF SIAM
at once proceeded to attack Ava, leaving the Crown
Prince as Regent at Hanthawadi.
Prince Naresuen was ordered to assist in this expedition,
and Nanda Bhureng thought the occasion favourable for
getting rid of a man who showed signs of becoming a
dangerous enemy. He therefore instructed two Peguan
nobles to meet the Siamese Prince on the frontier and
accompany him into Burma. While on the march, they
were to find an opportunity to murder him.
Prince Naresuen met these two nobles at Miiang
K'reng. After meeting him, the intended assassins
were touched by his youth and his gallant bearing ;
their consciences revolted against their infamous task,
and they divulged the plot to the Prince.
Prince Naresuen then called a meeting of all his
Generals, together with the principal Peguan officials
in the district, and openly declared to them that he
renounced, on behalf of his father, Siam's allegiance to
Burma. This important declaration was made at MUang
K'reng in the month of May 1584.
Most of the population along the border joined Prince
Naresuen, and he proceeded to Hanthawadi at the head
of a considerable force, and laid siege to the city. He
shortly afterwards learned, however, that Nanda Bhureng
had defeated the Prince of Ava, and was returning to
Hanthawadi. Not being, as yet, in a condition to
encounter a victorious army, instead of, as he had hoped,
a routed one, he returned to Siam, taking with him a large
number of prisoners. The majority of these were
Siamese who had been captured by the Burmese in
previous wars, and forced to settle in Pegu.
The King of Burma, incensed at these proceedings,
at once despatched a force, commanded by the Crown
Prince, to pursue the Siamese. Prince Naresuen utterly
A HISTORT OF SIAM 133
defeated them on the banks of the Sittaung River. 1 One
of the Burmese Generals, Surakamma, was shot dead
by the Siamese Prince. This was the first victory
gained by the Siamese against the Burmese for many
years.
This success was soon followed by another. Nanda
Bhureng demanded the surrender of a number of Shan
prisoners who had fled from Burma to P'itsanulok. The
Black Prince haughtily declined to accede to this demand,
and in his reply openly asserted the independence of
Siam. A Burmese army advanced to Kamp'engp'et for
the purpose of compelling the surrender of the Shans.
An army from northern Siam was sent to Kamp'engp'et,
and the Burmese were driven back across the frontier.
The Governors of Sawank'alok and P'ijai, fearing the
vengeance of the King of Burma, declined to assist in this
operation, thinking it safer to rebel against their own
King. They fortified themselves in Sawank'alok, but
the city was stormed by the Black Prince, and the two
rebel leaders were captured and executed.
About this time, King Satt'a of Cambodia decided that
he would do well to throw in his lot with Siam ; he
accordingly sent envoys to Ayut'ia, who succeeded in
concluding a treaty between the two Kingdoms.
Nanda Bhureng now made preparations for a serious
invasion of Siam, and the Siamese, fully aware of his
intention, laid plans for resisting him. Three armies
were raised, one under P'ya Chakri, one under the
Governor of Suk'ot'ai, and one under the two Siamese
Princes. It is unlikely that the total forces available
exceeded 50,000 men, and this number was only attained
1 Burmese history states that the Crown Prince followed the Siamese as far
as Ayut'ia, where he was defeated. The Siamese account appears more probable.
The musket used by Prince Naresuen in this action formed for many years part
of the regalia of Siam, and was known as the " Musket of the Battle of the
Sittaung River."
134 A HISTORT OF SIAM
by removing almost the whole population of the northern
provinces to Ayut'ia, by which means the entire strength
of the Kingdom was concentrated in the district im-
mediately surrounding the capital. The rice crop on the
enemy's probable line of march was either gathered in
or destroyed, and other supplies were removed.
In December 1584 a Burmese army of 30,000 men
advanced into Siam by the Three Pagodas route. They
were led by the Prince of Bassein, an uncle of the King
of Burma, The plan of campaign was to advance to
Ayut'ia, where they were to be joined by another army
of 100,000 men, under the Burmese Prince of Chiengmai.
The plan miscarried. The army of the Prince of Bassein
arrived at Sup'an long before the Chiengmai force was
anywhere near, and after several engagements was driven
back across the frontier with great loss.
The Prince of Chiengmai did not arrive in Siam until
February 1585, about a fortnight after the final defeat
of the army of the Prince of Bassein. He encamped at
Jainat, and after he had lost a great many men through
constant guerilla attacks by the Siamese, he retired to
Kamp'engp'et, without having attempted any serious
engagement.
Nanda Bhureng threw the whole blame for the failure
of this expedition onto Tharawadi Min, who had been
so dilatory in his march from Chiengmai. He ordered
him to advance once more to Nak'onsawan, in order to
carry out preparations for a further great invasion of
Siam during the next cold season. These preparations
were to consist in destroying the crops and in hindering
the populations near Ayut'ia from cultivating their fields.
While thus destroying the Siamese supplies, the Burmese
commissariat was to be assured by planting rice in the
depopulated provinces of northern Siam. The Crown
A HISTORY OF SI AM 135
Prince of Burma, with 50,000 men, was stationed at
Kamp'engp'et in order to assist in these preparations.
The Prince of Chiengmai established his camp at the
village of Sraket, near Angt'ong.
Prince Naresuen was not the man to allow the Burmese
to carry out their preparations under his very nose. The
Prince of Chiengmai was attacked and defeated several
times. Finally, in April 1586, his army was drawn into
an ambush by means of a pretended retreat by an attack-
ing Siamese force, and he was routed, losing 10,000 men,
1 20 elephants and 400 boats. Tharawadi Min himself
only narrowly escaped falling into the hands of the Black
Prince. He fled in the nick of time, leaving all his
personal property to be captured by the Siamese. 1
This was a most important victory. In particular,
several thousands of Lao prisoners, who could be used
to till the padi fields, were of incalculable value to Siam
at that time.
Siam now found herself in a better position to resist a
Burmese invasion than had been the case since the days
of King Chakrap'at.
The King of Cambodia had sent an army, under the
command of his brother, Prince Srisup'anma, to assist
in the attack on the Prince of Chiengmai. This was the
first time that Siam and Cambodia had ever acted
together, and the result was unfortunate. The Black
Prince considered that Prince Srisup'anma treated him
with discourtesy during the return journey to Ayut'ia,
and retaliated by causing the severed heads of some of the
Lao prisoners to be impaled close to the boat of the
Cambodian Prince. The latter complained to his brother,
1 Burmese history makes no mention of this defeat, but we read in the Annals
of Chiengmai as follows : " In the year 947 (1585-6) the King of Burma ordered
Chiengmai to attack Ayut'ia. When the Chiengmai army got near Ayut la, the
Siamese defeated and scattered them. Many men, elephants, horses and arms
were lost. The army retreated to Chiengmai."
136 A HISTORY OF SIAM
on his return to Cambodia, of the treatment which he
had received. King Satt'a was greatly offended, and
determined to abandon the alliance with Siam as soon as
a good opportunity should arise.
Although the preliminary operations planned by King
Nanda Bhureng in preparation for a fresh invasion of
Siam had so grievously miscarried, the invasion was
duly undertaken in November 1586. The Burmese force
this time consisted of 250,000 men, and should have
been able, given good generalship, utterly to crush any
opposition which Siam could offer. This great army
was divided into three portions, one under the King of
Burma himself, one under the Crown Prince, and the
third under the Prince of Taungu. *
The Siamese had had plenty of time to prepare for
resistance. The whole available population was gathered
together at Ayut'ia, and all the crops, ripe and unripe,
were either harvested or destroyed. Small bands of
men, under leaders experienced in guerilla tactics, were
collected for the purpose of harassing the Burmese when-
ever a chance offered. No attempt was made to hold the
surrounding country, except to the south, where it was,
of course, of paramount importance to maintain com-
munication with the sea.
The three Burmese armies advanced to Ayut'ia from
the north, the west and the east, arriving simultaneously
early in January 1587. The siege lasted until May,
and was notable on account of the resource and courage
shown by Prince Naresuen and his young brother. The
latter narrowly escaped death by a Burmese bullet, and
the former continually carried out raids on the Burmese
camps, often being seen on foot, leading his men where the
1 Brother of Bhureng Noting. The Prince of Chiengmai was held to have proved
himself an incompetent General, so was placed in charge of the Commissariat
Department. From the result, it would appear that he made a mess of it.
A HISTORY OF SI AM 137
fighting was hottest, and always oblivious to danger or
fatigue. It is impossible to doubt that it was the example
thus set by Prince Naresuen, and nothing else, which
inspired the Siamese to offer so stern a resistance against
what must have seemed overwhelming odds. In the
end, the King of Burma, disheartened by the heavy
losses sustained by his armies, confronted by the spectres
of famine and disease, and fearing worse troubles when
the rainy season started, retired to Burma.
From this time onwards the independence of Siam
seemed assured.
The outcome of this siege was very unfortunate for
King Satt'a of Cambodia. Determined to avenge his
brother's real or imaginary wrongs, he invaded Siam
early in 1587, and captured Prachim. Prince Naresuen
retaliated, as soon as the Burmese peril had been averted,
by driving the Cambodians from Prachim and pursuing
them into their own country. Battambang and Pursat
were captured, and the Siamese advanced to Lowek, at
that time the capital of Cambodia. Owing to lack of
supplies, the Siamese were forCCd to withdraw, but the
Black Prince from that time onward determined to be
revenged on King Satt'a. Being himself a man of his
word, the conduct of the Cambodian monarch in treating
the Treaty of 1585 as a " scrap of paper " appeared to
him as a piece of perfidy deserving of condign punishment.
In July 1590 King Maha T'ammaraja died. He was
aged seventy-five, and had reigned for twenty-one years.
In his youth active and patriotic, he became in middle age
a traitor to his country, and ascended the throne when
Siam had sunk into a state of degradation for which he was
1 Siamese histories state that Nanda Bhureng besieged Ayut'ia twice, once
early in 1587 and again at the beginning of 1588, but give no details about the
second siege. Burmese history does not mention the second siege. The author
has concluded that only one siege took place.
I 3 8 A HISTORT OF SIAM
himself largely responsible. As King, he appears to
have been a nonentity, wisely leaving the conduct of
affairs to his sons. He lived long enough to see Siam
once more free ; but he must often have reflected with
sorrow that it was his sons, and not himself, who severed
the chains which he had helped to forge.
CHAPTER X
REIGN OF KING NARESUEN THE GREAT
PRINCE NARESUEN became King at the age of thirty-five.
His first act was to appoint his brother, Prince
Ekat'otsarot, to be Maha Uparat. * He did not, however,
send the Uparat to govern P'itsanulok, as had been usual
in previous reigns, but retained him at Ayut'ia. There
were two reasons for this ; firstly, the great affection
which existed between the two brothers ; and secondly,
the depopulated condition of the northern provinces at
that time. Prince Ekat'otsarot was accorded honours
higher than those paid to any previous Uparat. His
brother desired him to be considered as joint King,
rather than as Crown Prince, and to possess the same
rank and authority as himself.
The new King had not been long on the throne before
he was called upon to repel another Burmese invasion.
The necessity for making a serious effort to subjugate
Siam was impressed upon the King of Burma by all his
advisers, who rightly held that the continual rebellions
which were taking place in the Shan States were a result
of the example set by Siam in throwing off the Burmese
yoke.
In November 1590 a Burmese army of 200,000 men,
under the leadership of the Crown Prince, proceeded to
invade Siam. The route followed was past the Three
1 See p. 92.
139
A HISTORT OF SIAM
Pagodas and Kanburi, and it was hoped to reach Ayut'ia
before the Siamese could organise any opposition. King
Naresuen, however, was ready for them. He met the
advance guard of the Burmese, under the Princes of
Pagan and Bassein, not far from the frontier. The
Burmese were defeated, the Prince of Pagan being killed
and the Prince of Bassein captured. The Siamese
pursued the Burmese until they came up to the main
army of the Crown Prince. Confusion and panic ensued,
and the Burmese were driven back across the frontier.
The Crown Prince himself only narrowly escaped being
taken prisoner.
These repeated failures filled Nanda Bhureng with
apprehension. He foresaw the break-up of his Empire
and felt that his dynasty was endangered by the fact that
the Crown Prince was personally involved in these
disastrous defeats.
It was decided to make a final effort to subdue Siam.
An army of 250,000 men was raised, which crossed the
frontier in December 1592. The Crown Prince was
nominally in command, but the real leaders were the
Prince of Prome, who had met with some success in the
Shan States, Natchin Noung, 1 son of the Prince of
Taungu, and the Prince of Zaparo.* The Crown Prince
advanced by way of the Three Pagodas, and the other
commanders by the Melamao route. The Burmese
Prince of Chiengmai was also ordered to send his troops
to assist.
The King of Siam hardly expected the Burmese to be
ready for another invasion so soon after the serious
reverse which they had suffered in 1590. At the end of
'This was one of the Burmese Princes who accompanied Prince Naresuen to
Miiang Kum in 1582.
* A District of Burma, which the author has failed to identify.
A HISTORY OF SUM 141
the year 1592 he was making ready to invade Cambodia,
in order to inflict what he regarded as necessary punish-
ment upon the treacherous King Satt'a. He had,
therefore, a large number of men under arms, and had
no great cause for dismay when he heard that two Burmese
armies were on the point of invading his dominions. He
determined immediately to attack whichever army
arrived first.
The Crown Prince of Burma, as it happened, was the
first to arrive. He advanced to the village of Trap'angkru,
north-east of Sup'an. King Naresuen, accompanied by
his brother, took up a position at Nong Sa Rai, about
thirty miles to the east of the Burmese army. The
Siamese forces were greatly inferior to the Burmese
in numbers, and the King therefore decided to await
an attack at Nong Sa Rai, where he held a strong
position.
When the Burmans were reported to be advancing,
one P'ya Sri Sai Narong was sent forward with a small
force to reconnoitre, with orders not to allow himself
to be engaged in action. The next morning, when the
King and Prince were arming themselves for the expected
conflict, shots were heard, and it was found that P'ya
Sri Sai Narong, contrary to orders, had attacked the
Burmese. The King sent a message to the P'ya to the
effect that he need expect no reinforcements, but must
get back as best he could. On receiving this message,
P'ya Sri Sai Narong and his whole force turned and
fled helter-skelter. The Burmese pursued them, prob-
ably thinking that the whole Siamese army was about to
flee. It thus came about that the tactics adopted by
King Naresuen on a former occasion, namely to draw on
the enemy by a feigned retreat, were on this occasion
followed again, but unintentionally. In a short time the
i 4 2 A HISTORY OF SUM
Siamese, who were fully prepared, found the whole army
of the Burmese Crown Prince advancing against them
hastily and in utter disorder.
King Naresuen and his brother were both mounted on
elephants which happened to be musth at the time. The
noise and excitement of the Burmese onrush so maddened
these two animals that they flung themselves furiously
forward through the front ranks of the Burmese army ;
almost before they knew what had happened, the King
and the Prince found themselves, accompanied only by
their immediate attendants, in the midst of the Burmese
host. As soon as the elephants could be stopped, and the
dust had subsided, the King saw, to his surprise, the
Crown Prince of Burma (whom he had known well in
former days) close by him, also mounted on an elephant.
He at once called out : " Brother Prince, leave the shelter
of that tree. Come out and fight with me, for the honour
of our names and the wonder of future ages ! "
The Burmese Prince had but to say a word and the
Siamese monarch and his brother would have been
overwhelmed and either killed or captured. Though a
poor General, he was, however, a brave man. Scorning
to refuse such a challenge, he drove his elephant forward,
and the two Princes joined in single combat. The Prince
dealt a fierce blow with his sword at the King's head.
The latter bent in time to avoid the blow, but the leather
cap which he was wearing was cut through. The
elephants broke away, but were brought forward for
a second charge. This time the Burmese Prince
received a wound in the shoulder and fell dead from
his elephant.
Thus perished the unfortunate Prince Min Chit Swa.
He was forced by his father to undertake a task for which
he had no capacity. He was, we learn, most unwilling
A HISTORY OF SIAM 143
to command this last expedition. It can at least be said
of him that he died bravely, fighting against the most
redoubtable warrior ever produced in Siam. 1
Prince Ekat'otsarot, in the meantime, had engaged in
single combat with the Prince of Zaparo, whom he over-
came and slew.
When the Burmese realised that their Princes were
dead, they fiercely attacked the Siamese Princes and their
few followers. The King was wounded in the hand, and
the two mahouts of the elephants of the King and Prince
were both killed. By this time, however, a large body
of Siamese troops had managed to force their way
through the Burmese ranks, and the King and Prince
were rescued.
The Burmese army was thrown into a state of utter
confusion and demoralisation by the death of the Crown
Prince, and immediately began to retire towards the
frontier. The Siamese did not pursue the enemy,
firstly because the second Burmese army had arrived at
Melamao and might have attacked them in the rear,
and secondly because the Siamese themselves had been
thrown into some confusion by the unforeseen turn of
events.
The King of Burma, on hearing of his son's death,
decided to abandon the expedition. The Melamao army
was recalled.
Thus was a serious invasion repelled, with very small
losses on both sides, through the personal valour of King
Naresuen and his brother. It was many years before
1 Burmese history gives a different version of these events. In particular,
the Crown Prince's death is said to have been due to an accident. The romantic
account given in Siamese history is, however, well authenticated. It is supported
by the history of Pegu and by van Vliet (Beshnevung van het Komgryk Siam,
Leyden, 1692).
The sword and leather cap worn by King Naresuen on this occasion became
part of the regalia of Siam, and were used by all the Kings until the fall of Ayut'ia
in 1767. f ,
144 ^ HISTORT OF SUM
the Burmese again invaded Siam. The King caused a
pagoda to be erected on the spot where he overcame the
Prince of Burma. This pagoda may be seen there to
the present day.
The King, on returning to Ayut'ia, held an enquiry
into the conduct of some of his Generals, whom he
accused of gross negligence and dilatoriness, in that they
had not followed him through the Burmese ranks. He
proposed to punish the principal offenders by death.
A deputation of the clergy pleaded for their pardon,
which the King granted on one condition, namely that
they must capture Tavoy and Tenasserim from the
Burmese.
Tenasserim and Tavoy had formed a part of the
Siamese dominions from the days of King Ramk'amheng
of Suk'ot'ai till they were taken by the Burmese in 1568,
at the time of the fall of Ayut'ia. Tavoy, which con-
tained a population for the most part of non-Tai race,
had been treated by the Siamese as a dependency or
vassal State, under a native Prince. Tenasserim, with
its port, Mergui, had always been an integral part of
the Siamese dominions.
Early in 1593 two Siamese armies, each numbering
50,000 men, commanded by two of the erring Generals,
Chao P'ya Chakri and P'ya P'rak'lang, left Ayut'ia for
the south. Chao P'ya Chakri advanced to Tenasserim,
which fell after a siege of only fifteen days. P'ya
P'rak'lang met with rather more opposition, but after
one sharp encounter with the Burmese and a siege of
twenty days, he found himself master of Tavoy.
Chao P'ya Chakri, not knowing that Tavoy had fallen,
commandeered all the ships at Tenasserim, numbering
about a hundred and fifty, and hastily fitted them out
as a fleet to assist the army of P'ya P'rak'lang. At the
A HISTORT OF SIAM 145
same time, he himself marched north at the head of
an army of 30,000 men.
P'ya P'rak'lang, being in equal ignorance as to the
result of the attack on Tenasserim, raised at Tavoy a
fleet of about a hundred ships, which he sent to assist
his colleague in the south.
Chao P'ya Chakri's fleet fell in with and engaged a
Burmese fleet of two hundred ships, which was trans-
porting an army to Tenasserim. While this naval battle
was in progress, P'ya P'rak'lang's fleet appeared on the
scene. The Burmese were completely overpowered,
several ships and more than five hundred men were
captured, and the rest escaped as best they could back
to the Irawadi.
The Siamese learned from their naval prisoners that
a strong Burmese force was advancing against Tavoy.
All the available men were therefore at once landed.
Chao P'ya Chakri had by this time arrived at Tavoy, and
a combined force of about 90,000 men was thus available,
only some 10,000 having been left behind at Tenasserim.
With this strong force, the Siamese waited for the
Burmese a little north of Tavoy, and completely routed
them.
Chao P'ya Chakri and P'ya P'rak'lang, together with
the other Generals serving under them, were held by the
King to have purged their offences committed during
the last Burmese invasion. Their expedition had,
indeed, been very successful. Tavoy and Tenasserim
remained in the hands of the Siamese. These two towns
were most important centres of foreign trade, which by
this time had reached considerable proportions. It was
very necessary for Siam, in those days of slow communi-
cations, to hold seaports on the Indian Ocean. Apart
from their value as doors of ingress into Siam, these
Ks
I 4 6 A HISTORT OF SIAM
provinces, at that time, carried on an extensive export
trade in elephants, sappan-wood, and spices of all
kinds.
King Naresuen now felt that his realm was free from
any immediate danger of being overrun by the Burmese.
He therefore began to repopulate the northern provinces,
the inhabitants of which had, for the most part, been
removed to Ayut'ia eight years previously. By the
end of the year 1593 we thus see Siam, owing to King
Naresuen's energy and genius, practically restored to
the territorial condition in which she had been when
King Chakrap'at mounted the throne in 1549. The
population, however, had been greatly reduced. Some
authorities think that Siam has hardly yet regained the
population which she possessed before her conflicts with
Burma began in the sixteenth century.
Chinese history relates a remarkable fact, not men-
tioned in any Siamese documents, which clearly shows
that at this time the Burmese danger was not thought to
be very imminent. In the twentieth year of the reign
of the Emperor Wanleh (thirteenth of the Ming dynasty)
war broke out between China and Japan (1592), The
King of Siam wrote offering to furnish an army to assist
the Chinese, The offer was refused owing to objections
raised by the Viceroy of Kwangtung and Kwangsi.
It is difficult to imagine what possible reason King
Naresuen can have had for wishing to engage in a war
against Japan.
As we have seen, the Burmese invasion of 1592 found
the King of Siam on the point of leading an expedition
against Cambodia. This postponed invasion was duly
carried out in May 1593.
According to the P* ongsawadan> armies numbering
over 100,000 men were employed on this expedition,
A HISTORY OF SIAM 147
as well as a large fleet of boats. Cambodian history
gives the numbers of the invading army as 50,000,
Battambang fell without offering any real resistance.
Pursat, under the command of P'ya Sawank'alok, 1
held out longer, but was overwhelmed by the superior
force of the Siamese. At Boribun, Prince Srisup'anma,
the brother of the King of Cambodia, was stationed with
an army of 30,000 men. The Prince fled to Lowek as
soon as he felt that the situation was becoming critical.
Boribun fell, and the victorious King of Siam advanced
to the capital. Here he was joined by two other armies,
which had advanced by northerly routes, and whose
commanders were able to report that Siemrap, Bassac,
and all the other important cities in the north of
Cambodia had been captured.
King Satt'a of Cambodia was summoned to surrender
and swear fealty to Siam. He replied by casting the
envoy into prison, and opening a sharp fire against the
Siamese. A determined resistance was made by the
Cambodians, and it was not until the month of July
1594 that Lowek was taken by assault. Both sides
suffered heavy losses.
King Satt'a, with his two sons and his female relations,
fled to northern Cambodia. The following year they
retired into the territory of the King of Luang P'rabang,
where King Satt'a died, an exile, in 1596. His eldest
son did not long survive him. 1
1 Probably a son of the Cambodian Prince who was adopted by King P'rajai,
and who took part in the conspiracy against the usurper K'un Worawongsa in 1548.
1 Post-Bangkok versions of Siamese history narrate that King Satt'a was
captured and beheaded, and that King Naresuen washed his feet in the blood of
the Cambodian monarch. The author believes this story to be a myth, for the
following reasons :
(a) The history of Luang Prasoet, written in 1688 less than a hundred
years after the events in question mentions the capture of Prince Snsup'anma,
but says nothing about King Satt'a. If both King and Prince were captured,
it would be absurd to mention only the Prince.
I 4 8 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Prince Srisup'anma and his family were captured and
taken back to Ayut'ia. A Siamese garrison was left
at Lowek, and Cambodia was for a time placed under a
Siamese Military Governor.
A very large number of prisoners were brought back
from Cambodia ; many thousands of Siamese, captured
by King Satt'a on his various marauding expeditions,
were also set free. This supply of man-power was very
welcome to the King of Siam, who was, as we have seen,
at that time trying to repopulate his northern provinces. 1
In the same year (1594) the war with Burma was
renewed. The brain of Nanda Bhureng, whose mental
powers had never been of a high order, had been alto-
gether dislocated by his repeated disasters, culminating
in the death of the Crown Prince. He suspected all
those around him of disloyalty, and estranged his sub-
jects, both Burmese and members of other races, by
committing all kinds of atrocities.
The Peguans had never been at all devoted to Burma.
The successes of King Naresuen encouraged them to
hope for independence. Their efforts towards freedom
led to massacres. The massacres drove numbers of
people away to take refuge in Siam. The refugees
(fe) The history of Cambodia has a fairly full account of these events. The
capture of Pnnce Snsup'anma is mentioned, but it is stated that King Satt'a
and his sons escaped, and their subsequent adventures are described.
(c) Antonio de Morga (Hakluyt Soc., vol. xxxix.) gives a very full account
of events in Cambodia at this period, compiled from the narratives of Spanish
eye-witnesses, who themselves took an active part in the events narrated.
Morga's account agrees in almost every detail with Cambodian history. In
particular, he states that King Satt'a (called by him Prauncar Langara)
together with his eldest son, died at Luang P'rabang in 1596.
King Naresuen's fame gams in lustre by absolving him from the false charge
of having washed his feet in the blood of his fallen foe.
1 Morga relates that many Portuguese and Castilians were among the prisoners
taken. They proved troublesome. One of them, a Dominican monk named
Fray Maldonado, stirred up some sort of disturbance at Ayut'ia. Many of his
accomplices were burnt alive. He himself, with other Spaniards and Portuguese,
escaped by boat. They were pursued by a force of forty armed boats. A fight
took place, which lasted for a week. The fugitives got away, after heavy losses
on both sides. Maldonado died of his wounds.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 149
intrigued with their friends at home. The Peguan
Governor of Moulmein finally raised the standard of
rebellion. The Burmese Governor of Martaban pre-
pared to subdue him by force. He appealed to Siam
for aid. King Naresuen was only too pleased to assist
him, and despatched an army of 30,000 men, which
speedily captured Martaban. The Prince of Taungu 1
was ordered to drive out the intruders. He attempted
to do so, but his army was driven back by the Siamese
and Peguans as far north as Thaton. It was not thought
safe, however, for the comparatively small Siamese
force to pursue the Burmese too far. They therefore
retreated. 1
As a result of this expedition, a large part of Pegu
remained under the suzerainty of Siam, whereby Burma
was greatly weakened and Siam proportionately strength-
ened. It must not be forgotten, however, that Pegu was
by this time, owing to continual wars, a very different
country from what it had been in the reigns of Tabeng
Shwe T'i and Bhureng Noung.
During the next ten years we see Burma, far from
invading and devastating Siam, as she had done con-
tinuously since the year 1549, herself a prey to internal
commotions, and ill able to act the part of an aggressor.
Siam, on the other hand, was troubled with no internal
broils. Her King was therefore able, for the first time
in his reign, to pay serious attention to his home affairs.
At this time, also, he began to cultivate the friendship
of the Spaniards and Portuguese, who had settled in
Siam in considerable numbers. In 1598 one Don Tello
l This Prince was a cousin of Nanda Bhureng. He had recently succeeded
his father, Min Khaung, brother of Bhureng Noung.
Burmese history asserts that the Siamese were defeated by the Prince of
Taungu on this occasion. The reader may take his choice. The results of the
expedition appear to have been favourable to Siam.
150 A HISTORT OF SUM
de Aguirrc was sent from Manila 1 to Siam on a diplo-
matic mission. He succeeded in concluding a Treaty
of Amity and Commerce between Spain and Siam.
This was the second Treaty between Siam and a European
power. As we have seen, the first, with Portugal, was
concluded in the reign of King Rama T'ibodi II.
In the year 1599 King Naresuen again invaded Burma.
In order to understand the circumstances which brought
about this invasion, we must briefly survey the tangled
politics of Burma. In 1593 Nanda Bhureng appointed
his son, the Prince of Ava, to be Crown Prince in the
place of Min Chit Swa, slain by King Naresuen, and
sent his half-brother, Nyaung Yan Min, to be Prince
of Ava. This arrangement offended the Prince of
Prome, who had hoped to become Crown Prince.
Believing that his cousin, the Prince of Taungu, was
responsible for the slight put upon him, the Prince of
Prome invaded Taungu. He was repulsed, but on
returning home rebelled, and declared Prome an inde-
pendent State. In this emergency, the Prince of Ava
did nothing to assist Nanda Bhureng. As for the Prince
of Chiengmai, he also was in a state of rebellion, having
declined to send one of his sons to Burma, nominally
to be educated, but in reality to be held as a hostage for
his fidelity.
In 1596 The King of Arakan equipped a fleet and
seized the port of Syriam and other coast towns in
Burma. He then entered into negotiations with the
Prince of Taungu, which resulted in these two potentates
agreeing to divide Burma between themselves, and to
invoke the aid of Siam to accomplish their purpose.
With this end in view, they despatched envoys to King
1 Manila was founded in 1571. The Spaniards first gained a foothold in the
Philippines in 1565.
A BISTORT OF SIAM 151
Naresuen, offering him their assistance if he would
undertake another invasion of Burma.
In the year 1594, Prince Noh Keo, son of the former
King Jai Jett'a of Luang P'rabang, had been sent back,
after having been a State prisoner in Burma for about
twenty years, to occupy the throne of Luang P'rabang.
He at once took steps to make himself independent
of Burma. In 1595 he quarrelled with Tharawadi Min
of Chiengmai and incited the Chief of Nan to rebel.
Three years later he declared war on Chiengmai and
captured Chiengsen. The unfortunate Tharawadi Min
was in a position of great danger. He was a foreigner,
placed by force on the throne of Chiengmai, and could
not look for much loyalty or support from his own
subjects. They were far more likely to assist the King
of Luang P'rabang, who had a strong hereditary claim
to be their ruler. Burma was in no position to help
him. In despair he appealed to Siam, offering to place
his realm under Siamese suzerainty. King Naresuen
accepted the offer, sent up an army to Chiengsen, drove
out the invaders, and installed a Lao nobleman named
P'ya Ram Dejo to reside at Chiengsen as a sort of
Siamese Commissioner.
In the light of subsequent events, it appears that this
was a mistaken policy. King Naresuen could have easily
annexed the whole of the Chiengmai dominions to
Siam. Had he done so, the dawn of the seventeenth
century would have seen him ruling over a strong and
united Tai Empire. He missed a great opportunity,
and as a result the northern and southern Tai drifted
apart, and were never truly united together until about
three hundred years later.
In 1599 King Naresuen once more invaded Burma,
intending this time to reduce that Kingdom to a state
152 A HISTORT OF SIAM
of impotence. Unfortunately he made the mistake of
of trusting the rulers of Arakan and Taungu, who had
promised him their help. Himself incapable of deceit
or double dealing, he was never inclined to distrust
others. By this time, the Prince of Taungu had decided
that there was more to gain by acting without other
support than that of the King of Arakan, and determined,
if possible, to prevent a Siamese invasion of Burma.
He therefore tried, during the whole of the year 15983
to foment, by means of secret agents, trouble in Martaban
and other parts of Pegu then subject to Siam. So
successful was he that King Naresuen, who crossed into
Pegu in the middle of 1599, found his newly won Peguan
provinces in a state of revolt. While he was engaged
in restoring order, an Arakanese army advanced to
Hanthawadi, and the Prince of Taungu shortly afterwards
led his forces to join the Arakanese before the walls of
the capital.
The wily Prince of Taungu represented himself to
Nanda Bhureng as an ally. King Naresuen fondly
imagined that he was supporting the interests of Siam.
In reality he was acting in collusion with the King of
Arakan, and had no other object than to gain for himself
the supreme power in Burma. After long negotiations,
the Crown Prince of Burma left Hanthawadi and joined
the Prince of Taungu. He was promptly murdered.
His death was concealed from his father, who shortly
afterwards, despairing of being able to resist the Arakan-
ese, and appalled at the imminent prospect of a Siamese
invasion, flung himself into the arms of the Prince of
Taungu. The unfortunate Nanda Bhureng was removed
to Taungu, and his capital, Hanthawadi, was given over
to the Arakanese, who looted it for several days, and
finally burnt it to ashes.
A BISTORT OF SIAM 153
King Naresuen arrived at Hanthawadi in October
1599 only to find that he had been hoodwinked. Nanda
Bhureng was gone, practically a prisoner, to Taungu,
and Hanthawadi was a smouldering heap of ruins.
Remonstrances addressed to the Prince of Taungu
only called forth evasive answers. King Naresuen,
therefore, carried away by indignation, rashly decided
to invade Taungu.
The Siamese army had been levied and equipped for
an expedition to Hanthawadi. No trouble in Pegu had
been expected, and the help of the Princes of Taungu
and Arakan had been counted upon. As things had
turned out, valuable time had been wasted in Pegu,
Hanthawadi was in ruins, and the expected allies had
proved false. Taungu lay a hundred and twenty miles
away from Hanthawadi, and was approached by a
difficult and mountainous road.
The invasion of Taungu was, therefore, undertaken
under the most unfavourable conditions. The Prince of
Arakan, it is true, again offered to help, but no reliance
would be placed on him, and his offer was refused. The
Siamese army was not strong enough, unaided, to capture
Taungu. All attempts to take the city by storm failed,
and at length, in May 1600, the siege was raised, after the
Siamese had endured terrible sufferings from sickness
and starvation. King Naresuen returned to Siam with
the remnants of his army. This was his first failure.
Yet this unsuccessful invasion of Burma was not
utterly useless, for it was the indirect cause of the fall
of Nanda Bhureng and the disintegration of the
Burmese Empire.
On his return journey the King heard of further trouble
at Chiengmai. P'ya Ram Dejo, who had been installed
at Chiengsen, more or less as Siamese Commissioner,
154 A HISTORY OF SIAM
held that his rank was at least equal to that of the Burmese
Prince of Chiengmai. Disputes arose, and the Chiengmai
dominions became divided into two sections, the northern
portion governed by P'ya Ram Dejo and the southern by
Tharawadi Min. The latter complained to King Nare-
suen, who sent up Prince Ekat'otsarot to settle the
dispute. This was done entirely to the satisfaction of
the Prince of Chiengmai, no support being given to the
pretensions of P'ya Ram Dejo.
This incident well illustrates the honourable character
of King Naresuen, By encouraging P'ya Ram Dejo, or
even by letting matters take their own course, a position
would have been brought about which would have
rendered it an easy matter to annex the whole dominions
of Chiengmai to Siam. Tharawadi Min had, however,
placed himself under the protection of Siam, and had
since acted as a loyal vassal. King Naresuen therefore
supported him, even though it was strongly against his
own interest to do so.
Before returning to Siam, King Naresuen installed
one P'ya Dala 1 as Siamese Governor of Martaban.
During the next four years Siam and Burma were at
peace. This was owing to the disturbed condition of
Burma, which rendered that country quite incapable of
any serious acts of aggression. The ill-starred Nanda
Bhureng, after being kept at Taungu for over eight
months as a puppet ruler under the leading-strings of his
faithless cousin, was poisoned in December 1600 at the
instigation of the eldest son of his captor, thus bringing
to a tragic end an inglorious reign. The Prince of
Taungu claimed to be his successor ; but two other sons
of Bhureng Noung were ruling, at Prome and Ava
respectively, as independent sovereigns. The Prince of
1 Dala : A small town on the Irawadi, opposite Rangoon.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 155
Ava, Nyaung Yan Min, was generally regarded as the
rightful heir to the crown of Burma, A coalition by the
Princes of Taungu and Prome against him failed, owing
to the death of the latter by drowning whilst fleeing from
an attack by rebels. A usurper was set up as Prince of
Prome, and Burma thus remained split up into three
realms Ava, Taungu, and Prome over all three of
which, however, the Prince of Ava claimed the right to
rule. In 1603 he caused himself to be crowned as King
of Burma, with the title of Sihasu T'ammaraja.
While outwardly at peace with Burma, Siam became,
in the year 1603, once more involved in Cambodian
affkirs. Since the expulsion of King Satt'a in 1593 there
had been several rulers of Cambodia, and each of them
had been found wanting. In 1602 the throne was
occupied by a young wastrel named Keo Fa, whose rule
was so detestable that the Queen-mother, supported
by almost the whole nation, applied to King Naresuen
to send back Prince Srisup'anma to rule over them.
This prayer was granted. Prince Srisup'anma returned
to Cambodia, and established his control with the aid of
a Siamese army of 6,000 men. 1
This King of Cambodia remained a faithful vassal of
Siam until his death in 1618. He introduced into his
Kingdom Siamese customs, garb and ceremonial.
By 1604 the whole of Pegu was under Siamese control,
and out of the nineteen Shan States, three, namely
Hsenwi, Muang Hang and Miiang Nai, had likewise
placed themselves under the protection of King Naresuen,
1 These events are taken from the history of Cambodia, which, however, omits
all mention of Siamese military intervention.
Morga (Hakluyt Soc., vol. xxxix.) supports the Cambodian historian, and
mentions that an army of 6,000 was sent by the King of Siam to Cambodia.
Luang Prasoet's history says : " In the year 965 (1603) the army of the P'rachao
Fai Na went and took Cambodia." It has been suggested that the " P'rachao
Fai Na " was a son of King Naresuen. Contemporary writers, however, agree
in stating that this King had no children. The " P'rachao Fai Na " was probably
Prince Ekat'otsarot.
156 A HISTORY OF SUM
whose influence thus extended to the confines of China.
The remaining Shan States had been practically independ-
ent since the break-up of Nanda Bhureng's Empire.
The King of Ava determined to regain control over
Burma's lost Shan possessions. This was effected with
ease until Miiang Nai was reached. The Sawbwa 1 of
that State appealed to Siam for aid. King Naresuen,
at the head of 100,000 men, marched northwards on his
last campaign.
At Chiengmai large reinforcements were forthcoming,
and the King crossed the Salween in April 1605 with an
army of some 200,000 men.
On arriving at Miiang Hang the King fell ill, with a
carbuncle on his cheek. Realising that his end was near,
he sent hastily for his brother, who was still at Mtlang
Fang. Prince Ekat'otsarot set out at once for Mtiang
Hang. Three days after his arrival there, on May the
1 6th, 1605, King Naresuen breathed his last. " They
were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in death they
were not divided."
The little town of Miiang Hang is known to-day as a
local centre of the teak industry, and enjoys also some
reputation as a miniature Monte Carlo. Few of those
who resort there for business or pleasure reflect that in
Mtlang Hang died the greatest warrior who ever sat upon
the throne of Siam.
King Naresuen was certainly a great man, and a King
whose memory all Siamese may well hold in honour.
His death, at the early age of fifty, was an inestimable
loss to his country.
The new King, Ekat'otsarot, abandoned the expedition
'The Shan title of Sawbwa is the same as the Siamese " Chao Fa," meaning
Celestial Prince ; in Siam the title is reserved for sons of the King by a wife of
Royal blood.
* Strictly sub rosa. Public gambling is not allowed in the Shan States.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 157
into the Shan States, and took back his brother's remains
to cremate at Ayut'ia. Hsenwi, Mtiang Nai and Miiang
Hang fell once more under Burmese domination. But
the King of Ava did not long survive his adversary ; he
fell ill and died on the return journey from the Shan
States, and Maha T'ammaraja, his son, reigned in his
stead.
CHAPTER XI
REIGNS OF KING EKAT'oTSAROT AND KING SONGT*AM
(INT'ARAJA 11)
KING EKAT'OTSAROT, though he had been known during
his brother's reign as a capable General, proved, as King,
to be a man of peace. During his short reign of five
years, the White King, as he was called by European
writers, devoted his time more to the reorganisation of the
finances of Siam than to warlike pursuits. He thus
gained among foreigners the reputation of being a
" covetous man/
We learn from Siamese history that this King imposed
a new tax, the exact nature of which is not known. It
appears to have been a tax on shops and markets, and was
probably one of the first money taxes to be levied in Siam.
The earliest form of taxation was the " tribute,' 1 sent by
provinces or feudatory states to the King. Such tribute
might be merely nominal such, for instance, as the gold
and silver trees sent by some of the Malay Rajas even
during the present century or actual, such as supplies of
timber, rice or fruits. In later years it became usual to
make cash payments, not only in commutation of these
" tributes " but also in commutation of personal services
due by individuals to the Government.
It seems probable that King Ekat'otsarot's shop and
market tax was the first tax levied regularly in cash, and
perhaps it was this new system of taxation which gained
for hiin the reputation of a " covetous man."
A HISTORT OF SUM 159
In King Ekat'otsarot's reign, Dutch ships and Dutch
merchants began to visit Siam, and in the year 1608
Siamese ambassadors were sent to Holland and were
received in audience by Prince Maurice of the
Netherlands.
Friendly relations were also maintained with the
Portuguese; In 1606 the first Portuguese Jesuit mis-
sionary, Balthazar de Sequeira, arrived at Ayut'ia. He
had an exciting journey overland from Tenasserim,
meeting on the way with " Rhinoceros, elephants and
tigers, one of which latter tare in pieces one of his
company before his eyes."
In the same year a Siamese embassy was sent to the
Portuguese Viceroy at Goa.
During this reign a very large number of Japanese
settled in Siam. They were well received by the
King, who instituted a body-guard of Japanese,
under the leadership of Yamada Nagamasa, who
afterwards took so prominent a part in the history
of the Kingdom.
On the advice of Yamada, friendly relations were
opened between the King of Siam and the Shogun of
Japan, lyeyesu Minamoto. Compliments and presents
were exchanged on several occasions. It is interesting
to note that the Shogun was very anxious to procure
firearms and ammunition from Siam, and expressed the
opinion that Siamese gunpowder was of " surprisingly
good quality/ 1
King Ekat'otsarot, towards the end of his reign,
appointed his eldest son, Prince Sut'at, to be Maha
Uparat. The young Prince had not held this appoint-
ment for long when he was accused by one P'ya Nai Wai
of plotting to gain possession of the throne. The King
appears at this time to have been to some extent mentally
i6o A HISTORT OF SIAM
afflicted. He caused his son to be executed. 1 Shortly
afterwards, a prey to remorse, he himself died, about the
end of i6io.
To judge by Siamese records, one might form rather a
high opinion of King Ekat'otsarot, but contemporary
foreign writers represent him as an odious man, cruel,
greedy and suspicious.
King Ekat'otsarot was succeeded by Prince Int'araja,
one of his sons by an inferior wife. This Prince had for
some time been a Buddhist priest, and bore the name of
P'ra Wimon T'am (Vimaladhamma). He is usually
known as King Songt'am the Just King. 1
The new King's first act was to order the execution of
P'ya Nai Wai, whom he regarded as responsible for the
death of Prince Sut'at. Two hundred and eighty Japanese
were among the adherents of P'ya Nai Wai. They at
once rebelled, forced their way into the King's private
apartments, and compelled him to sign in his own blood
1 Siamese history says that the Prince poisoned himself, on being accused by
his father of disloyalty. P. W. Flons (Astley's Voyages, vol. i.), says that the
King " lying on his deathbed, caused his son to be slain." Turpin (History of
Stam, Pans, 1771) says : " The King pronounced sentence of death on his
innocent son." Flons was in Siam very shortly after the event in question.
1 It might be supposed that an event so recent as the death of King Ekat'otsarot
could be dated with absolute certainty. There exists, however, very conflicting
evidence on this point, which has led some authorities to suppose that this King
died in 1620. After examining all evidence available, the author has no hesitation
in accepting 1610 as the correct date.
The Siamese P'ongsawadan says that Ekat'otsarot was succeeded by his
son, Prince Saowap'ak, who was blind in one eye. This King was deposed and
executed by " P'ra Sn Sin," who was a pnest under the name of P'ra Wimon
T'am, and who became King Songt'am.
No contemporary European writers mention such a King as Saowap'ak. It
is clear from the wn tings of van Vliet and Floris that King Songt'am was the
son of King Ekat'otsarot, and succeeded him on the throne. This is further
borne out by Turpin and G. Heylyn (Cosmo graphic, London, 1664). Other
evidence is also available.
The Pali version of Siamese history, translated by Professor G. Coedes, likewise
represents King Ekat'otsarot as being immediately succeeded by his son Int'araja
(Songt'am).
The P* ongsawadan' s unsupported evidence on this point is of little value, as
most of the other statements made therein are wrong. For instance, the compilers
were not even aware that King Songt'am was a son of King Ekat'otsarot. More-
over, they confounded him with his younger brother, Prince Sri Sin, who never
became King. (See next chapter.)
It is possible that it was Prince Sri Sin, and not King Songt'am, who was a
priest under the name of P'ra Wimon T'am.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 161
an ignominious treaty accepting all the conditions which
they saw fit to impose. These included the surrender of
four prominent officials who had rendered themselves
obnoxious to the Japanese, the grant of various residential
and commercial privileges, and the delivery to the insur-
gents of some of the chief priests as security for the per-
formance of the King's promises. The unfortunate
officials, on being surrendered to the Japanese, were
immediately massacred.
The Japanese then sacked the town of Ayut'ia, and
44 so departed with great treasure, after much violence." 1
They proceeded to P'etchaburi, where their leader set
himself up almost like an independent King.
The confusion into which the Kingdom had been
thrown by the excesses of the Japanese was further
aggravated by an invasion of the King of Luang P'rabang,
P'ra Wongsa. The Luang P'rabang army advanced as
far as Lopburi, their ostensible object being to expel the
Japanese. King Songt'am was not to be imposed upon
by this pretext. He managed to collect a large army, and
first attacked the Japanese at P'etchaburi, driving them
out of that stronghold. He then, on April 5th, 1612,
gave battle to the Luang P'rabang forces and defeated
them. The whole Luang P'rabang army fled in disorder,
and King Wongsa himself narrowly escaped capture.
He was forced to abandon his elephant, which fell into
the hands of the Siamese, but he managed to flee on
horseback.
It would appear that the " Just King " did not
repudiate entirely the promises which he had made,
under duress, to the Japanese. They were not all ex-
pelled from the Kingdom, and later in this reign we find
that a Japanese body-guard was still employed in the
1 Floris.
Ls
162 A HISTORT OF SIAM
palace, under the command of Yamada, who was in
high favour, and bore the title of P'ya Senap'imuk. 1
The year 1612 was a noteworthy one in another respect.
The first English commercial establishment in Siam was
opened in that year. Dutch merchants had opened a
factory a few years previously.
The first British ship, the Globe> anchored in the
harbour of Patani on the 23rd of June, 1612. She was
commanded by Captain Anthony Hippon, and had on
board Peter Williamson Floris and other merchants.
A factory was opened at Patani, and the Globe then went
on to Ayut'ia, arriving there on the I5th of August.
On September lyth, 1612, the English factors were
received in audience by the King, and presented to him a
letter from King James I. The Siamese monarch was
extremely gratified, and gave to each of the factors a
little golden cup and a piece of clothing. The East
India Company founded factories at Ayut'ia and at
Patani before the end of that year.
Foreign traders British, Dutch, Portuguese and
Japanese were very active in Siam throughout this
reign. King Songt'am deserves, in fact, to be regarded
as the first King of modern Siam, for it was under him
that the habit of free intercourse with foreign Powers
became well established. The policy thus inaugurated
by him has been adhered to by all the rulers of Siam
down to the present day.
1 Prince Damrong has suggested the following very probable explanation
of the favour shown to the Japanese, in spite of their excesses. There were a
number of peaceable Japanese settlers in Siam, from among whom the body-
guard was recruited. There was also a gang of more or less piratical " birds of
passage." These were the people who attacked King Songt'am's palace. They
were prooably expelled from the Kingdom, doubtless with the aid of their more
loyal fellow-countrymen.
At that time Japanese pirates were a pest all over the Far East. In December
1605 the English navigator, John Davis, lost his life in a fight with Japanese
pirates off Patani. In the same year, and again in 1610, the King of Cambodia
complained to the Shogun of Japan of the acts of piracy committed by Japanese
traders in his realm.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 163
Foreign trade was placed under the control of the
P'rak'lang, or Minister of the Treasury and Finance, and
most of the business came ultimately to be transacted by
him, or by one of his subordinates, acting on behalf of
the King. The King himself was thus the principal
import and export merchant in the country. The result
of this was not so inconvenient as it would be in a modern
State, since all the revenues of the country were, in any
case, the personal property of the King, and by making
large direct profits through trading, he was, presumably,
able to manage with a proportionately smaller amount
of revenue derived from taxation.
In the year 1612 there was further trouble with Burma.
In 1602 a certain Portuguese adventurer, Philip de
Brito, had been sent by the King of Arakan on an official
mission to the town of Syriam. De Brito succeeded, by
force and by guile, in making himself, in a few years, an
independent sovereign. In 1612 de Brito allied himself
with D'ya Dala, the Governor of the Siamese possessions in
Pegu, for the purpose of attacking Taungu. This attack
was presumably made under Siamese auspices, in order to
punish Natchin Noung, the young Prince of Taungu,
who had succeeded his father in 1607. Natchin Noung
had, if we trust Siamese history, placed himself under the
protection of Ayut'ia, but had, not long afterwards, made
a complete submission to the King of Ava. He had not
much choice in the matter, as Maha T'ammaraja of Ava
had appeared before the walls of Taungu at the head of
an overwhelming force. De Brito had entered into an
alliance with Natchin Noung, and he regarded the sub-
mission of his ally to Ava as an act of treachery to himself.
He therefore gladly joined with P'ya Dala, to avenge the
supposed wrongs of the King of Siam as well as his own.
Taungu was captured, and the Prince taken away a
164 A HISTORT OF SIAM
prisoner to Syriam, But P'ya Dala and de Brito quar-
relled over the spoils, and when, before the end of the same
year (1612), the King of Ava attacked Syriam, de Brito
was left to defend himself unaided. His own subjects
hated him, for he was a fanatical Catholic, and had
treated the Buddhist religion with the vilest contempt.
They admitted the Burmese army by night, in April
1613. De Brito was executed, with fearful tortures, and
the unfortunate Prince of Taungu also fell a victim to the
vengeance of the King of Ava. P'ya Dala, thinking that
his turn would certainly come next, made full submission
to the conqueror. Thus Siam lost, almost without
knowing it, most of the Peguan possessions which King
Naresuen had won by so much hard fighting.
Later in 1613 the Siamese managed, by way of retalia-
tion, to strike a shrewd blow at the King of Ava or of
Burma, as he may from now onwards fairly be called.
One of the King's brothers, the Sagaing Prince, was sent
as Governor of Re (or Ye), a town not far to the north of
Tavoy. The Governor of Tavoy made a surprise attack
on Re, captured the Burmese Prince, and sent him as a
prisoner to Ayut'ia.
The King of Burma immediately attacked and captured
Tavoy. He then went on to Tenasserim, but the Siamese
were ready for him, and with the aid of some Portuguese
mercenaries they drove him off with considerable loss
(January 1614), They then retook Tavoy. This placed
Siam in what was at that time her normal territorial
condition. Pegu was but a trophy of war. Tavoy was
then regarded as Siamese soil.
As previously mentioned, Tharawadi Min, the Burmese
Prince of Chiengmai, had, in 1595, placed himself under
Siamese protection, and ever since that year the Chieng-
mai dominions had been more or less dependent upon
A HISTORT OF SIAM 16$
Siam. In 1607 the old Prince died, after a reign of
nearly twenty-eight years. His eldest son, who suc-
ceeded him, died in 1609. The second son, after a brief
reign, was forced by the Chiengmai nobles to abdicate,
and the youngest son, Thadogyaw, became Prince of
Chiengmai in 1611.
The King of Burma now determined to re-annex
Chiengmai. It may easily be supposed that the spectacle
of a family so nearly related to himself ruling Chiengmai
as vassals of the King of Siam was extremely galling. He
first tried to split up the Chiengmai dominions by in-
stalling one P'ya Chaban as Prince of Chiengsen, under
Burmese tutelage ; later, in 1614, he invaded Chiengmai,
in order to depose the young Prince Thadogyaw. The
latter, for some reason, abandoned the city of Chiengmai,
choosing rather to protect his throne by fortifying and
defending Lamp'ang. The siege was long and arduous,
and would have resulted in a Burmese defeat had not the
Chief of Nan lent his aid at the critical moment, supplying
provisions of which the besiegers were in urgent need.
The young Prince died during the siege, or according to
some accounts, was executed by the King of Burma when
Lamp'ang fell, 1 and the Chief of Nan was installed to
rule Chiengmai as a vassal of Burma.
Among the prisoners taken by the Burmese on this
occasion was an Englishman named Thomas Samuel,
who had been living at Chiengmai for a few years as
Agent of the East India Company. He was taken to
Pegu, where he died not long afterwards.
Siamese history records no attempt to assist the Prince
of Chiengmai. From foreign sources, however, we
gather that a Siamese army was sent to the north. It
1 The trouble in those days was that you were certain to be regarded as a
traitor by one King or another.
166 A HISTORY OF SIAM
arrived, we must suppose, too late to save Lamp'ang, but
during the next few years hostilities between the Burmese
and Siamese were maintained in the Chiengmai dominions,
as a result of which foreign trade in those regions came to
a standstill.
The monarchs of both the rival Kingdoms made a bid
for Portuguese assistance. The King of Portugal,
writing to his Viceroy in India in January 16*8, said :
" The King of Siam offers Martaban, which at present
he does not possess, and he of Ava the spoils of Arakan,
which he does not either hold in his power/* The
Viceroy was therefore ordered to temporise with both
combatants, entertaining them with hopes, and " drawing
from each what may be obtained for the State."
Perhaps the two Kings got tired of being played with
by the wily Portuguese, for in the year 1618 they con-
cluded a peace, or rather a truce, the terms of which
included a stipulation that Burma was to relinquish
all claims to Chiengmai, and that Siam was to cede
Martaban to Burma.
The Chief of Nan continued to rule Chiengmai under
Siamese tutelage.
King Songt'am acted wisely in composing his dif-
ferences with Burma, for danger was now threatening him
on his eastern frontier.
King Srisup'anma of Cambodia died in 1 6 1 8 . He had
remained faithful to his oath, and had never attempted to
throw off the Siamese yoke, though he must often have
felt tempted to do so when Siam was in difficulties. 1 His
eldest son, Jai Jett'a,who succeeded him, did not apply
for Siamese authority to assume the crown, but signalised
his accession by proclaiming Cambodian independence.
1 Floris says that Cambodia rebelled in 1612, at the time of the Luang P'rabang
invasion. No mention of this is to be found elsewhere.
A HISTQRT OF SIAM 167
Before describing the war which resulted from the
revolt of Cambodia, it may interest English readers to
learn that in 1618, on the outbreak of war between
England and Holland, hostilities were carried on by
these rival Powers in Siamese territory, regardless of such
details as breaches of neutrality. On July I7th, 1619,
three Dutch men-of-war, manned by 800 men, attacked
two British ships, the Sampson and the Hound, in the
harbour of Patani. " After fiue hours' fight, eleuen of
the men of the Samson were slaine outright, and fiue and
thirtie men of the same ship were wounded, maymed
and dismembered. Captain Jordan was Captaine of the
Samson, and did hang up a flagge of truce, and withall
sent Thomas Hackwell to parlee with the Netherlanders
about a peace." While the negotiations were going on,
Captain Jourdain, suspecting no treachery, showed him-
self on the deck of the Sampson, whereupon the Dutch,
" espying him, most treacherously and cruelly shot at
him with a musket, and shot him in the bodie neere the
heart, of which wound hee dyed within half an houre
after."*
The two ships were seized by the Dutch, and a great
many English were taken prisoners. They were treated
with great barbarity, numbers of them being sent to
Japan in chains. The English on shore were only saved
from massacre by the intervention of the Queen of
Patani.*
Early in 1620 peace was restored, but a great deal of
rivalry and ill-feeling persisted between the English and
the Dutch in Siam. $ The numbers of both nations were,
1 Purchas, His Pilgrims, vol. i.
* It is stated that Patani was at that time always ruled by a woman. There
was certainly a Queen of Patani in 1679, who can hardly have been the same one
mentioned here.
It is delightful to reflect that jealousy between rival Powers is utterly unknown
in Siam at the present time.
168 A HISTORT OF SIAM
however, not long afterwards greatly decreased owing to
the closing of their factories at Patani and Ayut'ia, which
had been found unprofitable.
King Songt'am, so far as we know, took no exception
to this fighting between foreigners at Patani. When,
however, liberties of this kind were taken nearer to his
capital, he was quite ready to take action. We learn from
van Vliet that in 1624 the Portuguese captured a Nether-
lands yacht in Siamese waters. The King compelled the
Portuguese to restore the yacht, and from that time
onwards treated all the Portuguese residents in Siam with
marked disfavour. In 1628 a Siamese junk was sunk by
the Portuguese, and at the time of King Songt'am's death,
at the end of that year, a state of war existed between
Siam and Portugal.
We must now retrace our steps to describe the
Cambodian war.
In 1622 King Songt'am undertook an invasion of
Cambodia, in order to reduce King Jai Jett'a to sub-
mission. Two large armies were fitted out, one being
despatched by water and the other by land. The King
himself accompanied the land army. ' ' After the Armada
(consisting of many armed galleys and ships of less
importance) had been lying for a long time in the river of
Cambodia (without going into action or doing anything),
it returned again. The Cambodians, encouraged by the
departure of the Siamese boats, went to meet the army
which came by land. They united in the valleys and low
fields and by false guides brought the Siamese from the
good roads. They attacked the Siamese and many
thousands of men were slain. Many great men, elephants
and horses were slain in that unfortunate battle. The
Cambodians took about 250 living elephants/' 1
*Van Vliet.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 169
From this time until the end of his reign King
Songt'am's whole foreign policy was directed towards
obtaining foreign aid for a further invasion of Cambodia.
Neither the English nor the Dutch, however, appear to
have entertained very friendly feelings towards the King.
A good deal of polite correspondence was exchanged,
presents were sent to His Majesty, but no materia
assistance was forthcoming. As for the " Portugals,"
Siam was at this time on very bad terms with their country,
and during the last few years of King Songt'am's reign
most of them were languishing in Siamese prisons.
In the end Cambodia was left alone.
In the year 1626 the arrangement, made in 1617,
whereby Chiengmai was not to be interfered with by
Burma, was infringed by the Burmese. The two
brothers of King Maha T'ammaraja of Burma were
engaged in an expedition destined to subdue Kengrung
and Luang P'rabang, and they took the opportunity,
while passing through Chiengmai territory, to impose
once more the Burmese yoke upon the sorely tried
Laos.
King Songt'am kept up friendly intercourse with the
Shogun of Japan during his whole reign. It is curious
to find that he was extremely anxious to obtain " noble
steeds " from Japan. The modern breed of Japanese
ponies is not very much admired. One remark made by
the Shogun, in a letter dated September 1623, is
worthy of preservation. After telling King Songt'am
not to hesitate for a moment if he desired to exterminate
any Japanese merchants in Cambodia who might venture
to assist the Cambodians in resisting Siam, he says :
" Merchants are fond of gain and given up to greed, and
abominable fellows of this kind ought not to escape
punishment."
170 A HISTORT OF SIAM
In Siam itself King Songt'am's name is chiefly re-
membered on account of the discovery, in his reign, of
the P'rabat, or supposed footprint of Buddha, at the foot
of a hill to the north-east of Ayut'ia, now known as the
P'rabat mountain. Whether this gigantic footprint was
an ancient carved P'rabat, which was merely rediscovered
at that time, or whether it was a natural indentation in
the rock, and has since been touched up, can never now
be known. Few modern Buddhists believe that the
great Teacher was of superhuman stature. Nevertheless
this curious relic is entitled to respect, as an object
venerated by many generations of pious Buddhists.
Even at the present time thousands flock every year, in
the month of February, to worship on the P'rabat
mountain.
It is not certain whether any Maha Uparat was
appointed by King Songt'am, but it is probable that his
younger brother, Prince Sri Sin, held this position, since
all contemporary writers regarded him as the lawful heir
to the throne. When, however, towards the end of the
year 1628, the King fell seriously ill, the question of the
succession gave rise to a great deal of intrigue. One
party, headed by P'ya Kalahom, was in favour of
Prince Sri Sin. P'ya Sri Worawong, the King's
cousin, espoused the cause of Prince Jett'a, the
King's eldest son, aged fifteen. Both parties tried to
enlist the sympathies of Yamada, now known as P'ya
Senap'imuk, and his 600 Japanese, Yamada, while
putting P'ya Kalahom off with evasive answers, was
secretly in league with P'ya Sri Worawong.
In the end, the dying monarch, blinded by natural
affection, /proclaimed his son as his successor, thereby,
as will be seen, sealing the doom of his whole family.
Having taken this fatal step, King Songt'am died, aged
A HISTORT OF SIAM 171
only thirty-eight, on the 22nd December, 1628, to the
great regret of his subjects.
Van Vliet tells us that King Songt'am, who was
personally known to him, was good, liberal, fond of study,
not warlike, but devoted to religion. He gave up most of
his time to religious and ecclesiastical affairs, and to the
laws of the Kingdom. He was generous to the priests
and to the poor, and repaired or constructed more temples
than any previous Kings. He kept great state, and liked
to see his nobles live magnificently. Foreigners and
Siamese alike sang his praises, and regarded him as a good
and just ruler, almost as a saint. l
Siam was not to see his like again for many years.
1 Turpin, writing 140 years later, describes King Songt'am as a " crowned
monster," and attributes to him the most fearful barbarities. Turpin quotes
no authority, and has probably confounded King Songt'am with King Prasat
T'ong, who was quite capable of committing the cruelties which Turpin attributes
to King Songt'am.
CHAPTER XII
REIGNS OF KING JETT'A, KING AT'lTYAWONG AND KING
PRASAT T'ONG
THE young King Jett'a, aged only fifteen, was a mere
puppet in the hands of P'ya Sri Worawong. His
accession, already unpopular, was rendered more so by a
series of brutal murders. P'ya Kalahom and all his
principal supporters fell victims to the fury of P'ya Sri
Worawong. An unsuccessful bid for popular favour
was made by the pardon of numerous criminals on the
occasion of the coronation, P'ya Sri Worawong himself
assumed the title and office of P'ya Kalahom, and made
his younger brother P'ya Sri Worawong.
The Kalahom had had a very remarkable career. He
was born about the year 1600, being a son of P'ya Sri
T'ammat'irat, a Royal Chamberlain, whose younger
sister was the mother of King Songt'am, and he was thus
the cousin of that monarch. In his youth he was known
as P'raong Lai. From a humble position he rose to be,
at the age of eighteen, Chief Page to King Songt'am.
He was always in trouble and disgrace. On one occasion
he was imprisoned for attacking the Mock King at the
Ploughing Festival, 1 Later he was implicated in a plot
1 Some contemporary writers say that he was of Royal blood, and the title
P'raong Lai seems to bear this out. There is a story to the effect that he was an
unacknowledged son of King Ekat'otsarot, born at Bangpain. He was given
a title by that monarch at the early age of sixteen, which shows that he enjoyed
high favour. Even in his lifetime there seems to have been some doubt about
his origin.
This ancient Brahminical ceremony is still performed every year. A high
official acts as " Mock King " and in former times really exercised, during the
festivities, some of the Royal powers. His person was inviolable. To attack
him was thus a most heinous offence.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 173
against King Songt'am's brothers, Prince Sri Sin and
Prince T'ong. After spending several years in prison, he
was released in 1622, and greatly distinguished himself in
the unfortunate expedition to Cambodia in that year. A
year later he was discovered in an intrigue with one of the
ladies of Prince Sri Sin, and went back to gaol. On his
release he appears to have been tamed to some extent. He
was made P'ya Sri Worawong, and was high in the favour
of King Songt'am during the last few years of his reign.
It will be observed that he had good reasons for oppos-
ing the accession of Prince Sri Sin to the throne. But
the exclusion of the Prince was not enough. The new
Kalahom was determined on his destruction. The
Prince had taken the precaution of becoming a priest.
Yamada undertook the unworthy task of luring him away
from his sanctuary. He visited the Prince and persuaded
him that the Japanese troops would aid him to seize the
throne. Believing this, the Prince discarded the yellow
robe. He was at once seized and condemned to die.
He was sent to P'etchaburi, and there cast into a pit to
perish of starvation.
One of the Prince's adherents, Luang Mongkon,
rescued him in a very remarkable manner. He dug
another pit, communicating with the one in which the
Prince was confined. The corpse of a slave was intro-
duced by night, and dressed in the Prince's clothes, while
the Prince escaped. The guards, thinking their prisoner
dead, filled up the pit with earth, and reported to Ayut'ia
that Prince Sri Sin was dead and buried. l
Prince Sri Sin then managed to raise a large force,
seized several cities, and was crowned as King of Siam.
In the end he was, however, defeated and captured.
1 This is van Vliet's account. The incident is related in rather a different
form in the book called Tht Statement of K'un Luang Ha Wat.
174 A HISTORT OF SI AM
Before meeting his death, which was inflicted in the
usual way, by beating him to death with a sandalwood
club, he solemnly warned the young King against trusting
P'ya Kalahom. 1
Luang Mongkon, after making a vain attempt to murder
P'ya Kalahom, was also executed. He was a man of
Herculean strength, and before dying, managed to burst
his chains, strangle one executioner, and very nearly
accounted for another. He had been offered his life
if he would enter the King's service. " How can I do
so ? " he asked. " The King is dead." One is grateful
to van Vliet for having preserved the name of this
brave man.
After the removal of Prince Sri Sin, King Jett'a was
encouraged by P'ya Kalahom to indulge in all kinds of
folly and dissipation, until everyone was thoroughly
tired of him.
He had been less than two years on the throne when the
end came. P'ya Kalahom, little by little, had been
usurping the external trappings of Royalty. The limit
was reached when he cremated the body of his deceased
mother 1 in a style equal to that usual at a Royal cremation,
and caused all the principal functionaries to attend.
The young King's jealousy was at length aroused, and he
uttered the most violent threats against P'ya Kalahom.
The latter, professing to think himself in danger, called
together all his supporters and attacked the palace. The
King's partisans were defeated, and he himself fled to
a temple. He was captured and executed, together with
his mother. Before dying, he bitterly reproached P'ya
1 One is reminded of the warning of Queen Margaret to Queen Elizabeth
(Woodvffle). Richard ///, act i., scene 3 :
" Why strew'st thou honey on that bottled spider
Whose deadly web ensnareth thee about ?
Fool ! Fool ! Thou whet'st a knife to kill thyself."
1 Van Vliet says it was his father's cremation.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 175
Kalahom, and accused him of having poisoned King
Songt'am very probably a true accusation. P'ya
Kamp'engram, who was supposed to have designs upon
the throne, was also executed not long after.
Having thus got rid of the King and of P'ya Kamp'eng-
ram, P'ya Kalahom was disgusted to find the steps to the
throne barred by his accomplice Yamada. The wily
Japanese had supported the claims of P'ya Kamp'engram
to the throne, and had displayed great grief when his
nominee was executed. He now insisted upon setting
up as King the little Prince At'ityawong, a younger son
of King Songt'am, aged only ten.
P'ya Kalahom determined to get Yamada out of the
way. The Governor of Nak'on Srit'ammarat was
accused of rebellion, and Yamada and his Japanese were
sent down to subdue him. Yamada was at the same time
authorised to assume the position of Governor of Nak'on
Srit'ammarat. He was speedily successful, and, happy
in his new position as ruler of a semi-independent
province, was content, for the time being, to refrain from
interfering with the ambitious designs of P'ya Kalahom.
The " bottled spider " first caused himself to be
crowned as Regent, and compelled the young King to
enter a monastery, whence he was, however, quickly
removed in order to be clubbed to death, after a reign of
little more than a month. 1 The poor boy piteously
denounced the cruelty of the man who had set him on a
throne only to deprive him of his life ; but there was no
mercy to be expected from a monster who
but his own ambition.
P'ya Kalahom now became King,
history as King Prasat T'ong the Kij^p^fhe Golden S T
1 According to Siamese history, At'ityawong was
after a rebellion in which he was implicated. Van
eye-witness, must be believed on this point.
176 A HISTORT OF SIAM
Palace. He was the first monarch since the foundation
of Ayut'ia, with the single exception of K'unWorawongsa,
who must frankly be called a usurper, for he had no kind
of hereditary claim to the throne. 1
The usurper's position, at the beginning of his reign>
was none too secure. He was at war with Portugal, and
one of his first acts was to clap every Portuguese in the
Kingdom into gaol, where they remained for three years.
Nak'on Srit'ammarat was in a disturbed condition.
Yamada had been poisoned shortly after becoming Gover-
nor, and his son, Oin Yamada, was engaged in hostilities
with the party of the ex-Governor. After many vicis-
situdes, he and most of his Japanese retired to Cambodia.
Thence they shortly returned to Ayut'ia, accompanied
by a large number of Japanese who had been expelled
from the capital in 1629. The usurper did not at all
approve of the presence of all these Japanese, rightly
thinking that those who had helped to put him on the
throne might as easily put him down again. 8 He
therefore made up his mind to be rid of the turbulent
Japanese once for all. The Japanese quarter of Ayut'ia
was suddenly attacked by night, during the flood season
of 1632. Many of the Japanese were ruthlessly butchered,
but a large number of them escaped by boat. They
were pursued by the Siamese, and a sharp fight was kept
up from Ayut'ia down to the sea, with heavy losses on
both sides. The majority of the Japanese made good
their escape to Cambodia.
The usurper's resentment against the Japanese was
perhaps further inflamed by the fact that the Shogun of
Japan had refused to recognise him, and had declined
1 Unless we accept the story that he was a natural son of King Ekat'otsarot.
1 Van VUet says that the Japanese " were not afraid to declare that they would
seize the King on his throne.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 177
to receive his envoys. In Japan it had long been the
established custom for the Emperors to live in seclusion,
while others reigned in their name. Scrupulous respect
was, however, shown to their persons. A man who had
ruthlessly slain the rightful heirs to the throne, and had
usurped the title, as well as the power, of King, was
looked upon in Japan as a ruffian devoid of all human
decency.
The Queen of Patani shared the opinions of the Shogun
of Japan. She refused to send the usual tribute, and
declared herself independent of King Prasat T'ong,
whom she described to a Dutch visitor as a " rascal,
murderer and traitor."
Cambodia was hostile, and was supposed to be waiting
for a suitable opportunity to inVade Siam, aided by the
expelled Japanese. 1
Chiengmai was under Burmese dominion. An
attempt at rebellion was made in 1630, when the Prince
of Chiengmai 1 declared himself independent and captured
Chiengsen. But the new King of Burma, T'ado T'am-
maraja,* once more invaded the northern principality in
1631. After a long siege, Chiengmai was captured by
the Burmese in April 1632. The Prince was deposed,
and one P'ya Luang T'ip'anet was set up as Burmese
Viceroy at Chiengmai.
It will thus be seen that King Prasat T'ong occupied,
at the outset of his reign, a very isolated position. His
only foreign friends were the Dutch, 4 who espoused his
1 Cambodian history states that the King of Cambodia invaded Siam in 1630.
There seems to be no confirmation of this statement elsewhere.
1 This Prince was the Chief of Nan, who was appointed by the Burmese to be
Prince of Chiengmai in 1614.
8 King Maha T'ammaraja of Burma was murdered in 1626 by Minderippa,
one of his sons, who proclaimed himself King. He was deposed and executed in
1629 by T'ado T'ammaraja of Prome, a brother of Maha T'ammaraja. This
King is called Thalun in Harvey's History of Burma.
4 The English took no part in Siamese affairs, as their factory, closed in 1622,
had not been reopened.
Ms
178 A HISTOKT OF SIAM
cause, and promised to assist him against the Portuguese
and Cambodians. In 1630 and 1632 several Dutch
vessels were sent to Siam for this purpose. Prince
Frederick Henry of the Netherlands, brother and
successor to Prince Maurice, sent a very flattering letter
to King Prasat T'ong, congratulating him on his accession,
and containing some touching condolences on the death
of his predecessor doubtless well meant, but not very
tactful.
The new Governor of Nak'on Srit'ammarat, following
the example of the Queen of Patani, refused to send
tribute. The King himself led an expedition against the
rebel city in 1632, destroyed it, and removed most of the
inhabitants to Ayut'ia. Van Vliet relates that the King,
on setting forth to attack Nak'on Srit'ammarat, swore to
offer up the first four women he met, as a sacrifice. On
leaving Ayut'ia he met four young girls in a boat, on whom
he fulfilled his vow.
This story is typical of the cruelty and barbarity of
this atrocious man. His whole reign was a series of
murders. In 1635, one ^ kis daughters having died and
been cremated, a part of her flesh, for some reason,
remained unconsumed. Attributing this to magic (for
he was as credulous as he was cruel) he indulged in a
perfect orgy of murder and torture. It is needless to
disgust the reader with the detailed description of these
scenes. Over three thousand persons lost their lives, as
the tyrant saw in the death of his daughter a good excuse
for ridding himself of those whom he suspected of
disapproving of his usurpation of the crown. One of the
daughters and two of the sons of King Songt'am were
sacrificed among the rest.
The usurper had early determined to extirpate all the
scions of the Royal Family. In 1633 he had caused three
A HISTORT OF SIAM 179
infant Princes to be executed. In 1635 a blind Prince,
who had for some time previously been an object of
suspicion, was inveigled into a dispute with a soldier, and
punished with death. 1
An expedition which was undertaken in 1632 against
rebellious Patani was unsuccessful. The Patanese
repulsed the Siamese and inflicted several severe defeats
upon them. According to Dutch witnesses this was due
to the bungling methods of the Siamese General, but the
blame was thrown on the Dutch, who had been expected
to assist with two ships, which never turned up.
,In 1634 a more serious attempt was made to subdue
Patani. An army of over 30,000 men was raised at
Ayut'ia, and was sent under the command of P'y*
P'rak'lang to Nak'on Srit'ammarat, accompanied by a
great many elephants, ponies, guns and ammunition.
There they were to be joined by other troops, sent by sea.
and by armies to be raised in the Peninsula. The tota,
force available was estimated at between 50,000 and
60,000 men. The Dutch again promised to assist with
six large vessels. The few Japanese remaining at
Ayut'ia were also ordered to take part in this expedition.
Owing to gross mismanagement, this campaign, like
the first, was an utter failure. Instead of waiting for the
Dutch fleet, the Siamese attacked Patani, and were
repulsed with severe losses. Their provisions then ran
short, and they returned to Singora. The Dutch fleet,
on reaching Patani, found that the Siamese had
departed.
1 The identity of this blind Prince is doubtful. Van VUet says that he was
a son of the " Grand Roy," and had had his eyesight injured by fire under orders
from King Naresuen, as a consequence of which he had renounced his claim to
the throne. As King Naresuen died in 1605, this Prince can hardly have been
a son of King Songt'am, who was born about 1590. It is possible that he was an
elder brother of King Songt'am, who had been intended to succeed King Ekat'-
otsarot, and that he is the person referred to in the P'ongsawodan as " King
Saowap'ak." (See Note to p. 160.) Saowap'ak is stated to have been blind in
one eye.
180 A HISTORY OF SIAM
The King of Siam had one General beheaded and
several others severely punished. He appears to have
been satisfied with the action of the Dutch, and
returned to them five thousand florins, being half of
the duty paid by them that year for the right to trade
with Siam.
On January ist, 1636, P'ya P'itsanulok, one of the most
influential men in the Kingdom, was arrested for having
falsely accused the King's brother of plotting to gain the
crown. On January 22nd he was publicly cut in two by
the executioner.
In the same year (1636) extensive preparations were
made to subdue Patani, but an embassy was first sent
to urge the Queen of Patani to submit. By the advice
of the Dutch, the embassy was well received, and
Patanese envoys were sent in April to Ayut'ia to beg
forgiveness, and to present the customary gold and silver
trees in token of submission.
Although the King outwardly professed to be satisfied
with the assistance given by the Dutch against rebellious
Patani, he now regarded them with less favour. His
irritation was increased by the receipt of some very
stiffly worded letters from the Dutch Governor-General
at Batavia, who complained that he had been misled
about some consignments of rice which had been promised
him. On December loth, 1636, two of the Dutchmen
employed by the Dutch Company had an altercation
with some priests, and they and their friends were later
attacked and roughly handled by a large crowd of Siamese.
The next day they were charged with attacking the house
of the King's brother, and two of their number were
sentenced to be trampled to death by elephants. Van
Vliet, by distributing presents to the King and principal
officials, managed to obtain their release, after they had
A HISTORT OF SI AM 181
been exposed all day in public, bound hand and foot. He
was forced to sign an undertaking that all the Dutch in
the Kingdom pledged themselves absolutely to obey all
the orders of the P'rak'lang.
It may be remarked that the King was drunk on this
occasion. It was, in fact, his usual custom to be under
the influence of drink thrice daily. " This drunkenness,"
says van Vliet, " which occurs very often, and often
reaches a dangerous limit, has caused many evils during
his reign and is frequently the reason why innocent blood
has been shed."
In March 1638 occurred the beginning of the year
1000 of the Chulasakarat Era. King Prasat T'ong be-
came obsessed with the idea that some frightful calamity
would overwhelm the world to mark the thousandth year
of the Era. He therefore determined, if possible, to
avert the calamity by altering the name of the year. The
old Siamese Calendar was run on a triple system ; firstly,
there was the Chulasakarat number of the year ; secondly,
each year bore the name of an animal, of which there
were twelve, recurring in regular order; 1 and thirdly,
it was numbered from one to ten. The combined
cycles of twelve animals and ten numbers completed
themselves every sixty years, when the first animal (the
Rat) coincided with the number One. The year 1000
(A.D. 1638-9) was the year of the Tiger, numbered Ten.
The King's plan was to " camouflage " the year by calling
it the year of the Pig, while retaining the number Ten.
This meant leaving out the names of nine of the animals,
and thereby disorganising the combined cycles of sixty
years.
Delighted with this ingenious scheme, the King wrote
1 1, The Rat ; 2, The Ox ; 3, The Tiger ; 4, The Hare ; 5, The Dragon ;
6, The Serpent ; 7, The Horse ; 8, The Goat ; 9, The Monkey ; 10, The Cock ;
11, The Dog; 12, The Pig (or in northern Siam, the Elephant).
182 A HISTORY OF SIAM
to T'ado T'ammaraja of Burma, 1 suggesting that it
should be adopted in Burma as well. The Burmese
monarch probably felt little interest in the matter, as the
" animal cycle " was not in general use in Burma.
Moreover, he had already averted all danger of ill luck
by holding a huge ordination ceremony, at which 1,000
youths, one of each year of the Era, were initiated into
the Buddhist priesthood. He therefore sent an embassy
to Ayut'ia, with a letter returning an unfavourable reply.
King Prasat T'ong flew into a passion, and dismissed the
Burmese envoys, after heaping insults upon them.
The alteration in the " animal cycle " was never
generally adopted, even in Siam.
In 1649, the usurper indulged in another outburst of
fury against the Dutch. The Dutch Company had put
forward a certain claim against the Siamese Government,
which the King, after first promising to meet, later
repudiated. Annoyed at the King's fickleness, van
Vliet used much stronger language than was wise, and
it was reported that he had uttered a threat to bring a
Dutch fleet to attack Ayut'ia. The King, who was, as
usual, drunk when this report was made to him, at first
ordered the immediate execution of every Dutchman in
Siam. He was induced to grant them one day's grace
in which to leave the country, failing which they were
to be trampled to death by elephants, and the factory
given up to plunder. The whole capital was thrown into
confusion. Troops were called out, cannon pointed at
the Dutch factory, and all the Dutchmen were arrested
and kept in confinement for some time. The King,
however, changed his mind about having them trampled
to death, and in the end released them, and bestowed
various marks of favour upon van Vliet. For some time,
1 Called Thalun in Harvey's History of Burma.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 183
however, numbers of troops were kept under arms, and
all kinds of warlike preparations were made, with the
object of showing the Dutch that the King was ready and
able to capture Batavia.
In November 1641 a letter was received from the
Prince of Orange, and also one from the Governor-
General of the Dutch Indies, accompanied by many
rare gifts. The King received the Prince's letter in an
unusually ceremonious manner, and said that he had
never before been favoured with so pleasing a missive.
But the Dutch probably knew better by this time than to
be impressed by these changes of face. Van Vliet,
writing several years later, said that real friendship
between Siam and the Netherlands was impossible
" unless the disgrace which we have suffered has been
washed away by the sword, in which may God Almighty
help."
In 1648 Singora became troublesome, and an expedition
was sent to subdue it. The Dutch Council at Batavia
gave orders that some Dutch vessels were to be sent to
help the Siamese fleet, in the hope of placating the fickle
King. No record remains of the result of this expedition,
but it would appear that Singora was not subdued until
much later. In 1654 we find the Dutch once more at
loggerheads with King Prasat T'ong on account of their
negligence in not having sent twenty ships to assist in
attacking Singora. Their Agent, Westerwolt, the suc-
cessor of van Vliet, was treated with great indignity,
and when he threatened to leave Siam he was informed
that any attempt to do so would result in his being
trampled to death by elephants, together with all his
compatriots.
Finally the King had to be told that owing to the
rupture of relations with England the Dutch could not
184 A HISTORY OF SUM
spare any ships. This unpleasing news was conveyed
together with many valuable presents. The latter
apparently placated the capricious tyrant, for he treated
the Dutch with greater courtesy, though his expedition
to Singora had to be put off. The army, which had been
waiting at Nak'on Srit'ammarat, was recalled, and the
General in command was thrown into irons.
In 1655 another attempt was made to subdue Singora,
but " the Admiral who had undertaken to overcome the
place with the naval force ran away, so that they returned
to Siam with shame."
King Prasat T'ong was responsible, during his reign,
for a considerable amount of legislation. One is unwil-
ling to admire any of the measures of this execrable man,
but it must be admitted that his legislative activities were
not unsuccessful.
The most ir :sting of the Laws associated with this
King's name are the following :
i. The Law of Appeal, promulgated in A.D. 1633.
The underlying principle of this Law was not to
provide, as in modern times, for Appeals concerning the
facts or Law on which the original judgment was based,
but an Appeal was considered rather in the nature of an
Appeal against the Judge, for injustice, favouritism, or
slackness. A great many grounds for appealing against
a Judge were admitted, and the Judge hearing the Appeal
was empowered to fine the Judge of the Court below if
the complaints brought by the parties were found correct.
On the other hand, groundless Appeals might result in
the punishment of the Appellant. This last provision
might perhaps be useful in modern Siam, where Appeals
are often made on very frivolous grounds.
1 Cromwell declared war on the Dutch in July 1652, but the news of this
probably did not reach the Far East until well on in 1653.
A HISTORT OF SUM 18$
2. The Law on Debt Slavery, A.D. 1637.
Slavery, though unknown in the golden days of King
Ramk'amheng and his successors at Suk'ot'ai, had
always been a feature of the Siamese social system under
the King's of Ayut'ia. Slavery in any country must
always be inseparable from cruelty and abuses, but once
the system is admitted, the Siamese Law on the subject
does not appear unreasonable, and does not by any means
ignore the interests of the slaves. There were provisions
in the Law for the punishment ot masters who killed or
injured their slaves, and many means were provided to
permit of slaves regaining their liberty. Unfortunately,
as was inevitable, the more merciful provisions of this
Law were too often disregarded, and the lot of a debt-
slave in Siam was often a very miserable one, even in
modern times, until the year 1905, when King Chulalong-
korn (Rama V) performed the most noble act in his long
and memorable reign, by finally abolishing once and for
all the last remaining traces of slavery in his Kingdom.
3. The Law of Inheritance, issued by King Prasat
T'ong in A.D. 1635, * s st ^ * n f rce at the present time.
This Law professes to be based on the Dhammathat, but
in fact it is a great improvement on Manu's hoary and
anachronistic code. It is interesting to note that King
Prasat T'ong's Law provided for the making of Wills.
Moreover, a Will is not spoken of as something new, but
appears to have been, even before 1635, a recognised
legal instrument in Siam. Burmese Buddhists, even in
the present year of grace, are still precluded from making
Wills.
The provisions of the Siamese Law as to the witnessing
of a Will are most interesting, and in the opinion of the
author are superior to the English Law on the subject.
The witnesses must be respectable persons, their number
186 A HISTORT OF SUM
varying according to the rank of the Testator. Moreover,
they are not, as in England, merely witnesses to the
signature of the Will, but also to its contents, and to the
competence of the Testator. These provisions render
it difficult for a man to make a hasty or eccentric Will,
since it may not be easy to find the requisite number of
respectable persons to witness it. It is thus practically
impossible for a Siamese, on his death-bed, to disinherit
his wife and children and leave his money to a home for
lost dogs.
4. The Law of Debt, which came into force in
A.D. 1648, is another ingenious piece of legislation. This
Law sets forth very clearly the respective liability of wives
and husbands, parents and children, and brothers and
sisters for one another's debts,
A curious provision of the Law of Debt is that a person
who denies before a Court of Law liability for his debt,
but is proved in fact to be liable, may be made to pay
double " so as to keep him from getting into the way of
denying his debts." Similarly, an unsuccessful Plaintiff
may be mulcted in twice the amount of his claim, so as
to teach him not to bring false claims. These provisions
are not enforced at the present day. In former times,
one must suppose that none but litigants with cast iron
cases ever ventured into Court.
The Law of Debt was ill adapted to modern require-
ments ; it was superseded by the new Civil Code intro-
duced in 1926.
5. The most curious specimen of King Prasat T'ong's
legislative efforts has been kept to the last. This is his
addition to the Law of Offences against the Government
of A.D. 1351. It was issued in 1657 (probably after the
King had had a particularly trying time with van Vliet)
and runs as follows : " If any subjects of the Realm,
A HISTORT OF SIAM 187
Tai or Mohn, male or female, fearless of the Royal
displeasure and Laws, and seeing the wealth and pros-
perity of merchants from foreign lands, shall give their
daughters or granddaughters to be the wives of foreigners,
English or Dutch, Japanese or Malays, followers of other
religions, and allow them to become converted to foreign
religions, those persons are held to be thorns in the side
of the State and enemies of the Realm. They may be
punished by confiscation of their property, imprisonment
for life, degradation, being made to cut grass for the
Royal elephants, or fines of various grades. This is for
an example to others. Why is this ? Because the
(foreign) father will sow seed and beget future progeny,
and the father and son will report the affairs of the Realm
in foreign lands, and when they became known, foreigners
will assail the Realm on every side, and the Buddhist
religion will decline and fall into disrepute."
Dutch writers refer more than once to preparations
made by King Prasat T'ong, during his reign, to subdue
Cambodia, which, as has been seen, had been more or
less independent since 1618, No record can be found of
an invasion of Cambodia having been actually undertaken
during this reign, but there is some reason to suppose that
the show of force was sufficient, and that Cambodia
renewed her allegiance to Siam. It was probably to
celebrate this event that King Prasat T'ong erected a
temple on the road from Ayut'ia to P'rabat, the design
of which was copied from the celebrated Angkor T'om
temple in Cambodia,
King Prasat T'ong died on the 8th of August, 1656.
It seems strange that this man, who had obtained the
throne of Siam through intrigue and murder, and had
retained it by methods of terrorism, was allowed to die
quietly in his bed. Not only this, but he even seems to
188 A HISTORT OF SIAM
have been regarded by some contemporary and later
writers with a certain degree of admiration. Van
Schouten speaks of him as "ruling with great reputation
an4jfc6nour," and the compilers of the Siamese P'ong?a-
wadan apparently had rather a high opinion of him. He
was evidently one of those successful upstarts who suc-
ceed, by sheer force of audacity, in impressing upon others
a false opinion of their merits. If there was anything
really great about the man, it certainly is not evident in
the accounts of contemporary observers.
SIAMESE BOOK-CASE
The figures represent Louis XIV and the Great Mogul
p 189
CHAPTER XIII
REIGNS OF KING JAI, KING SRI SUT*AMMARAJA, AND KING
NARAI
ON the death of King Prasat T'ong, his eldest son,
Chao Fa Jai, seized l the throne, though it would appear
that the late King's younger brother had been appointed
Uparat. Chao Fa Jai, however, only reigned for a few
days. His younger brother, Prince Narai, joined the
party of his uncle, and he was captured and executed.
Prince Sri Sut'ammaraja, younger brother of King
Prasat T'ong, now became King, and Prince Narai was
made Uparat.
From the little we know about King Sri Sut'ammaraja,
we may conclude that he was as villainous a character
as his brother. Fortunately for Siam, he reigned for less
than three months. In November 1657 he became
enamoured of his niece, the sister of Prince Narai, and
made overtures to her which she resented. She was
smuggled out of the palace hidden in a book-case, 1
and went to complain to her brother of the unseemly
treatment to which she had been subjected. Prince
Narai decided to dethrone his uncle. Calling his
followers round him, he attacked the palace. The
1 The P'ongsawadan states that he was appointed King by his father. The
Council of Dutch East India Company at Batavia, writing in the following
January, said that he " with armed men seized the Court."
* One of the large square cupboards in which religious books are kept.
189
190 A HISTORY OF SIAM
King was wounded in the back, but managed to
escape. He was captured, and a few days later was
executed. 1
The new King was aged about twenty-five at the time
of his accession. The violent deaths of two monarchs
within three months had unsettled the country, and we
may suppose that King Narai did not feel, at first, very
secure upon his throne. He had, indeed, not been King
for long when two of his younger brothers were accused
of plotting against his life. They were both executed,
and for some time executions of suspects were the order
of the day.
In 1659 the Kingdom of Cambodia was disturbed by
civil war between the young King, Keo Fa, and his
brother, Nak Pratum. The Queen-mother, a Cochin-
Chinese Princess, asked for the intervention of the King
of Cochin-China. A Cochin-Chinese army then overran
and plundered the Kingdom. The King was captured,
and died in Cochin-China, and Nak Pratum became
King. Among the victims of this invasion were several
Englishmen, employed in the East India Company's
factory in Cambodia. The factory was looted, and they
narrowly escaped with their lives. They fled to Siam,
where King Narai treated them with great kindness and
generosity. They sent a flowery account of the country
to the Council at Batavia, and urged the re-establishment
of a factory at Ayut'ia. By 1661 the East India Com-
pany once more possessed an establishment in Siam.
The King forgave them an old debt, still owing, and their
factors returned once more to " ye olde factory house,"
1 According to Turpin, King Sri Sut'ammaraja was stabbed to death by a
Portuguese, of whom there were 1,000 on the side of King Narai. Siamese
history says that King Narai was assisted by his Japanese body-guard, one of
whom shot at and wounded King Sri Sut'ammaraja. The Council of the East
India Company at Batavia, writing only two months after these events, said that
Prince Narai took up arms and deprived his uncle first of the throne, and then,
a few days later, of his life."
A HISTORT OF SIAM 191
abandoned in 1632. Thomas Cotes was placed in
charge.
Burma was at this time in a very disturbed state, owing
to difficulties with China. The Ming dynasty had been
overthrown, and the last Ming Emperor died in 1643.
His son, Yunhli, after maintaining himself for some
years as a kind of robber chieftain on the frontiers of
Yunnan and the Shan States, was driven in 1658 to seek
a refuge in Burma. As a consequence of this, the
next year a large Chinese force invaded Burma and
besieged Ava. 1
These events were not without their effect upon the
politics of Siam. P'ra Sen Miiang, the Prince of Chieng-
mai, became panic-stricken on hearing of the Chinese
invasion of Burma, and fearing that his turn would come
next, sent an envoy with a letter to King Narai imploring
the protection of Siam, King Narai eagerly welcomed the
opportunity of reuniting Chiengmai and Ayut'ia, and in
November 1660 marched northwards at the head of a
considerable army.
In the meantime, the Prince of Chiengmai received
tidings that the Chinese had run short of supplies and
had retired from Ava. Thinking that, in his haste, he
had laid himself open to the vengeance of the King of
Burma, he secretly ordered all his officers and men who
were with the Siamese army to return at once to Chieng-
mai. King Narai, seeing that the Prince of Chiengmai
was playing him false, proceeded on his march, and
occupied Nak'on Lamp'ang and several smaller towns in
the Chiengmai dominions. His force, however, was
too weak to deal with a hostile Chiengmai. He therefore
returned to Ayut'ia early in 1661.
1 The King of Burma at this time was Bintale, son of Tado Maha T'ammaraja.
He succeeded in 1648.
i 9 2 A HISTORT OF SIAM\
In the same year King Bintal of Burma was over-
thrown and executed. He had caused great misery by
conniving at " profiteering " in food by his wives and
courtiers during the siege of Ava. His brother, the
Prince of Prome, became King, assuming the title of
Maha Pawara T'ammaraja, 1
These events in Burma greatly encouraged King Narai
in his design of subduing Chiengmai. He was by no
means satisfied with the performance of his Generals
on the first expedition, and determined to place a younger
and more energetic man in charge of his armies. His
choice fell on his foster brother, P'ya Kosa T'ibodi
K'un Lek. P'ya Kosa, on assuming command, horrified
all the old hands by his merciless severity. He had
realised that what was wanting in the Siamese army was
strict discipline and obedience. Deserters and slackers
got short shrift from him, and he saw to it that his orders
were obeyed. On one occasion he gave instructions for
the building of a stockade with the narrow ends of the
bamboo buried in the earth. A certain officer, observing
that this was contrary to the usual method of putting the
big ends downwards, assumed that the General had made
a mistake, which he took upon himself to set right. He
paid for this offence with his head.
P'ya Kosa was, of course, quite right, and readers who
have tried to induce country folk in Siam to do a
job on a new system will have every sympathy with
him.
At the end of 1 66 1 P'ya Kosa left Ayut'ia for Chiengmai
with his army, followed not long afterwards by the King.
In all, about 100,000 men were engaged on this expedition,
a far larger army than had ever before been put into the
field for an invasion of Chiengmai. No serious resistance
1 Pye, in Harvey's History of Burma.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 193
was met with until Nak'on Lamp'ang was reached. That
city fell after a short engagement. Lamp'un held out
for a week. Chiengmai put up a stout resistance, but
was taken after the arrival of King Narai in March 1662.
The Prince and most of the nobles were captured.
After the fall of Chiengmai a Burmese army appeared
on the scene, but was attacked by the Siamese and driven
back to Burma.
King Narai remained for fifteen days at Chiengmai.
He then returned to Ayut'ia with a vast amount of
booty, including the famous image of Buddha called
the P'rasingh, which had formerly been at Ayut'ia. 1
While the Siamese were invading Chiengmai, a serious
rebellion broke out in Pegu. The Peguans had shown
evident signs of disaffection during the siege of Ava by
the Chinese. After the danger was over, the new King
of Burma made ready to chastise them. They revolted,
seized the Governor of Martaban and sent him to Ayut'ia
with envoys to beg King Narai to take Pegu under his
protection and to defend them against the King of Burma.
At the same time large numbers of Peguans emigrated
from their country and settled in Siam.
King Narai, seeing that these proceedings could only
result in war, assembled strong forces at all the principal
points on the frontier of Burma. Towards the end of
1662 the expected attack was made, but the Siamese were
ready, and drove the Burmese back with heavy losses.
Encouraged by this victory to pursue a still more ad-
venturous policy, King Narai now advanced into Pegu.
The whole population, wearied of Burmese oppression,
rose in his favour. Martaban, Rangoon and other strong-
holds were quickly occupied, and the Siamese army then
marched northwards. How far they got is a matter as
1 See note to p. 74.
Ns
194 A HISTORT OF SUM
to which the most diverse evidence exists. In the end,
however, they were forced, owing to shortage of supplies
and the existence of a famine in Burma, to retire back to
Siam.
This was the last important invasion of Burmese
territory by a Siamese army. The results were of no
lasting importance. Pegu fell back almost at once under
Burmese rule, but a less harsh policy was adopted
towards the Peguans, lest they might again appeal to Siam
for aid.
As for Chiengmai, King Narai seems to have made no
attempt to maintain his ascendancy there. In 1663
P'ya Sen Mliang died and the Burmese Prince of Prome
was appointed to govern Chiengmai, which remained
under the rule of Burmese Princes until 1727.
It must be admitted that King Narai's wars were quite
devoid of any useful results.
The re-establishment of an English factory at Ayut'ia
was very displeasing to the Dutch, who had had almost
the whole trade of Siam in their hands for about forty
years. Moreover, the system of Royal monopolies,
instituted by King Songt'am and consolidated by King
Prasat T'ong, whereby the King controlled all the princi-
pal articles of commerce, such as hides, tin and timber,
did not suit them at all. Early in 1664 they demanded
various special commercial privileges, and on failing to
obtain these, they sent a fleet, which blockaded the mouth
1 It seems impossible to find out the truth about these events. Siamese history
says that the Siamese besieged Ava. Burmese history makes out that the Siamese
never got beyond Pegu, where they were defeated and driven back to Siam,
King Narai's son, P'ya Win, being killed. King Narai was at that time twenty-
nine years old, so certainly had no son of military age. The history of Pegu
(Siamese translation) says that the Siamese reached Pagan, but this translation
bears signs of having been touched up to make it agree with the Siamese version.
The date is given in Burmese history as 1663 (May), but the Dutch Governor-
General at Batavia, writing on December isth, 1662, says : " The King has
subjugated many districts and strong towns, among others the Principality of
Martavan, and will probably march on ... to subdue the royal city Ava."
This definitely fixes the Siamese invasion of Pegu as having taken place in the
latter half of 1662.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 195
of the Menam River for a considerable time. Siam had
then no fleet capable of trying conclusions with the Dutch.
Their demands were therefore granted, and on August
loth (22nd N.S.), 1664, a Treaty was signed whereby
the Dutch obtained the sole monopoly of the trade in
hides, and Siam undertook not to employ any Chinese
on her ships. The term Chinese was defined as including
Japanese and Cochin-Chinese. As most of the sailors
on Siamese ships fell within this definition, this clause
rendered it impossible for Siam to compete with Holland
in the China trade.
But the most interesting provision of this Treaty is the
following : " In case (which God forbid) any of the
Company's residents should commit a serious crime in
Siam, the King and the Judges shall not have the right
to judge him, but he must be handed over to the Com-
pany's Chief, to be punished according to the Netherlands
laws."
Here we have the germ of the system of extra-territorial
jurisdiction, which has occupied so prominent a place in
the politics of modern Siam.
King Narai, hoping to curb the arrogance of the Dutch,
began to think of cultivating the friendship of other
European Powers. The British East India Company
were disinclined to interfere in Siamese affairs ; there was
even a good deal of discussion as to the desirability 01
closing the factory at Ayut'ia, which was less profitable
than had been expected. Portugal was no longer for-
midable. There remained France. In 1662 Monsignor
de la Motte Lambert, Bishop of B&ythe, had arrived in
Siam. He was followed in 1664 by Monsignor Pallu,
Bishop of Heliopolis, and other French Jesuit mis-
sionaries. The King paid great attention to these French
missionaries, particularly when he learned that one of their
196 A HISTORY OF SIAM
number, Father Thomas, was a skilful architect and
engineer. Father Thomas designed and superintended
the construction of new forts at Bangkok, Ayut'ia,
Nontaburi, and other places, designed primarily against
Dutch aggression. The King, thinking that Ayut'ia was
too easily accessible from the sea, moved his residence
to Lopburi, where a new palace, forts, and other buildings
were put up, likewise with the help of Father Thomas.
A tower was also built at Ayut'ia, to be used as an ob-
servatory.
The French missionaries were given land and houses
and were encouraged to build churches. The great
favours thus showered on them by King Narai misled
them into supposing that he had a personal leaning
towards the Catholic faith, and they began to form the
design of converting him, and through him the whole
Kingdom.
In 1665 the Bishop of Heliopolis returned to Europe.
He regaled the Pope, Alexander VII, and King Louis
XIV of France, with wonderful accounts of the advance
of the faith in Siam. The Pope promised to take steps
to push forward the good work, and Louis sent several
architects and craftsmen to assist Father Thomas with
his more worldly tasks.
The Bishop of B6rythe and his followers had their
first personal interview with King Narai about the time
of the departure of Bishop Pallu for Europe. They
seized the opportunity of expounding to His Majesty the
principles of Christianity. He appeared to be impressed,
and their hopes of success were raised by further grants
of land.
A couple of years elapsed, during which a good many
converts were gained, but the King remained a Buddhist.
In 1668 Mohammedan missionaries arrived from Acheen,
A HISTORT OF SIAM 197
a State which had for long been in friendly communica-
tion with Siam, and urged King Narai to embrace the
tenets of Islam. The French missionaries were greatly
perturbed, but the King was not much impressed by the
merits of Mohammedanism, and at a later date stated that
if he were ever to change his religion he would certainly
never become a Mohammedan. It is worthy of note
that though Christianity has never made a very general
appeal to the Siamese, particularly the upper classes,
Mohammedanism has attracted them even less.
In February 1669 Monsieur des Bourges, Secretary to
the Bishop of B6rythe, who had returned to France in
1663, appeared again in Siam, accompanied by six more
priests, and bearing a Bull from the new Pope, Clement
IX, whereby Siam and some of the neighbouring States
were placed under the jurisdiction of the Church at
Ayut'ia, thus recognising French ecclesiastical ascendancy
in Indo-China. Monsignor Lanneau was later (1664)
consecrated Bishop of Metallopolis, to reside in Siam,
with power to establish missions throughout the East,
with the exception of the possessions of Spain and
Portugal.
By 1676 there was a Catholic seminary at Ayut'ia,
attended by over a hundred pupils. Siamese youths
were being prepared for holy orders, and a female com-
munity, known as Votaries of the Cross, was established.
No means were neglected of gaining adherents for the
Church of Rome.
On May 27th, 1673, t ^ ie Bishop of Heliopolis returned
to Ayut'ia, after a long and very adventurous journey.
He bore with him letters from Pope Clement IX and
King Louis XIV to King Narai. The Siamese monarch
was anxious to receive the letters in solemn public
audience. The Bishops stipulated that they must be
198 A HISTORY OF SIAM
received in a manner becoming to their dignity, and must
be spared the humiliation of appearing in their stockinged
soles and prostrating themselves before His Majesty.
After some delay these conditions were accepted, and
the Siamese nobles were scandalised by the sight of the
Bishop and priests remaining seated at a royal audience.
The letters were duly presented, but certain valuable
presents, sent by the Pope and the French King, had
perforce been left behind at Bantam.
Not long afterwards, the Bishops were conducted in
almost Royal state to Lopburi, and were given a private
grant of land for the mission ; the King further promised
to build them a fine church at his own expense.
The presents from the Pope and the French King never
arrived. A Siamese vessel was sent to bring them from
Bantam, but the vessel, with its cargo, was captured by
the Dutch after it had left that port.
The year 1675 was a niemorable one, for in that year
the Phoenix, a ship belonging to Captain George White,
arrived at Ayut'ia. Captain White's factor was none
other than the celebrated Constant or Constantine
Phaulkon, whose romantic and dazzling career in Siam
has been so often related.
Phaulkon was born in the Greek Island of Cephallonia,
about the year 1650. His father was a small inn-keeper
named Yeraki (meaning a falcon). Young Yeraki ran
away from home when about ten years old, and joined an
English ship. He lived in London until about 1669,
when he went to sea again as Captain White's cabin-boy.
He had anglicised his name to Falcon, and his shipmates
re-hellenised it again to Phaulkon. He rose to be
White's factor, and saved a little money, which he in-
creased by helping White in his trading operations at
1 Phaulkon himself invariably signed his name as " Constant Phaulkon."
A HISTORY OF SIAM 199
Ayut'ia. Before White left Siam, Phaulkon bought
with his savings a small ship called the Mary. He took
command of this vessel himself, but was twice driven
back from the mouth of the Menam by bad weather, and
the third time was wrecked and cast ashore. He managed,
however, to save two thousand crowns out of the wreck,
He fell in with another castaway, who turned out to be
a Siamese ambassador to Persia, who had chanced to
suffer shipwreck in the same place. Phaulkon used his
two thousand crowns to purchase another ship, in which
he took the ambassador back to Ayut'ia. The grateful
ambassador introduced Phaulkon to P'ya Kosa T'ibodi,
who had lately become P'rak'lang. The P'rak'lang
took him into his service, and before long he became
Superintendent of foreign trade, with the title of Luang
Wijaiyen.
The appointment of Phaulkon to this position did not
at all suit the East India Company. The one thing which
they regarded with special hatred and detestation was
what they called an " interloper," meaning thereby an
English trader who carried on business in the Far East
independently of the Company. Captain George White
and his brother Samuel were noted " interlopers."
Phaulkon had perhaps imbibed from the Whites senti-
ments none too friendly to the East India Company,
and to the end of his career he paid no attention to the
Company's claims to monopolise the English trade in
Siam, but encouraged many of the detested " inter-
lopers" to come and do business at Ayut'ia.
Phaulkon's policy of encouraging " interlopers " led
to constant ill-feeling between him and the servants of
the East India Company, and this tended, as time went
on, to throw him more and more into the arms of the
French.
200 A HISTORT OF SIAU
In 1674 the Bishop of Heliopolis had left Siam, but
several new priests arrived in 1676. In 1676 M. Cher-
boneau, the first Medical Missionary to Siam, arrived.
He was installed in a hospital established by the King,
but was before long persuaded to accept the Governorship
of the island of Puket. This appointment was, without
doubt, inspired by the French Jesuits, and marks the
first step in their design to gain for their country complete
political control over Siam. A few years later, M.
Cherboneau was succeeded at Puket by another French-
man, M. Billi.
In 1679 the worthy Bishop of B&ythe died, and after
his death the political side of the activities of the French
missionaries became more evident.
Colbert, the famous Minister of Louis XIV, had in
1664 granted a charter to a Company called the " Com-
pagnie Royale des Indes Orien tales," which was intended
to rival the English Company, and which had been
established at Surat since 1668. In 1680 this French
Company sent a vessel to Ayut'ia, with a number of
officers, to start a factory there. The King received them
well and granted them all kinds of privileges.
On Christmas Day 1680 the first Siamese embassy to
Europe left Ayut'ia. There were three ambassadors,
all of high rank, with thirty followers. They took with
them a letter to the King of France, written on a sheet of
gold, together with many rare and curious presents,
including young elephants and rhinoceroses. The letter
offered to cede Singora to France. Singora, as has been
seen, had been in a state of rebellion at the time of the
death of King Prasat T'ong, and it would seem as though
it was still unsubdued in 1680.
The ship bearing this embassy, which must have been
a regular Noah's Ark, never reached Europe. It got
A HISTORT OF Slr 201
as far as the east coast of Madagascar, where it was
wrecked, and all the passengers, humans and animals
alike, went to the bottom of the sea.
While showering favours upon the French, King
Narai was not badly disposed towards the English. The
latter had not, however, the advantage of possessing a
force of missionaries, and King Charles II was not a man
to whom the prospect of ousting French influence in a
far distant land was likely to appeal. It appears, however,
that in 1678 King Narai offered to cede Patani to the
East India Company, with the same privileges as they
enjoyed at Fort St. George, Samuel Potts, one of the
Company's factors, actually went to Patani, but finding
it in a state of rebellion, he went on to Singora.
With regard to these rebellions of Patani and Singora,
it is difficult to trace very clearly what happened. Patani
appears to have submitted to Siam in 1679, but Singora,
which had been more or less in a state of rebellion for
over twenty years, was reported by Potts, in January
1679, to be preparing for a siege. According to Dutch
reports, Potts assisted the rebellious Governor of Singora
to put up earthworks against the Siamese, which brought
the East India Company into great disfavour. In
March 1689 Singora was still holding out, but was
probably subdued during that year. La Loub&re states
that the siege came to an end in a curious manner. A
Frenchman, named Cyprien, tired of the dilatory methods
of the Siamese General, crept into Singora by night,
captured the Governor, and brought him, single-handed,
into the Siamese camp.
Potts returned to Ayut'ia after the fall of Singora, and
began to indulge in a series of quarrels with Richard
Burnaby, who had been in charge of the British factory
there since 1678. Burnaby was dismissed in 1681, and
202 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Potts and Thomas Ivatt became joint chiefs of the factory.
Burnaby had let Phaulkon run up a big debt. Potts
demanded payment, and commenced a most violent
correspondence with Phaulkon, whom he called ungrate-
ful and impudent, and whose replies he stigmatised as
" nonsensical stuff." Ivatt took Phaulkon's side and
was dismissed. He followed Burnaby into the Siamese
Service. On the night of December 6th, 1682, the house
and factory of the East India Company were utterly
destroyed by fire. Potts accused Phaulkon of having
caused the fire in order to destroy the evidence of his
debt. Phaulkon alleged that Potts himself had burnt
the factory down, so as to conceal the defalcations of which
he had been guilty.
These disputes only served to make Phaulkon more
and more pro-French. At about this time he was
converted to the Roman faith, and from now on
became more or less definitely a supporter of French
interests.
In 1683 William Strangh and Thomas Yale were sent
from England to investigate the Company's affairs in
Siam. They were well received by the new P'rak'lang,
P'ya Srit'ammarat, the successor of Chao P'ya Kosa
T'ibodi, 1 who had died early in that year. Strangh and
Yale did more harm than good. They collected none
of the debts due, and failed to elicit the truth about the
loss of the factory. Yale was more or less reasonable,
but Strangh had the most violent quarrels with Phaulkon,
who had now become Chao P'ya Wijayen, and left in
a fury at the end of the same year. Strangh wrote
Phaulkon a parting letter, in which he spoke of " your
impolite weak understanding, jumbled by your sudden
and surprising elevation to a sovereign Lordship or a
1 He had been made a Chao P'ya several years previously.
A HISTORY OF SIAM 203
heathenish Grace," and accused him of firing the factory
and of being at the bottom of all the Company's troubles
and losses at Ayut'ia. Not very diplomatic.
Phaulkon, whom Strangh saw fit to insult so grossly,
was now one of the most powerful men in Siam. The
new P'rak'lang, to quote Phaulkon himself, was a " fool,"
and the Greek was to all intents and purposes the P'rak'-
lang. Whilst Strangh was irritating this dangerous
enemy, King Narai was arranging to make fresh overtures
to France. In January 1684 the second Siamese embassy
set sail for Europe. This embassy was headed by two
Siamese, and accompanied by a French priest. They
landed first in England, at Margate, and it is said that
a Treaty was concluded by them with Charles II, but
no trace of it has been found. They then went on to
France, where they were well received. The members of
this mission were, however, men of inferior rank, and
their behaviour did not make a good impression in
Europe.
These Siamese ambassadors, who had doubtless been
informed that Christians were monogamous, must have
been rather puzzled by what they saw at the Courts of
Charles II and Louis XIV.
Relations between Phaulkon and the East India
Company did not improve. Not long after the departure
of the second Siamese embassy to Europe, Phaulkon
seized and imprisoned Peter Crouch and John Thomas,
the Company's factors, on their ship the Delight, for
refusing to deliver to him a quantity of nails consigned
to Japan. The East India Company had by this time
decided that the trade of Siam caused more trouble
than it was worth, and that Phaulkon was a " naughty
man " and a " wicked fellow." However, in 1685
the Council at Fort St. George sent a Commercial Mission
204 A HISTORY OF SIAM
to Ayut'ia to make a final attempt to set matters on a
more satisfactory footing. This mission arrived at
Ayut'ia in September 1685. The first sight that met their
eyes was two French men-of-war, which had just arrived,
conveying the first embassy of Louis XIV to Siam.
The English mission was more or less ignored, and
seems to have been entirely without results.
The French embassy was equipped on a most magni-
ficent scale. At its head was the Chevalier de Chaumont,
and he was accompanied by a numerous suite, in which
the Jesuit element largely predominated. The principal
task set by King Louis for the Chevalier de Chaumont
was the conversion of King Narai to Christianity, and
the Abb Choisy, who accompanied him, was instructed
to remain behind to baptise the King in the event of
his conversion.
The French embassy obtained, by virtue of a conven-
tion signed on December I9th, 1685, VCI 7 important
religious and commercial concessions. The French
East India Company gained complete liberty of com-
merce, with the exception of import and export duties,
and with the important restriction that all goods had to
be bought from the Royal warehouses. The manager
of the Company was given extra-territorial jurisdiction
over their servants. The Company further obtained a
monopoly of the tin in the island of Puket, and Singora
was ceded to them, with full power to fortify it.
In return, what did Siam gain ? Nothing at all I
There must, however, have been a tacit understanding
that France was to assist, if necessary, against the Dutch,
whose steadily increasing influence in the Peninsula
was regarded by King Narai with some misgiving.
The Chevalier de Chaumont, however, failed in what
was regarded as the main object of his mission, namely
A HISTORY OF SIAM 205
the conversion of the King. Poor King Narai must have
had a very trying time of it, for not only was he being
pestered by de Chaumont and the Jesuits to become a
Catholic, but there was at the same time a Persian
ambassador at his Court, who lost no opportunity of
impressing upon His Majesty the virtues of the Koran.
In the end, de Chaumont asked for a definite reply,
and the King is then supposed to have made a speech
which has since become famous, in the course of which
he said : " It is natural to believe that the True God
takes as much pleasure in being worshipped in different
ways as by being glorified by a vast number of creatures
who praise Him after one fashion. We admire the
beauty and variety of natural things. Are that beauty
and that variety less to be admired in the supernatural
sphere, or are they less worthy of God's wisdom ?
However, as we know that God is the supreme Ruler
of the world, and believe that nothing can be done
against His will, I resign my person and my realm to
His mercy and His Divine Providence, and I implore
Him, in His eternal wisdom, so to dispose of them as
shall seem best to Him." 1
While the French embassy was being feted at Lopburi,
relations between Siam and the East India Company
were becoming less and less friendly. The King of
Siam had a claim against the King of Golconda, and
an Englishman in the Siamese service, Captain John
Coates, was sent, in command of a Siamese ship called
the Prosperous, to enforce a settlement. Coates seized
several ships belonging to the King of Golconda, captured
a fort, and committed other hostile acts. There was a
1 Turpin says that the arguments between the King and de Chaumont never
really got beyond Phaulkon, who acted as interpreter. It is just possible that the
King never knew that he was being asked to change his religion, and that his
eloquent speech was an invention of Phaulkon's.
206 A HISTORT OF SIAM
factory of the East India Company at Madapollam, in
Golconda territory, and the chief and governor of the
factory were blamed by the King of Golconda for the
actions of Coates, an Englishman, though, as a matter
of fact, they had done their best to hinder him.
The proceedings of Coates, and of another Englishman
in the Siamese service, Alexander Leslie, were denounced
by the East India Company as piratical, and the relations
between the Company and the Government of Siam
became extremely strained.
French influence, on the other hand, gained in
strength every day. The Chevalier de Chaumont and
his Mission left Siam on the 22nd of December, 1685,
taking with them* the members of King Narai's third
embassy to France. This embassy was headed by
P'ra Wisut Sunt'orn (Nai Pan), a younger brother of
Chao P'ya Kosa T'ibodi, the deceased P'rak'lang.
P'ra Wisut was an able and intelligent man. He and
his colleagues created a very good impression on King
Louis, the more so as they had come to ask, as a favour,
for something which he was only too ready to grant,
namely French troops to garrison some of the forts in
Siam.
During the early part of 1686 the war between Siam
and Golconda continued, and was the cause of so many
incidents to which the East India Company took
exception that finally they determined to make war on
Siam. In August 1686, however, the English ship
Herbert, commanded by Captain Henry Udall, visited
Siam, bearing a letter addressed to Phaulkon by no less
a personage than King James II himself. James
addressed Phaulkon as " Our well-beloved friend,"
and informed him that certain presents sent to the late
King Charles II had been well received by him. He
Clie* PIERRE HOUTICH.
SIAMESE AMBASSADORS RECEIVED H\ LOUIS XIV
ITOMI Ta< haul's " Vo\agc dc Siain dcs Pt-ies Jesuitcs "
P 206
A HISTORT OF SIAM 207
thanked Phaulkon for his goodness to English subjects,
and assured him of " Our friendship upon all occasions
which may offer." This letter, however, was written
on March 2ist, 1685, before any serious trouble had
arisen.
Captain Udall never left Siam. While he was at
Ayut'ia, a serious rebellion was raised by the natives of
Macassar, who had a large settlement in the capital.
They were only subdued after several very severe
engagements. During the final action Captain Coates
was drowned in a marsh, and Captain Udall fell, fighting
bravely. Four Frenchmen were also killed. Phaulkon,
who was no coward, also took a personal part in this
action, and would have lost his life had not a " strong
black Cafer flung him into the river and swam with him
to a boat." In the end, the Macassars were subdued,
but not till most of them were dead. Those who were
captured were buried alive.
The East India Company had fully determined on
war against Siam, or rather, one might almost say,
against Phaulkon, the " naughty fellow " whom they
blamed for all their misfortunes. Their principal aims
were threefold : to capture and hold the port of Mergui ;
to capture as many Siamese ships as possible ; to arrest
and court-martial every Englishman in the Siamese
service. A certain Captain Lake, who was sent to
Ayut'ia, more or less as a spy, was foolish enough to
boast of these warlike designs of the Company. He
was consequently arrested on his ship, the Prudent
Mary, by Count de Forbin, the French Commandant of
the fort of Bangkok, and imprisoned at Lopburi, where
he died in 1687.
Mergui was at that time governed by two Englishmen,
Richard Burnaby, the former Chief of the Company's
208 A HISTORT OF SIAM
factory at Ayut'ia, and Samuel White, brother of George
White, Phaulkon's early patron. Burnaby, who bore
the title of P'ra Marit, was Governor, and White was
Shahbander, or Port Officer. A personal letter from
James II was obtained, ordering Burnaby and White
to betray their trust by handing over Mergui to the
Company's men-of-war. James was never too proud
to ask any of his subjects to do a dirty action.
On the 28th of April, 1687, th e Company forwarded
to the King of Siam a detailed claim of 65,000, for
damage suffered by British subjects as a result of the
war between Siam and Golconda, and also for advances
made to the Persian ambassador to Siam. The claim
was accompanied by a very friendly letter to the King,
coupled, however, with a threat to take any of His
Majesty's subjects and ships by way of reprisals, and to
blockade the port of Mergui until full satisfaction was
given.
The letter was not delivered until after the arrival at
Mergui of two English frigates, the Curtana and the
James. Captain Anthony Weltden, of the Curtana^
landed, and a proclamation by King James II was read,
ordering all Englishmen in the Siamese service to leave
at once. The Englishmen at Mergui, numbering at
least fifty, prepared to obey, and a truce for sixty days
was proclaimed, to allow of the letter to King Narai
being sent to Ayut'ia. After the proclamation of the
truce some preparations were, very naturally, made to
defend the port. Weltden objected to this, and on July
9th he caused some piles, which had been driven into
the river bed, to be taken out, and on the same day
seized a Siamese ship, the Resolution.
On the night of the I4th of July the Siamese Governor
of Mergui, exasperated by the proceedings of Weltden,
A HISTORY OF SIAM 209
and fearing that all the Englishmen at Mergui were
about to make common cause with their compatriots,
suddenly opened fire on the James, and succeeded in
sinking her. During the same night an attempt was
made to massacre every Englishman in Mergui. Weltden,
who was ashore, had a narrow escape, being left for
dead. White got away, but Burnaby fell a victim,
together with about fifty other Englishmen.
This incident, it must be admitted, was not very
creditable either to the English or the Siamese.
Weltden retired, and not long after he had left,
another English ship, the Pearl, arrived at Mergui,
having on board William Hodges and John Hill, who
had been appointed to administer Mergui after its
expected capture. They found a French Governor
and some French troops stationed at Mergui, and were
reluctantly forced by the French and Siamese to proceed
to Lopburi. They were at first imprisoned, together
with many other Englishmen, but were later released
by the King, who does not seem to have been at all
anxious for war, and hoped to use them as intermediaries
for arranging a peace. They remained in Siam for
almost two years.
On August nth, 1687, King Narai issued a declaration
of war against the East India Company. In it he accused
White and Burnaby of treacherously assisting Weltden,
and threw on Weltden the sole responsibility for the
massacre at Mergui. His Majesty carefully explained
that he did not consider himself to be at war with the
English Government. Many Englishmen, unconnected
with the East India Company, remained in Siam, and
do not appear to have been badly treated.
The King was at that time preparing to receive the
second embassy of Louis XIV, which arrived at Ayut'ia
Os
210 A HISTORY OF SIAM
on September 27th, 1687. This embassy was far more
imposing than that of de Chaumont. The envoys,
de la Loub&re and Cbert, were accompanied by three
men-of-war and four other ships, conveying 1,400
French soldiers and 300 artificers, commanded by
Monsieur Des Farges, a Marshal of France. The
religious and commercial elements were also fully
represented.
It is not clear whether King Narai expected so large
a force, but his difficulties with the East India Company
made him more disposed to welcome them than might
otherwise have been the case. To us, at the present
day, it seems like an act of madness on his part to admit
so many foreign troops into his Kingdom. It was not,
however, until after the world had beheld with amaze-
ment the exploits of Dupleix and Clive in India that it
was understood with what comparative ease a clever and
capable man, backed by a few well-disciplined European
troops, could overcome an Oriental Kingdom. 1 In 1687
the idea that France could do any serious harm to
Siam with 1,400 men would probably have seemed as
grotesque to Louis XIV as to King Narai. A hundred
years later the feat would have seemed far more
possible.
The French envoys brought with them a French
patent of nobility for Phaulkon. He became a Count
and a Knight of the Order of St. Michael and St. Peter.
Many valuable gifts were also sent to him by King
Louis and Pope Innocent XL
The French troops were not, wisely, all kept together.
They were sent to man various forts, for instance,
Bangkok, and, as we have seen, Mergui.
1 These remarks, it need hardly be said, are not intended to apply to present-
day conditions in countries such as Japan and Siam, which have modernised
their systems of defence.
A HISTORY OF SI AM 211
On December ist, 1687, a new Treaty was signed,
granting even greater privileges to the French East
India Company than that of 1685.
C6bert left Ayut'ia immediately after the Treaty was
signed, and La Loub&re in January 1688, taking with
him the fourth Siamese embassy to Europe. 1 The
French troops remained, and seem to have had a most
wretched time. Many of the soldiers died of fever,
and the survivors made themselves very unpopular by
their insolence ; in particular, they paid far more
attention to the fair sex than was thought at all becoming.
A strong anti-foreign party had by this time sprung
up and had gained general popular support. The
King's policy was distasteful both to the nobility and
to the common people. The whole realm was filled with
Europeans, the forts were garrisoned by foreign troops.
The most powerful Minister was a Greek. To add to
their troubles the country was at war with the East
India Company, a war for which Phaulkon was supposed
to be responsible.
Moreover, the religious prejudices of the people were
aroused. Catholic priests were in high favour and held
valuable privileges. The King was suspected of Christian
tendencies. He had no son, but had adopted a young
man named P'ra Pia, 1 whom he hoped to make his
successor. P'ra Pia was a Catholic. Phaulkon did all
he could to encourage the spread of Catholicism, and
became daily more and more unpopular.
At the head of the anti-foreign party, if it can be so
called, was P'ra P'etraja, a General who was in command
of the elephants, and who had greatly distinguished"
1 This embassy never got beyond the Cape of Good Hope. The envoys took
with them more elephants, rhinoceroses and other animals as presents for the
French King. All the animals died before reaching the Cape.
1 According to some contemporary writers, P'ra Pia was commonly supposed
to be a natural son of King Narai.
212 A HISTORT OF SIAM
himself in the Burmese war and won more laurels in
a later expedition against Cambodia.* P'ra P'etraja
was a man of humble origin. 1 He had, however, always
been a favourite with King Narai. They had always
been together, for P'ra P'etraja, like P'ya Kosa, was one
of the King's foster-brothers.
P'ra P'etraja was a man of small stature, but he was
known to be brave and energetic. He had a commanding
presence, and was well fitted to take command of the
popular party. He hated Phaulkon, and his son, Nai
Diia, who had recently been appointed Luang Sarasak,
a violent and aggressive young man, is said to have on
one occasion assaulted the Greek and knocked out two
of his teeth.
In March 1688 King Narai became seriously ill with
dropsy. His symptoms were such as to render it unlikely
that he would live for more than a few months. Im-
mediately there began the usual intrigues as to the
succession. The King had two brothers and a sister
living. The elder of his brothers was called Chao Fa
Ap'ai T'ot, and the younger is known to us by the nick-
name of Chao Fa Noi. Both of them were greatly out
of favour. He had also a daughter, Princess Yot'a
T'ep. Phaulkon had some time before advised King
Narai to proclaim his daughter as his heir, but the King
had refused. The Greek now urged the King to appoint
his adopted son, P'ra Pia, as his successor. P'ra P'etraja
supported, or professed to support, the claims of Prince
Ap'ai T'ot.
'This expedition to Cambodia is not mentioned in Siamese history. From
\ disputed by Nak Non. The latter was defeated by 1
and fled to Cochin-China.
Some writers say that he was a relative of King Narai. This may be true,
as King P'rasat T'ong doubtless had plenty of relatives in more or less humble
positions.
A HISTORY OF SUM 213
The King was induced, at the request of all the leading
officials, to appoint P'ra P'etraja to act as Regent during
his illness. P'ra P'etraja at once assumed control over
the palace guards, and as he had the army at his back
he was able to do exactly as he wished.
P'ra Pia was first got out of the way. He was enticed
out of the King's apartments and ruthlessly murdered.
This deed opened the eyes of the dying monarch to the
treachery around him, but he was helpless ; the re-
proaches with which he assailed P'ra P'etraja and Luang
Sarasak were not likely to turn them from their purpose.
Phaulkon now sent to Bangkok begging Des Farges
to bring up the French troops there to his assistance.
Des Farges set out, but was told that the King was
dead, and was persuaded to return to Bangkok.
Phaulkon was arrested on a charge of treason, and
after being treated for several days with great cruelty,
was executed on June 5th, 1688. He died bravely,
protesting that he was innocent, and that his whole
policy had been directed by three motives the glory
of God, the service of the King, and the interests of the
State.
Thus ended the earthly career of one of the most
remarkable of European adventurers in the East.
In his short life of only forty years, Phaulkon rose,
from the position of cabin-boy on a small ship, to be
a Chao P'ya of Siam, a Count of France, addressed as
friend by Kings and Popes, and entrusted with the
destinies of a powerful Kingdom. True to his name, he
soared high, and it must be admitted that he was a great
man, and may have had noble aims. It has never been
proved that he intended to bring Siam under French
dominion, though doubtless his policy was one which
might, in time, have had such a result.
2i 4 A HISTORT OF SUM
Phaulkon left a widow, a Japanese by birth, and a
son. The widow, after many vicissitudes, became
superintendent of the kitchen to King T'ai Sra, and
was still living in 1717. The son grew up and became
a Captain in the Siamese Navy. He died in poverty
in 1754, leaving a son and several daughters. Phaulkon 's
grandson, John Phaulkon, and one of his grand-
daughters, were among the prisoners taken by the
Burmese on the capture of Ayut'ia in 1767. They
returned to Siam, and were still living in 1771. It is
more than possible that there may be descendants of
Phaulkon living in Siam at the present day.
After the death of Phaulkon, P'ra P'etraja, in the name
of the King, ordered Des Farges to bring up his troops
to Lopburi. Des Farges refused, and an attack was
consequently begun against the fort at Bangkok. At
the same time a persecution of the native Christians
was commenced.
P'ra P'etraja had himself no desire to usurp the
throne. His sole object was to get rid of Phaulkon and
compel the French to leave the Kingdom. His son,
Luang Sarasak, however, was more ambitious. In order
to force his father's hand, he caused the King's two
brothers to be arrested, and had them both executed in
the usual way, by sewing them up in a velvet sack and
clubbing them to death. This step rendered it impossible
for P'ra P'etraja to draw back.
Two days later, on July nth, 1688, King Narai died,
and P'ra P'etraja was at once proclaimed King. 1
King Narai is more familiar to us than any other of
the Kings of Ayut'ia. The following description of
him is adapted from Father Tachard, who met and
1 According to Turpin, King Narai, before his death, caused his daughter to
be proclaimed Queen.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 215
spoke with him several times : " The King is below
the average height, but very straight and well set up.
His demeanour is attractive, and his manners full of
gentleness and kindness. He is lively and active, and
an enemy to sloth. He is always either in the forest
hunting elephants, or in his palace, attending to State
affairs. He is not fond of war, but when forced to take
up the sword, no Eastern monarch has a stronger passion
for glory."
King Narai was, without doubt, a remarkable man, and
it is pitiable that such a man should have ended his
days so miserably. The glamour with which his name
has been surrounded by contemporary French writers
must not, however, blind us to the fact that his foreign
policy was a very unwise one, and must, had he lived
longer, have brought his Kingdom into serious danger.
King Narai was not responsible for any great amount
of legislation during his long reign. Most of the Laws
attributed to him are mere Regulations as to procedure.
The most interesting of his Laws is one of the Articles
of the Law known as the " Law of Thirty-six Clauses."
This Article, dating from the year 1687, provides for
the punishment of offences similar to Champerty and
Maintenance, Any man who prosecuted or defended
a case under the pretence that he was a relative of one
of the parties rendered himself liable to very severe
penalties.
NOTE TO CHAPTER XIII
The order of events in connection with the death of Phaulkon
and the usurpation of PVa P'etraja is differently given by various
contemporary authorities. In the version here given, compiled
from several contemporary accounts, the main facts are set down
in their most probable order.
CHAPTER XIV
REIGNS OF KING P*ETRAJA, KING P*RACHAO SUA AND KING
T'AI SRA
P'RA P'ETRAJA, on becoming King, assumed the title
of Ramesuen, 1 but he is usually known as King P'etraja.
Having got rid of all the male heirs to the throne, he
proceeded to marry both the surviving female relatives
of King Narai, namely his sister, Princess Yot'a T'ip,
and his daughter, Princess Yot'a T'ep. 1
The new King's son, Luang Sarasak, was made Maha
Uparat, and all his kinsmen received high rank and titles.
The persecution of Christians was continued with
great rigour. Most of the French Jesuits were imprisoned
and many native Christians were either killed or severely
punished. It must be borne in mind, however, that
this persecution was more political than religious.
Catholicism was proscribed as being identified with the
French. The Portuguese and Dutch do not appear to
have been molested. As for the English, most of them
were in gaol, as a consequence of the war with the East
India Company.
The French garrison at Bangkok still held out, but the
King entered into negotiations with them, as a result
of which it was agreed, on September 3Oth, 1688, that
all the French troops should leave Siam in three vessels
1 He is also known by the posthumous title of Maha Burut (the Great Man).
* According to Turpin, King Narai, on his death-bed, nominated this Princess
as his successor.
216
A HISTORT OF SUM 217
to be provided by the King to take them to Pondicherry.
In the following month the King was crowned with
great pomp, and celebrated the event by releasing all
the French and English prisoners.
The French at Mergui and at the forts in some other
parts of Siam were less fortunate than their compatriots
at Bangkok. Many of them were killed and many more
were captured.
Des Farges and his troops, numbering about five
hundred, and accompanied by about thirty-six English-
men, left Bangkok towards the end of November, in
three Siamese merchant ships and one French man-of-
war. Des Farges had been made to leave behind his
two sons and the Bishop of Metallopolis as hostages for
the return of the ships and crews. The P'rak'lang 1
made the mistake of releasing these hostages too soon,
and Des Farges took advantage of this to seize, on his
part, two Siamese nobles and the King's factor and take
them with him as hostages. The Siamese considered
this as a breach of faith, and as a consequence the
recently liberated priests all went back to gaol, and the
persecution of Christians was renewed with double
vigour. The Bishop of Metallopolis was treated with
the greatest cruelty, and many Frenchmen were
massacred.
This second persecution, if we may call it so/ was
purely anti-French. The English, who had been liberated
at the coronation, remained at liberty, though nominally
at war with Siam, and Turpin relates that they did much
to alleviate the sufferings of the French priests.
As for the Dutch, King P'etraja regarded them with
special favour, and in the same month that saw the
departure of the French troops, a new and very favourable
1 This P'rak'lang was P'ya Kosa (Pan) the former ambassador to Louis XIV.
2i8 A BISTORT OF SUM
Treaty was made with the Netherlands East India
Company, confirming the monopoly of the trade in
hides, granted by King Narai, and conceding, in addition,
a monopoly of the trade in tin.
Hodges and Hill, the two Englishmen, who had been
forcibly brought to Ayut'ia in 1688, remained there for
some time. Hill left with the French, but Hodges
remained until May 1689, when he returned to Fort
St. George bearing overtures for peace from King P'etraja.
Nothing came of this, but by this time both sides had
lost all interest in the war, which was only prosecuted in
a desultory and half-hearted fashion.
At the end of 1689 Des Farges returned to Puket.
The report was spread in Ayut'ia that this was a punitive
expedition against Siam, and some colour was lent to the
rumour by the fact that the French General was accom-
panied by three ships. As a result, the persecution of
the French and native Christians, which had been slack-
ening, was resumed. The unfortunate Bishop of Metal-
lopolis, who seems always to have been the principal
scapegoat, suffered many indignities, and many of the
remaining Frenchmen lost their lives. Soon, however, a
letter came from Des Farges saying that he desired to
conclude peace. At the same time, the Siamese hostages
were sent back. All the French were then released, and
the missionaries were permitted to continue their work.
Religious freedom was thus restored, in accordance with
the immemorial custom of the Kingdom.
Des Forges was accompanied by Father Tachard, the
historian of de Chaumont's embassy. Tachard went
to "Ayut'ia, and proclaimed that he was authorised by
the King of France to conclude peace with Siam. Noth-
ing definite was settled, and Tachard left again at the end
of 1690.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 219
King P'etraja had no desire for hostilities either with
France or with the English East India Company. He
had eradicated foreign political influence in Siam and he
was satisfied. In June 1690 Elihu Yale, President of
Fort St. George, wrote a very friendly letter to the P'rak'-
lang, congratulating King P'etraja on his accession, but
at the same time reiterating the Company's claim to
65,000, which was the original cause of the war.
King P'etraja was the less inclined, at this time, to
quarrel with foreigners, as he was experiencing serious
internal troubles. A rebellion had broken out at Nak'on
Nayok, to the east of the capital. The leader was an
impostor named T'am T'ien, who had formerly been an
attendant of Prince Ap'ai T'ot, the brother of King Narai.
He gave out that he was the Prince, and gained a great
number of adherents. The Uparat, Prince,, Sarasak,
who was on an elephant-hunting expedition when the
rebellion broke out, narrowly escaped capture by the
insurgents*
The pseudo-Prince and his army reached Ayut'ia,
and might, perhaps, have captured the city. A lucky shot,
however, killed the elephant on which the impostor was
riding. He fell off and was injured, and his rabble
army lost heart and dispersed in disorder. He himself
was captured and executed.
The inhabitants of many districts near Nak'on Nayok,
Lopburi and Saraburi, who had been implicated in this
rising, fled from their homes for fear of punishment, so
that that part of the country was almost depopulated. 1
In 1691 further overtures for peace weT ^JjtfffSS^
East India Company, but the P'rak'lang^^^^^Wl
no hope of payment of the Company^BcHprr He saSl
that Phaulkon and White, who were twHjpi respppfW
m irs*n flt H^ ^ -
fli^hjfj/^ijj JUT* ~. %
1 According to Burmese history, these fugitivflMftOki in &urife&. *'
220 A HISTORY OF SIAM
for the war, had wronged the King greatly and owed him
much, and that as the King had no money to discharge
the debt, the Company had better seize the estates of
White and Phaulkon, which had been carried to England.
After this, no further negotiations for peace were
made, but the war was allowed to die a natural death.
The P'rak'lang who carried on this correspondence
with the East India Company appears to have been
P'ya Kosa Tibodi (Pan), formerly P'ra Wisut Sunt'orn,
King Narai's ambassador to Louis XIV, who was
appointed by King P'etraja to the title and position
previously held by his brother under King Narai. His
end was a sad one ; he fell into disfavour with King
P'etraja, and was so cruelly treated that he committed
suicide.
Towards the end of 1691, the Governors of K'orat and
Nak'on Srit'ammarat rebelled. An expedition was sent
first against K'orat, consisting of 10,000 men ; they failed
to subdue the rebel city, and the General in command
asked for reinforcements, much to the fury of the King,
who threatened dire consequences if matters were delayed
much longer. In the end the town was captured by
flying kites, to which were attached flaming braziers ;
these fell into the city and set the roofs of the houses on
fire. The Governor, P'ya Yomarat, escaped to the
Peninsula and joined the Srit'ammarat rebels.
In 1692 another army of 10,000 men, supported by a
fleet, was sent to cope with the rebels in the south. They
first fell in with P'ya Yomarat, the fugitive Governor of
K'orat, who was waiting near Jaiya with a large force.
He was suddenly attacked by night, but his army made
a stern resistance, and P'ya Yomarat himself refused to
surrender, but died, 'sword in hand, fighting bravely to
the end.
A HISTORT OF SUM 221
The siege of Nak'on Srit'ammarat, which followed, was
long and troublesome. The Governor, P'ya Ram Dejo,
a Malay, was a man of great determination. His fleet was
destroyed and his army was defeated again and again, but
he refused to surrender. At last all his supplies were
finished and his people dying of starvation. He then killed
his wife and family, and escaped by boat, with fifty
followers, by the connivance of the Siamese Admiral,
P'ya Rajabangsan. This Admiral, also a Malay, was an
old friend and companion in arms of the rebel Governor.
P'ya Rajabangsan gave his life for his friend, and his
severed head was set over the gate of the vanquished
city.
In 1697 King Sadet of Cambodia sent a present of a
female white elephant to King P'etraja. This shows that
the traditional suzerainty of Siam over Cambodia was
acknowledged during this King's reign.
In October 1698 Father Tachard again visited Ayut'ia
and tried to conclude a new treaty between Siam and
France. The King asked for the advice of the Dutch
residents, who, of course, urged the danger of ever again
allowing the French to obtain a foothold in the Kingdom.
Father Tachard aggravated the King's misgivings by
talking about building a fort at Tenasserim and a factory
at P'etchaburi. This so disquieted the King that he sent
troops to both those places to be ready in case of a French
invasion. Nothing was arranged with Tachard, and from
this time onwards France abandoned all political interest
in Siam, though the Jesuit missionaries continued their
work. Their success does not seem to have been great,
for Alexander Hamilton, who visited Siam in 1720,
said that at that time there were not more than seventy
1 King Sadet Jai Jett'a of Cambodia reigned from 1690 to 1716, with intervals.
He abdicated and entered the priesthood several times. The capture of a female
white elephant in 1696 is recorded in Cambodian history.
222 A HISTORT OF SIAM
Christians in the Kingdom " and they the most dissolute,
lazy, thievish rascals that were to be found in the country/ 9
In 1699 another serious rebellion broke out at K'orat.
It was brought about by a Lao visionary or fanatic named
Bun K'wang. This man had originally only twenty-eight
followers, but his pretensions to possess supernatural
powers so terrorised the Governor and population of
K'orat that he was allowed to set himself up as ruler of
that city under the very nose of the Governor. That
worthy seems to have been undecided whom he should
fear most, the magician or the King. In the end he
persuaded Bun K'wang to go to Lopburi, but by that time
the rebel had collected an army of four thousand men.
The King, owing to the superstitious folly of the people
of K'orat, was obliged to send an army to Lopburi.
The people of K'orat who had accompanied the rebels
now became ashamed of their weakness, and at the
King's command pulled themselves together and ventured
to capture the magician and his twenty-eight original
supporters. They were handed over to the Royal army
and were all executed.
In the same year (1699) King P'etraja was called upon
to interfere in the affairs of Luang P'rabang. That
State had been greatly disturbed for several years owing
to the claims of various rival Princes to the throne.
Finally a certain Prince P'rachao Ong Wiet had set him-
self upas KingatWiengchan, and a cousin of his, Prince
Kingkisarat, had seized Luang P'rabang. The latter
prepared to invade Wiengchan, and Prince Ong Wiet
sent to apply to Siam for aid, offering to cement the alliance
by the gift of his beautiful daughter. A Siamese army
was at once sent to his aid, but no fighting was needed,
for the Prince of Luang P'rabang, realising the futility
of attacking the combined armies of Wiengchan and
A HISTORT OF SIAM 223
Siam, entered into a Treaty with his cousin, whereby the
principality was divided between them, one to have his
capital at Luang P'rabang and the other at Wiengchan. 1
As for the beautiful Princess, she was sent to Ayut'ia,
and was presented to the Uparat, Prince Sarasak.
Early in I7O3 1 King P'etraja, who was then aged
seventy-one, fell ill. Besides the Uparat, the King had
two little sons, named respectively Chao K'wan, borne
to him by Princess Yot'a T'ip, King Narai's sister, and
Tras Noi, the child of Princess Yot'a T'ep, that monarch's
daughter. Chao K'wan was aged about fourteen and
Tras Noi about ten. Chao K'wan was looked upon by
many people as a likely candidate for the throne, as being
a descendant of King Prasat T'ong. The Uparat there-
fore determined to put him out of the way. Pretending
that he was going to make him a present of a new horse,
he enticed the poor boy into his palace, and caused him
to be murdered there. The victim's mother ran weeping
to the bedside of the dying King, and denounced the
murderer. The King roused himself to declare that
Prince Sarasak should not succeed to the throne, and
sending hastily for his maternal cousin, P'ra P'ijai
Surin, he proclaimed him as his heir. ' The same night
he died.
King P'etraja was not nearly so black as he has been
painted. Just as contemporary French writers lavished
absurdly extravagant praises on their patron, King Narai,
so also they denounced their enemy, King P'etraja, in
1 Luang P'rabang history does not mention the intervention of Siam in the
dispute.
1 This date is taken from a table drawn up by Prince Damrong. The P'ong-
sawadan says that King P'etraja died in 1697. Turpin says 1700. The book
called Statement of K'un Luang Ha Wat, supposed to have been dictated in Burma
by the ex-King Ut'ump'on of Ayut'ia, gives the date as 1701.
* To have made Tras Noi his heir would, of course, have been equivalent to
sentencing him to death. Tras Noi was more fortunate than many other Princes
in a like position. He later became a priest, greatly renowned both for his know-
ledge of religious matters and foreign languages, and died, so far as is known,
a natural death.
224 A HISTORT OF SIAM
excessive terms. King P'etraja was a rough, stern old
soldier who found himself forced by circumstances to
assume the leadership of the anti-French party, and was
led on, step by step, to usurp the throne.
Even a very eminent Siamese authority has recorded
of King P'etraja that " he was a usurper, and not allowed
an honourable place among the Kings of Siam." But,
after all, the family at whose expense he usurped the
throne were the children of that far more cruel and dis-
honourable usurper, King Prasat T'ong.
Certainly, King P'etraja was not a model character,
but neither was he a " vile scoundrel," as stated by
Turpin. His name deserves to be respected in Siam,
for he was undoubtedly instrumental in saving the
country from foreign domination.
P'ra P'ijai Surin, who had been nominated heir to the
throne by King P'etraja on his death-bed, was a harmless
nonentity who had no desire to fight Prince Sarasak for
the crown. On his cousin's death he at once went to the
palace of the Uparat and begged him to accept the reins
of Government. The Uparat, after some show of
reluctance, became King. He is known to Siamese
historians as P'rachao SUa, or King Tiger. 1
During the reign of this King, which lasted for just
under seven years, no very important event occurred.
The country was at peace internally and externally.
The King devoted himself to hunting, shooting, fishing,
and other less creditable amusements. In his more serious
moods he erected and repaired the temples, notably the
temple at P'rabat, and improved the canals, especially
1 He was born at P'ichit in 1662, after the expedition to Chiengmai. In later
times a legend sprang up that he was an unacknowledged son of King Narai by
a. daughter of P r ya Sen Muang of Chiengmai, who was married to P'ra P'etraja
when pregnant. No contemporary writers mention this story. The compilers
of the Pongsawodan have accepted this myth and embodied it in their book,
but they have not altered other passages to suit it, and repeatedly refer to Prince
Sarasak as the son of King P'etraja.
CO
tf
W
H
W
o
A HISTORT OF SIAM 225
the canal known as K'long Mahajai, between Bangkok
and Tachin, which was deepened and straightened partly
in the reign of " King Tiger " and partly in that of his
successor.
It is related of this King that on one occasion, when he
was being rowed along K'long Mahajai in his royal barge,
the steersman carelessly ran the barge aground, damaging
the prow. According to the law of that time, this was
an offence punishable by death. The steersman begged
that he might be executed at once, but the King, being in
a gracious mood, caused a mud image to be made, and
had it decapitated in the man's stead. This did not
satisfy the steersman, who pleaded piteously for death,
lest the Law might be brought into contempt. The
King ended by humouring him, so he was beheaded after
all, and a shrine was erected to his memory on the bank
of the canal, which can be seen there to this day.
" King Tiger " was fond of going about in disguise.
On one occasion he attended a village boxing-match,
and challenged successively two local boxers. He
defeated them both, and was paid two ticals by the ring-
master.
Would that all his actions had been as harmless 1 He
was a cruel, intemperate and depraved man. Turpin
says that he married Princess Yot'a T'ep, 4 one of his
father's widows. One of the gates of his palace became
known as the " Gate of Corpses/' from the numerous
little coffins which were borne out through it, containing
murdered children, victims of his lust and cruelty.
In his fits of fury he was prepared to sacrifice even his
own flesh and blood. Once, when hunting elephants,
he sent his two sons ahead to arrange a causeway across
a marsh. When crossing it, his elephant sank into the
1 Daughter of King NaraL
PS
226 A HISTORY OF SUM
mud. He flew into a passion, accused the two Princes
of a plot to cause him to fall from his elephant and then
murder him, and would have had them both flogged to
death had not the aged Chief Queen of King P'etraja
interceded for them.
During this reign Siam was afflicted with a most fearful
famine and drought. l The rice was all exhausted, and
the waters of the Menam River were covered with an
evil-smelling green slime. Most of the fish died, and the
few that remained were poisonous to eat. Sickness
broke out, and the King, fearing that the use of the
polluted water would foster the spread of disease, forbade
the people to drink it.
The people, who could obtain no other water, became
restless, and a rebellion was imminent. Thereupon it
was announced that the god Indra* had appeared at the
city gate and had declared that the green scum was a
panacea for all the diseases in the land. The whole
populace rushed to the river to anoint themselves with
the scum and the polluted water. After fifteen days
heavy rains descended, causing the water to overflow,
and the famine and disease came to an end.
King P'rachao Slla, worn out by drink and debauchery,
brought his short and inglorious reign to a conclusion by
dying in the year 1709, aged forty-four. The nickname
by which he is known shows what his subjects thought of
him. Modern readers will, perhaps, compare him to
some less noble beast than a tiger.
King P'rachao Slia, at the time of his death, was on bad
terms with his eldest son, and it was his intention that his
1 This is taken from Turpin, who, as usual, gives no date. There was a severe
famine at Chienginai in 1703, and the famine in southern Siam may have been
in the same year.
Buddhism does not deny the existence of the Brahman deities. Indra and
several others are recognised in Siam and are looked upon as powerful angels
or spirits They are not, however, worshipped by orthodox Buddhists
A HISTORY OF SIAM 227
second son should succeed him. The young Prince,
however, waived all claims to the throne, and the
elder brother succeeded without opposition. He
assumed the title of King Pu'mint'araja, but is known
to Siamese historians as King T'ai Sra. 1 His
younger brother, Prince Bant'un Noi, was appointed
Maha Uparat.
King T'ai Sra was twenty-eight years of age when he
ascended the throne. The first ten years of his reign were
peaceful and uneventful, but in 1717 he was induced to
intervene in the tangled politics of Cambodia.
In 1714 a young King, Sri T'ammaraja, had succeeded
to the throne of Cambodia. His uncle, the ex-King
Keo Fa, who had abdicated some years previously, de-
clared war on the young King, and called in a Cochin-
Chinese army to his aid. King Sri T'ammaraja was
dethroned, and fled, with his younger brother, to Ayut'ia,
to appeal for the help of King T'ai Sra.
After a fruitless attempt to obtain the restoration of
the fugitive King by peaceful means, two large Siamese
armies were sent to Cambodia. 1 The main army, under
P'ya Chakri, advanced by way of Siemrap. The smaller
army was supported by a considerable fleet, both army
and fleet being under the leadership of a Chinese who
had recently been made P'rak'lang, with the usual
title of P'ya Kosa T'ibodi. P'ya Kosa proved to be both
incompetent and cowardly. He advanced along the
sea coast and captured and burnt the town of Bant^ay
M'eas. 1 His army was, however, attacked there by
1 This name means " King End-of-the-lake " and is derived from the situation
of the palace in which he resided.
Turpin says that the army was of 50,000 men, and another 20,000 with the
fleet. Both Turpin and Hamilton (Astley's Voyages, London, 1811) make no men-
tion of any Siamese success, and evidently only refer to the progress of the army
under P'ya Kosa. Cambodian history admits that King Keo Fa agreed to render
homage to Siam.
' On the Gulf of Siam. Better known as Hatien.
228 A HISTORT OF SIAM
a combined Cambodian and Cochin-Chinese force, and
suffered one of the greatest disasters recorded in Siamese
history. The soldiers were in poor condition for fighting,
as their provisions had run short and they had been
forced to kill and eat their baggage animals. This
unaccustomed diet made many of them ill. Nevertheless
they were resisting the enemy bravely when P'ya Kosa,
whose fleet was being attacked by a much smaller enemy
fleet, fell into a panic owing to the loss of a few of his
ships, and fled with the remainder out to sea. This
threw the land army into consternation, and they turned
and fled in disorder, losing a very large number of men
and all their artillery.
The northern army, under P'ya Chakri, was much
more successful. The Cambodians were defeated in
several small actions, and the Siamese advanced to
Udong, at that time the capital. King Keo Fa thereupon
offered to do homage by sending the usual gold and
silver trees as a symbol of subjection to Siam. His offer
was accepted, and he was allowed to remain on his
throne without further interference. It must be admitted
that this was only a partial success for Siam, as the
avowed object of the expedition was to restore King
Sri T'ammaraja, which was never done. Considering
the utter defeat of P'ya Kosa's army, the partial
success gained by P'ya Chakri was not, however, to
be despised.
The rest of King T'ai Sra's reign was spent
in peaceful pursuits. He completed the Mahajai
canal, the redigging of which had been begun by
his father, and built or repaired a number of
temples*
When King T'ai Sra's sons began to grow up, he
made the same fatal mistake which had led to so much
A HISTORT OF SIAM 229
bloodshed in the past. He tried to alter the order of
succession, and to pass over the claims of his brother,
the Maha Uparat, in favour of his own eldest son,
Prince Naren. This Prince, who was very fond of
his uncle, declined to agree to what he regarded as
an act of injustice, and not long after retired into a
monastery.
The King, however, was determined that his brother
should not succeed him. He fell ill not long afterwards,
and feeling that his end was near, he proclaimed as his
successor his second son, Prince Ap'ai. The Uparat
protested, offering to forgo his claim to the crown in
favour of his eldest nephew, but not for Prince Ap'ai,
who had no reasonable right to become King, Uncle
and nephew began to collect their adherents, with a
view to contesting the matter by force of arms. In the
midst of these warlike preparations King T'ai Sra died,
in January 1733, aged fifty-four.
King T'ai Sra is spoken of by Siamese historians as a
cruel and sinful man, mainly, it would seem, on the
ground that he was extremely fond of hunting and
fishing. He does not, however, appear to have been
hard or unmerciful to his subjects, and he cannot be
regarded as a bad or unsuccessful ruler. The worst
error of his life was made when he was dying, for his
unjust attempt to alter the succession was the cause of
much bloodshed and misery.
During his reign (in 1717) important events took
place in Chiengmai. A Lao named T'ep Singh raised
a rebellion against the Burmese, many of whom were
massacred, including the Burmese Prince, Min Renra,
a cousin of the King of Burma, T'ep Singh only ruled
Chiengmai for a short time. He was in his turn ousted by
a Luang P'rabang Prince, Ong K'am, who routed a
230 A HISTORT OF SUM
Burmese army sent against him in 1728, and was after-
wards crowned as Prince of Chiengmai. Chiengmai,
which had been under Burmese rule ever since 1556,
maintained a precarious independence from 1728 till
1763, though much disturbed by internal strife during
most of that period.
CHAPTER XV
REIGN OF KING BOROMOKOT, KING UT'UMP'ON AND KING
EKAT'AT. DESTRUCTION OF AYUT'IA
THE accession of several of the Kings of Ayut'ia had been
accompanied by disturbances, but in every previous
instance the conflict had been short and sharp, and had
not involved great loss of life. The contest which
followed the death of King T'ai Sra was of quite a different
kind. It lasted for several days, and was the cause of
great bloodshed and suffering.
Prince Ap'ai's party was numerically stronger than
that of his uncle, the Uparat. He had an army of about
40,000 men, and most of the high officials were with
him. The Uparat had only some 5,000 men, but his
party was united, while that of Prince Ap'ai was torn
asunder by internal jealousies. The Uparat, moreover,
could count on the support of most of the inhabitants
of Ayut'ia.
After a good deal of firing between the two palaces,
P'ya P'rak'lang and P'ya Chakri, the principal supporters
of the young Prince, advanced with their forces against
the palace of the Uparat, routing his followers and
driving them within the walls. The same night, however,
the Uparat made a sortie, drove back the besiegers, and
advanced towards the Grand Palace. The troops of
Prince Ap'ai now began to desert him in large numbers,
and P'ya P'rak'lang and P'ya Chakri lost courage and
escaped from the palace. Prince Ap'ai, finding himself
331
232 A HISTORY OF SIAM
almost deserted, fled away by night, accompanied by
his younger brother, Prince Borommet, His elder
brother, the Priest-Prince Naren, who had declined to
accept the crown, retired to his monastery.
The Uparat now assumed the crown, with the title
of King Maha T'ammaraja II, but he is usually known
by the name of King Boromokot.
The two fugitive Princes got away by boat, with very
few followers, and concealed themselves among the
reeds of a swamp. Here they remained hidden for a
week, but hunger at last compelled them to send out a
trusted retainer to buy food. He was recognised, the
swamp was searched, and the Princes were captured and
taken back to Ayut'ia, where they met with the usual
fate of unsuccessful competitors for the crown.
P'ya P'rak'lang and P'ya Chakri assumed the yellow
robe. They were, however, brought back to Ayut'ia 1
and quietly despatched by night, as the King hesitated
tq bring them to trial, for fear of offending the priesthood.
The new King took a terrible revenge on his opponents,
very large numbers of whom were executed. 1 So great
was his resentment that he even thought of refusing
to cremate the corpse of the late King, and expressed
an intention of flinging it into the river. His better
nature, however, triumphed, and he abstained from
thus avenging himself upon the dead.
In 1733 a Chinese rising took place, and three hundred
Chinese attacked the palace. They were, however,
dispersed, and forty of their ringleaders were captured
and executed.
King Boromokot had a good deal of trouble with his
children. At the time of his accession his family was
1 Turpin says that they came back, relying on the yellow robe for protection.
'According to Turpin, more persons were executed than were killed in the
fighting.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 333
already a very large one, and when he died in 1756 he
left no less than 123 children, fifteen by his three Queens,
and 108 by inferior wives.
His eldest son, who bore the title of Kron K'un Sena
P'itak, was a violent and unruly youth. He bore a
great hatred to his cousin, Prince Naren, for whom the
King had a great partiality. On one occasion Prince
Naren, who was still a member of the Buddhist priest-
hood, went to the palace to visit the King, who was
unwell. Prince Sena P'itak made a savage attack on
him with a dagger. He was not injured, but the King,
on hearing of this crime, was so incensed that he gave
orders for his son tp be flogged. The Priest-Prince
interceded for the culprit and even took him to live
under his protection in his temple. The offender was
ultimately pardoned, but two of his half-brothers, who
were implicated in the crime, were flogged to death.
In 1740 Prince Sena P'itak was appointed Maha
Uparat.
At this time Siam, though somewhat depopulated,
was seemingly in a most happy and prosperous condition.
Every writer refers to the reign of King Boromokot as
though it was the golden age of Siam, and speaks of the
magnificence of the Court and the happiness of the
people. The truth is, however, that the long period of
peace had done the country no good. Rich and poor
alike had become idle and luxurious, and were unfit
for warfare or fatigue,
In Burma events were happening which were destined
to have serious results for Siam. In 1734 the capital of
Burma was moved to Ava. This change was unpopular
among the Peguans, and stirred up their latent dis-
affection. In 1737 the Burmese Governor of Pegu,
Maung Tha Aung, rebelled against the King of Burma,
234 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Maha T'ammaraja Dhiphati, and proclaimed himself
independent. He was, however, murdered by his
Peguan subjects in 1740. The King's uncle, who was
then sent to govern Pegu, was at first well received, but
later shared the fate of Maung Tha Aung, and a Shan
priest, who pretended to be a scion of the Burmese
Royal Family, was chosen in 1742 to be King of
independent Pegu, with the title of Saming T'oh. 1
The Burmese Governors of Martaban and Tavoy,
who remained faithful to Ava, found themselves cut off
from all assistance. In despair, they fled, with several
hundred followers, to Ayut'ia, and appealed to King
Boromokot for an asylum. He received them with
great kindness, and provided them with dwelling-places.
From this time onwards his policy became more and
more pro-Burmese. He probably thought that the
power of Burma was waning, and that it was unwise to
encourage or assist the Peguans, who seemed likely to
become too powerful. The new King of Pegu, more-
over, caused personal offence to King Boromokot by
writing to suggest an alliance with Siam, and at the
same time asking for a Siamese Princess in marriage.
The Siamese monarch refused, with some indignation,
to marry any of his daughters to a man whom he looked
upon as a mere upstart. Saming T'oh was more fortun-
ate in another direction, for he obtained as one of his
Queens a daughter of Chao Ong K'am, the Prince of
Chiengmai.
In 1744 the King of Burma sent an embassy to Ayut'ia
the first for over a hundred years to thank King
Boromokot for his generous treatment of the fugitives
from Pegu, and to obtain, if possible, Siamese aid to
subdue the Peguans, or, at the very least, a promise
1 Or Mintara.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 235
of neutrality. The Burmese envoys were very honour-
ably received, and in 1746 a Siamese embassy had an
equally warm welcome at Ava. The Siamese envoys
arrived at an opportune moment, for the Peguans, who
had captured Prome in 1744, were marching on Ava.
The arrival of the Siamese envoys was exaggerated into
a report that a Siamese army was on its way to assist
the Burmese. The Peguans retired, and on their way
back were attacked and defeated by the Burmese.
Saming T'oh's marriage to a Chiengmai Princess was
his undoing. He had another wife, the daughter of one
P'ya Dala. She complained that she was being neglected,
and instigated her father to plot against her husband.
In 1746 P'ya Dala took advantage of the absence of
Saming T'oh at an elephant hunt to hatch a conspiracy
against him. Saming T'oh was forced to retire to Chieng-
mai, and P'ya Dala became King of Pegu. The fugitive
King, after a fruitless attempt to regain his throne with
the help of a Chiengmai army, proceeded in 1750 to
Ayut'ia, to beg for the aid of King Boromokot. The
latter still cherished some feelings of resentment against
Saming T'oh for having dared to suggest a matrimonial
alliance, and though the luckless fugitive was at first
received well, he was before long arrested and cast into
prison.
P'ya Dala now sent an envoy to demand the surrender
of Saming T'oh, but King Boromokot rightly refused
to send away to certain death a man who had sought
his protection. As, however, Saming T'oh's presence
at Ayut'ia seemed likely to be embarrassing, he was
put on board a Chinese junk to be taken to China. He
was, however, let loose on the coast of Annam, and
found his way back to Chiengmai. His subsequent
history may as well be related here. In 1756, hearing
236 A HISTORY OF SIAM
of Alaungpaya's victories over P'ya Dala, he left Chieng-
mai with several hundred followers, and offered his
services to the Burmese usurper. Alaungpaya, dis-
trusting him, detained him in custody until his death,
which occurred in 1758. His career was certainly
a strange and romantic one.
In the year 1750 King Boromokot was called upon to
interfere in the affairs of Cambodia. King Rama T'ibodi
of that country, who succeeded to the throne in 1748,
was expelled less than a year later by a rival claimant,
Prince Satt'a, with the aid of a Cochin-Chinese army.
A Siamese force was sent to set matters right, but Prince
Ong Eng, the brother of Prince Satt'a, made formal
submission to Siam, and Prince Satt'a was allowed to
remain on the throne. On his death a few months
later, King Rama T'ibodi was once more placed on the
throne of Cambodia. It would appear that at this period
the right of Siam to regulate the succession was not
seriously disputed by any party in Cambodia,
In March 1752 the Uparaja of Pegu, a brother of
P'ya Dala, captured Ava and took away the King of
Burma as a prisoner to Hanthawadi. 1 The whole of
Burma thus fell under the sway of King P'ya Dala, and
it seemed as though the power of Burma had vanished
for ever. Immediately, however, the standard of rebel-
lion was raised by the petty Burmese headman of the
village of Moksobo (now called Shwebo). In a short
time this man, usually known by his assumed title of
Alaungpaya, had collected an army of five thousand
men. In December 1753 he retook Ava, and in May
1757 Hanthawadi was captured, and P'ya Dala taken
1 According to Burmese history the King of Ava was executed in 1754 for
conspiring against P'ya Dala. A Peguan chronicle, however, states that he
lived until 1757 and died of a broken heart during the siege of Hanthawadi by
Alaungpaya.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 237
prisoner, thus re-establishing Burmese supremacy and
bringing to an end the short-lived Peguan Kingdom.
While these stirring events were happening in Burma,
King Boromokot was occupied with religious and
domestic affairs. In 1753 an embassy was sent to Ayut'ia
by the King of Ceylon, to ask for the loan of some
Siamese Buddhist priests to purify and reform the
Buddhist Church in his Kingdom, which was stated to
have become very effete and corrupt. King Boromokot,
much flattered by the compliment thus paid to the
purity of the faith in his own realm, and to himself as
a religious monarch, received the Ceylonese ambassadors
with great pomp, and sent a commission of fifteen Buddhist
priests to Ceylon. They later returned, and reported
that they had been very successful in their purifying
and reforming mission. The Chief of this mission
was a monk named Upali. Most of the Buddhist
monks in Ceylon at the present day belong to the sect
called Upaliwong, or Sayamwong, which owes its origin
to King Boromokot's mission.
In April 1756 King Boromokot made the discovery
that his eldest son, the Maha Uparat, was carrying on
an intrigue with two of his own wives. The King's
fury passed all bounds, and he gave orders for the
Uparat to be scourged two hundred and thirty times.
He expired after the one hundred and eightieth stroke.
The offending ladies were also flogged to death.
The King had only two surviving sons of the first
rank, namely Prince Ekat'at and Prince Ut'ump'on.
He was urged to appoint the former to be Uparat, but
he refused to do so, as he considered him to be incapable
of carrying on the Government. Moreover, this Prince
suffered from a disfiguring disease, supposed to have
been leprosy. Prince Ut'ump'on was a clever and
238 A HISTORT OF SIAM
studious man, very religious by nature, and greatly
beloved by the people. He was therefore appointed
Uparat.
In May 1758 King Boromokot died, aged seventy-
seven, after a reign of twenty-six years. He was one of
the best of the Kings of Ayut'ia. He was a lover of
peace, and managed, throughout his long reign, to avoid
becoming involved in any serious war. His people
were prosperous, happy and contented, and there were
very few thieves and malefactors in Siam in his time,
It was said that it was even unnecessary for a man to
have a fence round his house. Although King Boro-
mokot was capable, when offended, of showing great
severity, he was by nature kind and merciful, good-
tempered, and fond of harmless jollity. Each year,
during the threshing season, he was wont to proceed,
with all his Court, to live in the padi fields, and to
relax himself by enjoying rustic dances and songs, and
viewing pony races and all kinds of country sports.
King Boromokot was responsible for a great deal of
legislation during his reign, but few of his laws are of
much interest to-day. He was severe on elephant and
cattle thieves, and enacted that such offenders should be
punished by tattooing them on the hand and forehead
for the first offence, and by mutilation for subsequent
offences. 'Cattle theft is very prevalent in Siam at the
present time. Perhaps the reintroduction of King
Boromokot's law might do some good.
Prince Ut'ump'on succeeded to the throne on the
death of his father. He is usually known in Siamese
history by the nickname of King Dok Madtta (Figflower).
His first act was to order the execution of three of his
1 In the book called The Statement of K'un Luang Ha Wat, supposed to have
been dictated by this King himself, he is always called by the name Ut'ump'on.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 239
half-brothers, who were collecting large bands of armed
followers and appeared to be plotting a rebellion.
The new King's position on the throne was very
insecure, as his elder brother, Prince Ekat'at, who had
many supporters, constantly interfered in every detail
of the administration. After the cremation of the old
King, he therefore abdicated, and retired to the temple
called Wat Pradu, which he had himself caused to be
built. His reign lasted for only three months.
The abdication of King Ut'ump'on was a great
misfortune for Siam. The new King, Ekat'at, who
assumed the title of Boromoraja V, was a man of poor
intelligence and worthless character. In a book written
only twenty-two years after his death he is described as
" void of intelligence, unsettled in spirit, fearful of
sin, negligent in his kingly duties, hesitating alike to
do good or to do evil." He was, in short, utterly un-
fitted to guide his country through the perils which were
destined to overwhelm it. Moreover, the existence,
at one and the same time, of a King and an ex- King
caused faction and disunion at the very period when
union was most urgently needed.
King Ekat'at did not open his reign badly. He built
several new temples and pagodas, and introduced a law
standardising the currency of the Kingdom, as well as
the weights and measures.
A plot was hatched almost at once to replace King
Ut'ump'on on the throne. The ringleader was a half-
brother of the King, Prince T'ep P'ip'it. His design
was revealed by the ex-King himself, after exacting a
promise that the lives of the conspirators should be
spared. The smaller fry were flogged and imprisoned,
and Prince T'ep P'ip'it was exiled to Ceylon.
Fully occupied in suppressing these internal intrigues,
240 A HISJORT OF SIAM
King Ekat'at never gave a thought to the dangers across
the frontier, nor troubled himself about the continued
successes of the Burmese usurper.
Many different reasons have been given for the out-
break of war between Burma and Siam in 1759. The
truth appears to be that no real reason existed except
the ambition of Alaungpaya. The greatest of his
predecessors had subjugated Siam and the Lao States,
and he resented the existence of independent Kingdoms
on his borders. By 1759 he had induced Nan, Chiengsen,
Payao, and most of the other Lao States to acknowledge
his suzerainty. Only Chiengmai (which, under Prince
Ong K'am maintained a precarious independence) and
Ayut'ia ignored the very existence of the Burmese
upstart. Chiengmai and Ayut'ia must therefore,
Alaungpaya thought, be made to bend the knee.
Early in 1759 some Peguan rebels, who had made a
raid on Syriam, escaped by a French ship. Bad weather
compelled this vessel to put in at the Siamese port
of Tenasserim. The Burmese demanded the surrender
of the ship. The Siamese refused, and permitted it to
proceed on its voyage. This was a good enough excuse
for war. A further excuse was afforded by the escape
to Tenasserim of some of the rebel inhabitants of Tavoy,
which was captured by the Burmese in the same year.
Alaungpaya's son, Mangra, and his General, Mingaing
Nohrata, at once invaded Siam. The Burmese monarch
himself followed close behind them with a large army.
Tenasserim was weakly defended and fell at once, and the
Burmese crossed the Peninsula and commenced to
advance northwards.
Nobody in Siam seems to have realised that a serious
invasion was possible from the south. The Burmese
plan was, in fact, a very rash one, for it involved marching
A HISTORT OF SIAM 241
for several days with the sea to the right and a high
range of mountains to the left. Fortunately for the
Burmese, the Siamese expected the main enemy attack
to be made by one of the usual frontier routes, and
three armies were sent to guard the vulnerable points
on the western border. An army of 20,000 men, under
P'ya Yomarat, was, however, sent down the Peninsula,
and ought to have b,een able to keep back the Burmese.
It was defeated near Kuiburi, and, almost before the
danger was realised, P'etchaburi and Ratburi had been
captured, and Alaungpaya was encamped within forty
miles of the capital.
The ease with which this invasion was carried out was
due partly to the mistakes of those in power and partly
to the fact that the Siamese had become unused to war-
fare. There had been no serious fighting since the
somewhat inglorious invasion of Cambodia in 1717.
Consternation reigned at Ayut'ia. The King was
blamed for his lack of foresight and was urged to abdicate.
The Priest-King, Ut'ump'on, was recalled from his
temple and reassumed the reins of power ; but it was
too late to do anything but make hurried preparations
to prepare the city for a siege.
The first Burmese attack was repulsed, but in April
1760 Alaungpaya had received reinforcements and was
able completely to invest the city. He tried to induce
the Siamese to surrender by asserting that he was a
Bodisatra, or embryo Buddha, ordained by Heaven to
reform the Buddhist religion. His impious pretensions
were laughed to scorn.
The siege continued for a month. In May 1760
a large cannon was placed by the Burmese on a mound,
for the purpose of shooting into the King of Siam's
palace. Alaungpaya himself superintended the loading
242 A HISTORT OF SIAM
of this weapon. One day it burst, and the Burmese
usurper was severely wounded. 1 Even before this
accident, Alaungpaya had been considering the advis-
ability of giving up the siege, as he had not come
prepared for a long campaign, and dreaded the advent
of the rains, which had proved so disastrous to King
Tabeng Shwe T'i in 1559. The cause of the King's
illness was concealed, but orders were issued for the
army to retire to Burma by the Melamao route. The
dying monarch was carried in a litter in the midst of
his dispirited troops, now harassed all the way by the
Siamese. He died in May 1760 at Taikkala, just before
the Salween River was reached. He was only forty-
five years of age. His early career was one of which
any man might be proud ; but he sullied his name by
making an unjust attack upon an unoffending neighbour,
and rendered himself absurd by his religious pretensions.
The danger through which they had passed failed
to teach the Siamese the necessity for union. King
Ut'ump'on, who had thought that his resumption of the
crown was to be permanent, soon found his brother
intriguing against him, and in I762, 1 fearing that his
life was in danger, he retired once more to his monastery.
The indifference of the Siamese to the Burmese peril
was fostered by the difficulties in which Manglok,"
the eldest son and successor of Alaungpaya, found him-
self. Rebels rose up against him on every side, and for
two years he was forced to fight for his throne. By the
year 1762 he had, however, gained control over his
whole realm, with the exception of Tavoy, which was
under the rule of one Huit'ongcha.
1 Burmese history makes no mention of this, but alleges that the illness of
Alaungpaya was caused by a boil or carbuncle.
This is Turpin's date. The P'ongsawadan says that this second abdication
took place in July 1760.
* Known in Burma as Naung-doa-gyi.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 243
In 1763 Chiengmai, which was regarded by the
Burmese merely as a rebel province, was attacked.
The Chief of Lamp'un fled to P'ijai, and he and the
new Prince of Chiengmai, who had succeeded his brother
Chao Ong K'am the year before, appealed to King
Ekat'at for aid. An army was sent north under P'ya
P'itsanulok, but before anything could be done Chieng-
mai had fallen (July 1763), and a Burmese General,
Ap'ai K'amini, had been placed there as Governor.
Later in the same year the Burmese captured Luang
P'rabang.
With Burmese influence thus extending over the
whole of the Lao States, King Ekat'at would have done
well to adopt a conciliatory attitude. Instead of this,
he received an embassy from Huit'ongcha, the rebel
ruler of Tavoy, and accepted from him emblems of
vassalage, thus formally taking under this protection
a revolted Burmese province, on the ground that in
former times Tavoy had belonged to Siam.
Tavoy did not long enjoy the nominal protection of
Siam. In November 1763 King Manglok of Burma
died, after a reign of only three years. His younger
brother and successor, Mangra, 1 at once prepared to
subdue Tavoy, and it was captured by his General,
Maha Nohrata, 1 without much difficulty. The rebel
Governor fled to Mergui, The Siamese refused to
surrender him, so Siam was once more invaded, and
Mergui and Tenasserim occupied. The Burmese then
proceeded to occupy all the Siamese Peninsular States,
meeting with very little opposition until they reached
P'etchaburi. There they were, for the time being, held
up by an army under a Chinese General, P'ya Tak
1 Called King Sri Suthammaraja Dhiphati. Hsinbushin in Harvey's History.
This was a new Maha Nohrata. The original General of that name had
rebelled and was killed early in 1763.
244 ^ HISTORY OF SIAM
better known as P'ya Taksin, 1 later King of Siam
and retreated back to Tenasserim.
On the capture of Tenasserim, Huit'ongcha, the rebel
Governor of Tavoy, fled, accompanied by Prince T'ep
P'ip'it, who had returned from his exile in Ceylon.
King Ekat'at had them both arrested. Prince T'ep
P'ip'it was kept in custody at Chantabun.
Chiengmai and Luang P'rabang having fallen without
any very stiff fighting, and the possibility of a successful
invasion of Siam from the south having been twice
demonstrated, King Mangra now determined to use his
northern and southern armies to converge upon Ayut'ia
from both sides. At the same time he equipped a third
army, which was to invade Siam by the Three Pagodas
route.
Siam had a respite of almost a year, owing to a rebellion
at Chiengmai, which resulted in the flight of the Burmese
Governor. By the end of 1764, however, the rebellion
was suppressed, and in June 1765 a Burmese army ot
5,000 men left Chiengmai for the south, whilst an equal
number crossed the western frontier.
The Burmese adopted towards the population of
Siam a policy of " frightfulness." Every town or village
which offered the slightest resistance was ruthlessly
destroyed, and the inhabitants either killed or taken
as slaves, regardless of age or sex. As a result of
this, most of the people on the line of march fled
to the jungle on the approach of the Burmese
army.
The same methods were adopted by the southern
army, which left Tenasserim in October 1765, and by
the end of November had occupied P'etchaburi and
*His personal name was Sin, and he had held the office of Governor of
Tak, near Raheng. European writers have joined together his name and
his title.
A HISTORT OF SUM 445
Ratburi without any very serious opposition. In the
same month the northern army, now greatly increased
by numbers of forced auxiliaries from Chiengmai,
Luang P'rabang, and other Lao States, occupied P'ijai,
Raheng, Sawank'alok, and Suk'ot'ai, most of the inhabi-
tants fleeing at their approach. P'itsanulok was the
scene of civil war between the Governor and Prince
Chit, a rebellious cousin of King Ekat'at. The Governor
got the upper hand, and killed the Prince. This
encouraged him to defy the Burmese, and they decided
not to attack him, but to leave P'itsanulok unmolested
for the time being.
By December 1765 the Burmese were attacking
T'anaburi (Bangkok). An English sea-captain named
Pauni, 1 who had ingratiated himself with King Ekat'at
by presenting him with a lion and a rare kind of bird,
undertook the defence of T'anaburi, and succeeded in
inflicting great damage on the Burmese. When, how-
ever, one of the T'anaburi forts was captured by the
enemy, and his ship was exposed to the fire of the
captured fort, Pauni retired to Nont'aburi. There he
continued his gallant stand. The Burmese induced
him, by a ruse, to send a landing-party ashore, which
was ambushed and attacked, one Englishman losing
his life in the engagement. 1
Pauni now applied for more ammunition. This waa
refused him, as the King was becoming jealous of his
success, and the people saw in him a potential second
Phaulkon. So the brave English captain sailed away,
leaving to his fate the ungrateful monarch in whose
defence he had risked his life. Nont'aburi fell, and by
1 This is the name given by Turpin. Siamese writers refer to him as Alangka
Puni.
1 This is from Turpin, who wrote only a few years later ? and derived his infor-
mation from the Jesuits, who were certainly not pro-English.
246 A HISTORT OF SIAM
February 1766 the Burmese were once again before the
walls of Ayut'ia.
While his country was being devastated both north
and south, and his subjects slaughtered or enslaved,
King Ekat'at, inefficient and debauched as ever, hardly
realised the danger in which he stood. Only the actual
sight of the Burmese besiegers roused him to some
sense of his peril, and feverish efforts were made to
defend the capital. Even at this critical time, however,
he was inclined to rely far more on all kinds of super-
stitious charms and magic amulets, and his people,
encouraged by his example, wasted their time in seek-
ing for talismans to render themselves invisible or
invulnerable.
The Burmese armies from the north and the south
probably did not number, in all, more than about 40,000
men, and Siam ought to have been in a position to cope
with them. Why, then, was so feeble a resistance made ?
Cowardice, says Turpin ; and this same charge of
cowardice has been levelled against the Siamese by more
recent writers. But no person who really knows Siam
believes the Siamese to be cowards. Man for man, they
can well bear comparison, as regards courage,^ with any
other Eastern race. It was mismanagement, disunion,
and lethargy in high places which rendered Siam so
easy a prey for the Burmese. Had a monarch like
King Naresuen been seated on the throne, the Burmese
would never have seen the walls of Ayut'ia.
It must not be supposed, however, that the Burmese
had no more fighting to do. There was a guerilla army
of about 5,000 men, under the leadership of men of the
people, which resisted the Burmese for many months
in the neighbourhood of the village called Bangrachan.
Not until seven separate attacks had been made upon
A HISTORT OF SIAM 247
them, entailing very heavy losses, were they at last
dispersed. Moreover, during the earlier months of the
siege of Ayut'ia, numerous sorties were made against
the invaders, in some of which the Christian inhabitants
of the city took a conspicuous part. Sometimes partial
successes were gained, and the Burmese lost numbers
of men, but no really important damage was inflicted
on them.
In May 1766 a Burmese army of 3,000 men had to
be told off to deal with Prince Tep P'ip'it, who had left
the priesthood and established himself at the head of
about 10,000 men at Prachin. He was defeated, and
fled to K'orat.
The Siamese had hoped that the advent of the rains
would force the Burmese to retire, but this hope was
disappointed. Forts were built on all the rising ground
round Ayut'ia, and the invaders commandeered vast
numbers of boats, and made ready to continue the siege
even in the face of floods.
In September 1766 the Burmese seized a strong
position only about half a mile from the city, menacing
the Christian quarter and the compound of the Dutch
East India Company. A desperate attempt was made
by the Christians and some Chinese troops to defend
their quarter, but by December both the Christian
quarter and the Dutch compound were in the hands of
the enemy. Shortly before this happened, a final attempt
was made to carry out an attack on the besiegers on a
large scale. A great flotilla of boats was fitted out to
attack the Burmese forts, which must have been at this
time like islands amidst the flooded country. There
were in all 160 boats, each with three cannon on board,
and manned by an army of 6,000 men, under the com-
mand of P'ya P'etchaburi and P'ya Taksin. The result
248 A HISTORY OF SIAM
Was another defeat P'ya P'etchaburi was killed in action,
together with large numbers of his men, and the remnants
of his scattered fleet with difficulty escaped to Ayut'ia.
P'ya Taksin took no active part in this battle, and on
his return to Ayut'ia he was charged with failing to
render proper aid to his colleague. He fell into disgrace,
and not long afterwards he again incurred the Royal
displeasure through firing some of the large cannon at
the enemy without first obtaining permission from the
King ; for an absurd order had been passed that none
of the larger cannon were to be discharged without
sanction. P'ya Taksin then fled away from the doomed
city with 500 followers. The Burmese can hardly have
suspected that this " contemptible little army " was
destined to develop into a force capable of freeing Siam
from their domination.
At the end of the rains the Burmese received re-
inforcements, and from that time the Siamese made but
little serious resistance ; one fort after another fell into
the hands of the enemy, and the interior of the city now
formed an easy target for the Burmese cannon. The
miserable inhabitants were almost starving. As though
famine were not enough, an epidemic broke out, and
the streets were strewn with corpses, which were left
to be devoured by the pariah dogs. To culminate the
misery of the besieged, on January 7th, 1767, a great
fire broke out, which consumed 10,000 houses.
The Burmese General, Maha Nohrata, died early in
1767, but any hopes which the Siamese may have founded
on that event were vain. The Burmese now saw success
within their grasp, and pressed on with the siege.
King Ekat'at, seeing that all was lost, offered to
surrender his capital and to become a vassal of the
King of Burma. He was told, in reply, that no other
A HISTORT OF SIAM 249
terms but unconditional surrender would be considered.
Filled with the courage of despair, the Siamese managed
to hold out for another three months. At length, on
Tuesday, April 7th, 1767, a tremendous effort was made
by the besiegers. Fires were kindled against the walls,
and cannon were fired simultaneously from every side*
At last a breach was made, the Burmese fought their
way in, and the city fell into their hands, after a siege
of fourteen months.
The victors behaved like Vandals. The palace, the
principal buildings, and thousands of private houses
were soon a prey to flames, and their sacrilegious lust
for destruction did not permit the victors to spare even
the temples dedicated to the cult of their own faith.
All the largest and most beautiful images of Buddha
were hacked in pieces, and many of them were burnt
for the sake of the gold leaf with which they were coated.
Plunder, and still more plunder, was the watchword.
Men, women and children were flogged and tortured
to make them reveal the hiding-places where their few
treasures or savings were concealed.
King Ekat'at fled from his palace in a small boat.
The exact manner of his final fate is uncertain. Some
say that he wandered about in the jungle until he died of
hunger and exposure. The Burmese historian relates how
a brother of the King recognised his mangled remains
among a heap of the slain at one of the city gates. In
either case, a miserable end for the successor of so many
great Kings, unworthy though he undoubtedly was.
The ex-King Ut'ump'on was torn from the shelter
of his temple and taken away to Burma, where he ended
his days in captivity in 1796. His fellow-captives were
numerous, including most of the members of the Royal
Family, hundreds of officials, and of soldiers and peasantry
250 A HISTORT OF SIAM
a vast number, variously estimated from 30,000 to
200,000.
A great amount of treasure, such as gold and jewels,
was found in the palace, also quantities of arms and
ammunition. Of the latter only the best and most
curious cannon and guns were taken away to Burma.
The remainder were destroyed or thrown into the river.
Thus fell Ayut'ia, four hundred and seventeen years
after its foundation by King Rama T'ibodi I. In 1568
the city fell through treachery, in 1767 through the
inefficiency and corruption of those in power. A new
Ayut'ia may to-day be seen, but the old Ayut'ia was
never rebuilt. It is still a mass of ruins, over which
the tropical jungle spreads like a green mantle, as though
to hide the handiwork of the Burmese from the sight of
Heaven.
Among other irreplaceable treasures, almost all the
written records of the Kingdom were burnt, and for many
years it seemed as though all certain trace of the history
of Siam had vanished. But later Kings were destined
to collect and piece together the scattered fragments,
until, little by little, some account of the story of the
old capital was written down, full of gaps and errors,
yet still retaining some semblance of the truth.
CHAPTER XVI
REIGN OF KING TAKSIN
IT has been said, and with some truth, by a Siamese
author, that " the King of Hanthawadi waged war
like a monarch, but the King of Ava like a robber.'*
By this is meant that King Bhureng Noung's invasion
of Siam was made with the intention of reducing the
Kingdom to the position of a vassal, but King Mengra's
invasion, which was undertaken without any real cause,
had no other object than the ruin of Siam, and the
acquisition of plunder and slaves.
Having, as they thought, so crushed and terrorised
the Siamese nation as to render its recuperation impossible
for many years, the Burmese withdrew a large part of
their army, leaving only a comparatively small force,
under the command of a General named Sugyi, to
control the country. Sugyi was established in a camp
near the ruined capital, called the camp of the Three
Bo Trees.
P'ya Taksin, with his five hundred followers, managed
to shake off his Burmese pursuers, and established
himself near Rayong, on the east coast of the Gulf of
Siam. His own fellow-countrymen in that region were at
first by no means at all certain whether to regard him as
a rebel or a deliverer, but before the fall of Ayut'ia
he had quelled all opposition and was in full control of
the Rayong and Jonburi districts.
251
252 A HISTORY OF SIAM
The Governor of Chantabun at first made friendly
overtures to P'ya Taksin, but, on learning of the fall of
Ayut'ia, he bethought himself that he might make a
better King than the Chinese General, whom he
therefore invited to Chantabun, intending to make a
treacherous onslaught upon him. The design was
revealed, and P'ya Taksin attacked Chantabun by night
and captured it, after an action in which he greatly
distinguished himself by his bravery. The capture
of Chantabun took place in June 1767, two months after
the fall of Ayut'ia, and was followed by the capture of
Trat. P'ya Taksin thus became master of a large
strip of territory, and territory which had not been
plundered and depopulated by the Burmese. Officials
and soldiers from other parts of Siam now began to
join him, and by October of the same year his army of
five hundred had increased to five thousand, and he
felt strong enough to attack the Burmese.
With a fleet of a hundred boats he sailed up the Menam
River and speedily took T'anaburi (Bangkok), where he
executed Nai T'ong In, a renegade Siamese who had
been set up by the Burmese as Governor. Sugyi now
sent a large army, under one Maung Ya, to expel P'ya
Taksin. Maung Ya's force was, however, partly com-
posed of Siamese, who at once began to desert, and
Maung Ya fled back to the camp of the Three Bo Trees.
P'ya Taksin pursued him and attacked the Burmese
camp, which was taken after a short but fierce fight,
the Burmese General being killed in action. This
event marks the liberation of Siam from the Burmese,
only six months after the capture and destruction of
the capital.
A good many members of the Royal Family were still
living at Ayut'ia. P'ya Taksin treated them with great
A HISTORY OF SIAM 253
respect, and later provided for several of the Princesses
by marrying them himself. The subsequent fate of
two of these ladies was an unhappy one. They were
accused of adultery and executed.
The remains of King Ekat'at were exhumed from the
place where they had been buried by the Burmese,
and cremated with all possible ceremony.
But P'ya Taksin, while prepared to show proper
respect to the members of the ex-Royal Family, whether
living or dead, had no idea of placing any one of them on
the throne. He set to work to render hijnself popular
by distributing money and food to the population,
and it soon became known that he intended to make
himself King.
P'ya Taksin at first intended to re-establish Ayut'ia
as the capital of Siam, but later changed his mind and
returned to Bangkok, 1 where he was crowned as King
of Siam. His decision was a wise one. To restore
Ayut'ia would have cost a great deal of money, and
to defend it would have needed a large army, neither of
which the ruined land could at that time provide.
P'ya Taksin, at the time of his coronation, was only
thirty-four years of age. His father was Chinese, or
partly Chinese, and his mother Siamese. They were
not people of any high position. P'ya Taksin rose to
be King through his own courage and ability ; perhaps
partly, also, through his faith in his destiny, which was
a prominent feature of his character throughout his
career. He believed that even the forces of Nature
were under his control when he was destined to succeed,
and this faith led him to attempt and achieve tasks
1 The city of King Taksin was on the west bank of the Menam, and is usually
referred to by Siamese writers as T'onburi or T'anaburi. Chao P'ya Chakrf,
on becoming King, founded the present city of Bangkok. To the average European
mind the distinction between T'anaburi and Bangkok is a distinction without
a difference.
A HISTORY OF SIAM
which to another man would have seemed impossible.
Like Napoleon III, he was a man of destiny.
Fortunately for King Taksin the Burmese were fully
occupied, at the end of 1767, in repelling a Chinese
invasion, and he had, therefore, less to fear from them
than from rivals in his own country. Siam was, at this
time, split up into five separate States, namely :
1. Central Siam, under King Taksin, consisting of
the modern provinces of Bangkok, Ratburi, Nak'on
Jaisi, Prachin, Chantabun, and part of Nak'on Sawan.
2. The Peninsular provinces up to Jump'orn. One
P'ra Palat, who was acting Governor of Nak'on Srit'-
ammarat at the time of the capture of Ayut'ia by the
Burmese, had proclaimed his independence under the
title of King Musika.
3. The eastern provinces, including K'orat. Prince
T'ep P'ip'it, the restless son of King Boromokot, after
many vicissitudes and dangers, had set himself up as
King, with his capital at P'imai.
4. The province of P'itsanulok, and part of Nak'on
Sawan, under the Governor of P'itsanulok, known
as King Ruang.
5. The extreme northern part of P'itsanulok, where
a Buddhist priest named Ruan had set himself up as
King, with his capital at Sawangburi, near Utaradit
(then known as Fang). He was known as the Priest-
King of Fang, and all his officials and army leaders
wore the yellow robe.
Every one of these rulers held great advantages over
King Taksin. The Governors of P'itsanulok and
Nak'on Srit'ammarat had merely exalted their titles in
districts already under their rule, and whose inhabitants
were accustomed to obey them. Prince T'ep P'ip'it
could plead hereditary right. The Priest-King of Fang
A HISTORY OF SIAM z$ 5
was looked upon by the superstitious and everyone
was superstitious in those days as a prophet or magician,
or both. P'ya Taksin had nothing but his courage and
his faith in his destiny, yet he subdued all his rivals.
The Burmese still had a camp near Ratburi, and a
fleet of boats at the mouth of the Mek'long River. Early
in 1768 the King of Burma, having expelled the Chinese
invaders from his realm, ordered the Burmese Governor
of Tavoy to join forces with the Burmese at Ratburi
and make short work of the upstart King of Bangkok.
King Mengra quickly learnt that he was dealing with an
adversary very different from King Ekat'at. The
Governor of Tavoy was expelled from Siam with great
loss, the Burmese camp at Ratburi was captured, and the
whole of their fleet fell into the hands of the Siamese.
A prominent part in these operations was taken by
one P'ra Maha Montri. This official was one of the
earliest adherents of King Taksin. After the recapture
of Ayut'ia he had introduced into the King's service
his elder brother, Luang Yokrabat, who was made
P'ra Rajawarin, and who later became King P'ra P'utt'a
Yot Fa Chulalok (Rama I) of Siam ; and P'ra Maha
Montri was the Wang Na, or " second King," during
his brother's reign.
In May 1768 King Taksin marched northwards to
subdue the Governor of P'itsanulok. The expedition was
a failure. The King's army sustained a defeat, and he
himself was wounded. The reduction of P'itsanulok
was, therefore, abandoned for a time.
Encouraged by this success, the Governor of P'it-
sanulok caused himself to be formally crowned as
King of Siam. He did not, however, long enjoy
his new dignity. A week latejr he was dead. He
was succeeded by his younger brother, P'ra In, who
256 A HISTORY OF SUM
took King Huang's death as an omen, and did not
assume the Royal tide.
The Priest-King of Fang, who had already made one
unsuccessful attack on P'itsanulok, now seized the
opportunity for another attempt. After a siege of two
months he was master of P'itsanulok. The unfortunate
P'ra In was executed and his corpse exposed on the
gate of the city, and the Priest- King of Fang became
ruler of the whole of northern Siam.
The yellow robe worn by this abominable man was
the only religious thing about him. His rule was a
disgrace to humanity and an insult to the religion which
he sacrilegiously professed to follow. He and his fol-
lowers wallowed in blood and steeped themselves in
drunkenness and vice. Fortunately their triumph was
not destined to endure for very long.
At the close of the rainy season of 1768 King Taksin
turned his attention to the K'orat district. The army
of Prince T'ep P'ip'it was assisted by a Burmese force,
under Maung Ya, who had fled from Ayut'ia when it
was recaptured the previous year ; after two stiff en-
counters the K'orat armies were overcome, Maung Ya
and his Siamese colleague were captured and executed,
and K'orat was occupied. The " King of P'imai," as
Prince T'ep P'ip'it was called, took no part in the
fighting, and when he heard of the defeat of his armies,
he fled from P'imai, intending to seek a refuge at Wieng-
chan. He was pursued and taken. King Taksin, who
always showed respect to scions of the former reigning
family, intended to treat him well, but the insolence and
arrogance of the Prince towards his captor were such as
to stifle all feelings of mercy, and Prince T'ep P'ip'it
met the usual fate of unsuccessful pretenders.
This Prince, by virtue of his birth, was a suitable
A HISTORT OF SIAM 257
candidate for the throne of Siam ; he had, however,
no military or administrative ability, and throughout
his career was nothing more than a mere plotter and
intriguer. He was better out of the way.
King Taksin now began to restore order and pros-
perity in his dominions. His was no easy task. The
crops had not been properly attended to for several
years, and at the end of 1768 the scanty supplies were
further diminished by a plague of rats. A huge rat-
catching campaign had to be undertaken, and at the
same time the starving people had to be fed. Money
was poured out without stint to obtain supplies from
abroad, and people soon began to see that a usurper,
who was capable of helping them in an emergency, was
better than a ruler of Royal descent who wasted his time
in folly and idleness. Abuses were reformed, the safety
of persons and property was restored, and malefactors
were punished with the greatest severity.
Early in 1769 the King of Cambodia, Rama T'ibodi,
was expelled from his Kingdom by his brother, aided by
a Cochin-Chinese army. King Rama T'ibodi fled to
Bangkok, and his brother assumed the title of King
Narai Raja. King Taksin thought this a suitable oppor-
tunity for asserting the ancient rights of Siam over
Cambodia. He therefore demanded from the new
ruler the usual tribute, in the form of gold and silver
trees. King Narai returned a haughty answer, declining
to send tribute to the son of a low-born Chinese. King
Taksin was just getting ready to march against Nak'on
Srit'ammarat, but this insult was more than he could
brook. Siemrap and Battambang were promptly occupied
by two armies which had been stationed at K'orat, and
orders were given to hold those two towns until the
return of the army sent to Nak'on Srit'ammarat. If the
Rs
258 A HISTORY OF SUM
King of Cambodia had not, by that time, adopted
a humbler tone, more of his territory was to be
seized.
The expedition to Nak'on Srit'ammarat began badly.
The army met with a reverse near Jaiya, and the Generals
started quarrelling and indulging in mutual recrimina-
tions. The King hurried to Jaiya by sea, arriving in
August. His presence at once set matters right. The
army of King Musika was routed, and he himself fled
to Nak'on Srit'ammarat. When King Taksin's army
approached the walls of the city, King Musika gave up
all hope, and escaped to the south. King Taksin entered
the city in state. The fugitive Governor was followed
to Patani. A threat of war caused the Raja of that State
to deliver him up, and he was sent back to Nak'on
Srit'ammarat.
King Taksin's treatment of his defeated rival shows the
generous side of his character. His councillors urged
the execution of the prisoner. " No," replied the King ;
" he was never my servant, nor I his master. We were
both servants of King Ekat'at, and when our master
was dead, neither of us had any better right than the
other to set himself up as King. My luck has been
better than his, that is all." The ex-Governor was taken
to Bangkok and given an official appointment, and
a few years later was sent back to govern Nak'on
Srit'ammarat.
King Taksin was delayed at Nak'on Srit'ammarat for
longer than he had expected, and did not return to Bang-
kok until March 1769. A rumour was spread that he
was dead, and the armies from Siamrap and Battambang
had returned before the King, the Generals in command
fearing that there might be disturbances in the capital.
Cambodia was therefore left alone that year.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 259
Early in 1770 the Priest-King of Fang sent a band
of marauders to plunder the town of Jainat, and King
Taksin realised that the time had come to bring the
false prophet to book. Three armies, totalling over
20,000 men, were employed on this expedition, and they
made very short work of the northern forces. P'itsanulok
was soon taken, and after a brief delay there the army of
the future Wangna (at that time bearing the title of P'ya
Yomarat) invested the capital of the Priest-King,
Sawangburi. This was only a small town, surrounded
by a wooden stockade. The prophet soon lost heart,
and when a young white elephant was born in his city,
he took it as an omen of coming disaster to himself, and
fled away to the north. He was never captured, and his
ultimate fate is unknown.
The capture of Sawangburi meant the re-establishment
of the old territorial limits of Siam, and thenceforth
King Taksin ruled over practically the same territory
as the later Kings of Ayut'ia, with the exception of
Tavoy and Tenasserim.
The King was, as might be expected, greatly disgusted
by the excesses and immoralities of the false prophet
and his myrmidons. He held that every priest in northern
Siam lay under the suspicion of being a participator in
the crimes that had been committed, and compelled
large numbers of them to undergo the ordeal by water.
Those who could not withstand this test were expelled
from the priesthood and punished. A thorough reforma-
tion of the Church in the northern provinces was then
undertaken by priests sent up from the south.
It may here be mentioned that King Taksin was
unusually partial to the system of trial by ordeal, whether
by fire or water, and constantly made use of it in doubtful
cases. This was quite in accordance with his character,
260 A HISTORT OF SUM
for he firmly believed that all his actions were directly
influenced and controlled by a higher Power.
We may assume that King Taksin had by this time
realised a fact, which seems to have escaped the notice
of most of his predecessors, namely that there never
could be any security for the peace and prosperity of
Siam so long as the Lao States, which had formed the
ancient Kingdom of Lannat'ai, remained under Burmese
rule.
We have seen in the last chapter that the Burmese,
since the rise of their new dynasty, had adopted more
ruthless methods of warfare. It seems that their methods
of governing subject races had likewise become less
sympathetic. The Lao States had been, off and on,
under Burmese rule for over two hundred years, and do
not appear to have felt the yoke bear very heavily upon
them. But under the new Burmese Military Governors
things were quite different. We read in the History of
Chiengmai that " the Burmese rulers in every part of
Lannat'ai oppressed and ill-treated the people in many
ways, and the people suffered very grievously. Some
fled and dwelt in the forests and jungles, and some
formed themselves into robber bands and fought
together."
The Burmese Governor, Ap'ai Kamini, died in 1769,
and was succeeded by a man named Bo Mayu Nguan.
He signalised his assumption of office by sending an
expedition to attack Sawank'alok. The Governor of
Sawank'alok held out for a month, at the end of which
time a large army from P'itsanulok arrived, and drove
the Burmese back across the frontier.
King Taksin then assumed command in person, and
made up his mind to capture Chiengmai. He reached
Chiengmai without much opposition, and we may
A HISTORT OF SIAM 261
presume that the Lao population welcomed him as a
deliverer. On reaching Chiengmai, however, he realised
that he was not equipped to undertake a long siege, and
retired after remaining near the city for nine days. He
gave as his reason for this retirement an ancient prophecy
to the effect that no King of Siam could ever capture
Chiengmai on the first attempt.
The Burmese attacked the retreating army, but were
driven back with much loss, the King himself showing
great courage in this action.
King Narai of Cambodia, true to the tradition of his
ancestors, who had always sought to trouble Siam when
she was at war with Burma, took advantage of the King
of Siam's absence at Chiengmai to send a filibustering
expedition to attack Chantabun and Trat. This stab
in the back made King Taksin determine to dethrone
the culprit, and put his fugitive rival, Rama T'ibodi,
in his place. He therefore at once invaded Cambodia
at the head of an army of 15,000 men, backed by a fleet
of 200 vessels. Bantday M'eas, Phnom Penh, Battam-
bang, and Boribun were speedily captured, and the
Siamese advanced towards Bant&y Pech, 1 at that time
the capital. King Narai fled, and King Rama T'ibodi
was set up as vassal King of Cambodia. King Narai
retained control of northern Cambodia for a time, but
ultimately submitted to his brother, and was rewarded
by King Taksin with the title of Maha Upayorat, or
vice-King.
The future founder of the present dynasty greatly
distinguished himself in this campaign. He had recently
been promoted to the rank and title of Chao P'ya
Chakri, and his younger brother had become Chao
P'ya Surasih.
1 About five miles north-east of Phnom Penh;
262 A HISTORT OF SIAM
In 1769 the third Chinese invasion of Burma since the
accession of KingMengra had been successfully repulsed,
and peace between Burma and the Chinese formally
concluded. This left Burma free for further aggressions
against her eastern neighbours. In 1771 an army under
a celebrated General named Bo Supla was sent to inter-
fere in a dispute between the Princes of Wiengchan and
Luang P'rabang, on the invitation of the former. Luang
P'rabang submitted without any fighting, leaving this
army free to molest Siam, In 1772 a small force was
sent to capture P'ijai, but was driven back. At the
end of 1773 Bo Supla himself led an army to attack P'ijai
again. This time the Siamese were ready, and after a very
fierce engagement drove the whole Burmese army back
across the frontier.
In 1774 KingMengra was busy making preparations
for dealing a final blow at Siam. His plan was to make,
as in 1767, a double invasion from Chiengmai and the
west simultaneously. King Taksin was getting ready to
defend his new capital when he heard that a rebellion
had broken out in Pegu, and that the rebels had taken
Martaban. He therefore determined to take the initi-
ative, realising that if he wished to unite the Lao States to
his Kingdom he must do it now or never. In November
1774 he marched to the north at the head of 20,000
men. On reaching Raheng he heard the disquieting
news that the Peguan rebels had been quelled. For
a brief space he hesitated. But if the news from Burma
was bad, that from Chiengmai was very encouraging.
The Burmese Governor was at loggerheads with Bo
Supla, 1 and P'ya Chaban, a man of great influence, had
quarrelled with them both. Lampang was known to
*This was the General who took command of the Burmese army after the
death of Maha Nohrata, and was responsible for the capture of Ayut'ia and
subsequent barbarities.
A BISTORT OF SIAM 263
be a centre of anti-Burmese feeling. The Governor
of that city, Chao Fa Jai Keo,* appointed by the Burmese
in 1764, was under suspicion, and was retained as a
hostage in Chiengmai. His son, Chao Kawila, the
acting Governor, was known to be pro-Siamese. King
Taksin was therefore emboldened to proceed with his
enterprise.
Hardly had the Siamese advance guard, under Chao
P'ya Chakri, crossed the frontier, when P'ya Chaban,
who had been sent to Miiang Hawt at the head of a
mixed Burmese and Lao force, caused all his Burmese
followers to be killed, and proceeded to join the Siamese.
Chao Kawila of Lampang followed suit by ordering
a massacre of all the Burmese in his city, and throwing
open the gates to the Siamese army. Such of the
Burmese as could escape bore the news to Chiengmai ;
the Burmese Governor of Chiengmai, Bo Mayu Nguan,
retaliated by casting Chao Fa Jai Keo, the arch-rebel's
father, into prison.
By January 1775 ^ e Burmese had been driven, with
great slaughter, from their camp near Lamp'un, and
the armies of King Taksin were, for the second time,
besieging Chiengmai. The King himself was quickly
on the spot, and ordered a general attack on every side.
Bo Mayu Nguan and Bo Supla, with the greater part of
the Burmese garrison, fled through the White Elephant
Gate. They were pursued, but managed to make good
their escape. King Taksin entered Chiengmai in state
on the 1 6th of January, 1775, amidst general rejoicing.
The happiest man of all was Chao Kawila, who had
the satisfaction of releasing his old father, given up
for dead.
1 Chao Fa Jai Keo was the ancestor of the present hereditary Chiefs of Chieng
mai, Laxnpang, and Lamp'un.
264 A HISTORT OF SUM
P'ya Chaban was made Prince of Chiengmai, with the
title of P'ya Wijien, and Chao Kawila was sent back
to rule Lampang. 1
The capture of Chiengmai practically marks the
establishment of the Kingdom of Siam as known to us
to-day. It was speedily followed by the submission
of the Chiefs of P're and Nan.
Any chance of peace between Siam and Burma which
might have existed was destroyed as a result of the
rebellion in Pegu. 1 Thousands of Peguan refugees fled
across the frontier into Siam, and each band of refugees
was in turn followed by a Burmese force, sent to bring
them back. Two of these Burmese incursions into
the Raheng district were repulsed during and after the
siege of Chiengmai. On returning to his capital in
February 1775 King Taksin was greeted by the tidings
that yet a third Burmese force had crossed the frontier
by the Three Pagodas route, and had driven back the
Siamese frontier guard to Kanburi. He at once gave
orders that the troops which were returning from Chieng-
mai were to proceed at once to Ratburi, and that no man
was to waste time by going home to see his wife or
relations. Only one man, P'ra T'ep Yot'a, ventured
to disobey this order. The King sent for him, and with
his own hand cut ofF his head. After that,* the rest of
the army made no further trouble about going to Ratburi.
The Burmese, encouraged by their first success, pushed
on into Siam. One force, consisting of 2,000 men,
advanced towards Sup'an and Nak'on Jaisi, pillaging
and plundering ; another, 3,000 strong, was despatched
towards Ratburi. The result was a complete defeat.
1 Fya Chaban was only Chief of Chiengmai for about a year, after which the
dty was deserted for twenty years, until 1796, when Chao Kawila became Prince.
This rebellion in Pegu had unfortunate results for the ex- King of Pegu, P'ya
Dala, who had been a prisoner since* 1757. He was accused of complicity, and
was executed, together with several members of his family.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 265
The larger of the Burmese armies was besieged by
King Taksin in a camp which they established near
Ratburi. In April, after heavy losses and much suffer-
ing, they were forced to surrender, and their General,
with 1,328 starving men, was taken as a prisoner to
Bangkok. The smaller Burmese army managed to make
good its escape, but only after suffering severe losses.
The sight of such a large number of Burmese prisoners
must have had a very good effect on the morale of the
people of Bangkok. Hitherto they had become too
much accustomed to seeing their own friends and
relations carried off to Burma.
Chiengsen was still in the hands of the Burmese,
and, in October 1775, Supla came down once more
to recapture Chiengmai. That city was very short
both of men and supplies, and could not have held out
for long. But the news that Chao P'ya Chakri and
Chao P'ya Surasih were on their way to relieve Chiengmai
caused Bo Supla to retire again to Chiengsen.
Chao P'ya Chakri and Chao P'ya Surasih had not
been long in the north when they had to hurry back to
assist in dealing with the most serious Burmese invasion
during King Taksin's reign. This invasion had as its
object the reduction of the northern provinces of Siam.
The Burmese army was commanded by a celebrated
General called Maha Sihasura, who had been very suc-
cessful in the Chinese wars. The frontier was crossed
at Melamao, Raheng was captured, and in January 1776
a considerable Siamese army under Chao P'ya Surasih
was defeated near Suk'ot'ai and driven back to P'itsanulok.
After this, Suk'ot'ai fell, and the Burmese started to
besiege P'itsanulok. King Taksin himself led another
army to the relief of the northern capital, and a good deal
of hard fighting took place, but in the end Chao P'ya
266 A HISTORT OF SIAM
Chakri, menaced by famine, was forced to abandon
P'itsanulok. At the head of all the inhabitants who
were still able to march, he forced a way through the
Burmese lines and established himself at P'etchabun.
The Burmese entered the deserted city at the end of
March. The capture of P'itsanulok marked the high
tide of Burmese success. The shortage of supplies,
which had hastened the fall of the city, made it im-
possible to hold it, and the invaders speedily withdrew.
From this time they suffered defeat after defeat, and by
the end of August had retired across the frontier.
It is related that during this invasion Maha Sihasura
expressed a desire to meet Chao P'ya Chakri, whom he
had found to be the toughest of his antagonists. A
meeting was arranged, and the Burmese General, himself
a very old man, was astonished to find that Chao P'ya Chakri
was only thirty-nine years of age, and looked much less.
Maha Sihasura prophesied that Chao P'ya Chakri was
destined to wear a crown a prophecy which came true
only six years later.
The Burmese retreat from P'itsanulok was not entirely
involuntary. A new King, Singu Min, son of Mengra,
had just ascended the throne of Burma. He was
opposed to adventures in Siam, and one of his first acts
was to degrade Maha Sihasura. He intended, however,
to maintain his control over the whole of the Burmese
Empire, of which, according to Burmese ideas, the
Lao States formed an essential part. An army of 6,000
men was therefore sent to Chiengmai. P'ya Chaban
was reduced to such straits that he was forced to feed his
soldiers and citizens mainly on the flesh of Burmese
prisoners. He managed, however, to hold out, and in
September 1776 the city was relieved by a Siamese
army. P'ya Chaban, however, felt unable to carry on the
A HISTORT OF SIAM 267
government of Chiengmai any longer, so depleted ahd im-
poverished had the city become. He retired to Lampang,
followed by most of the inhabitants of Chiengmai, and
for twenty years the once mighty capital of King Mengrai
was left as a lair for the beasts of the jungle.
King Taksin had no more trouble with Burma during
the rest of his reign, but plenty of it on his eastern
frontier. In 1777 the Governor of Nangrong, in K'orat
province, rebelled, and threw in his lot with one Chao O,
who ruled over Champasak, at that time an independent
principality. Chao P'ya Chakri was sent to deal with
the rebel, who was quickly caught and executed ; but
this led to hostilities with Champasak, and another army,
under Chao P'ya Surasih, had to be sent to the east.
The result was very satisfactory. Chao O was caught
and executed, and all the territory on the bank of the
Mek'ong, as far south as K'ong, was added to King
Taksin's dominions.
Chao P'ya Chakri, on returning from this expedition,
was given the rank of a Royal Prince, with a title which
may be translated as " Supreme Warlord/' 1
About this time King Taksin began to show signs of
mental derangement. He imagined that he had dis-
covered certain physical resemblances between himself
and Buddha, and indulged in various other eccentricities.
His temper also grew very fierce and suspicious. On one
occasion he was roused to fury merely because his hair
had been imperfectly dressed on a ceremonial occasion,
and when his son, Prince In P'itak, ventured to say a
word in defence of the offending servant, the unfortunate
Prince was seized and most unmercifully flogged.
1 It was most unusual to confer princely rank on any person not related to the
reigning King. The only previous instance recorded was that of K'un P'iren
(later King Maha T'ammaraja), who in 1549 was made a Prince by King Maha
Chakrap'at, He was,, however, the King's son-in-law, and was a descendant of
the Kings of Suk'ot'ai.
a68 A HISTORT OF SIAM
The Champasak expedition was the indirect cause of
another war, this time with Prince Bun Sarn of Wieng-
chan. A certain Wiengchan noble, named P'ra Woh,
who had rebelled some time previously against the
Prince of Wiengchan, had fled to Champasak territory
and established himself at a place named Mot Demg,
near the present town of Ubon. On the fall of Cham-
pasak, he made formal submission to Siam, but as soon
as the Siamese army was withdrawn, the Prince of
Wiengchan attacked P'ra Woh, captured him, and cut
his head off. King Taksin regarded this as an act of
war against himself, and at once fitted out an army of
20,000 men to invade Wiengchan, The Prince of
Luang P'rabang, Chao Suriwongsa, joined the Siamese,
but in spite of his assistance, it was several months
before Wiengchan was captured. The Siamese appear
to have rivalled the Burmese in " frightfulness " during
this expedition. When besieging the town of P'ak'o 1
they terrified the inhabitants by sending women to offer
boatloads of severed heads for sale outside the city wall,
and when at last Wiengchan was captured, they looted
everything of value on which they could lay their hands.
Among the plunder taken was the celebrated Emerald
Buddha. 1 From this time until 1893 Luang P'rabang
and Wiengchan were Siamese dependencies.
The arrangements made by King Taksin in Cambodia,
which practically amounted to placing the country under
the joint rule of two rival Kings, were not very successful.
In 1777 the Maha Uparat was murdered, and the
ex-King Narai died shortly afterwards. King Rama Raja
was suspected of being the cause of the death of both
1 dose to Wiengchan.
* According to one legend, this image had at one time been at Aynt'ia, during the
reign of Boromoraja If. There is, however, no real historical evidence that it
was ever in southern Siam until it was taken to Bangkok by Chao P'ya ChakrL
A HISTORT OF SIAU 269
these Princes, and his unpopularity was enhanced by the
assistance, both of men and provisions, which he forced
his people to render to the Siamese expedition against
Wiengchan. Disturbances broke out, ending in the
execution of King Rama Raja and his four sons, and
Prince Ong Eng, the seven-year-old son of the ex- King
Narai, was set up as King, under the guardianship of a
certain Prince Talaha. The infant King was merely
a puppet of the anti-Siamese party in Cambodia, and King
Taksin thought the occasion favourable to increase
Siamese control. Early in 1781 an army of 20,000 men,
under Chao P'ya Chakri and Chao P'ya Surasih, was
sent to Cambodia. They were accompanied by the
King's son, Prince In P'itak, who was to be crowned as
King of Cambodia, when the country had been subdued.
The Regent of Cambodia fled from his capital, Bant^ay
Pech, and went to Saigon to ask for the aid of a Cochin-
Chinese army. Prince In P'itak occupied Bant^ay Pech,
and a Cochin-Chinese army advanced to Phnom Penh,
but before any serious fighting took place Chao P'ya
Chakri received news of grave events which made him
decide to hurry back to Bangkok.
After the departure of the army for Cambodia, King
Taksin 's eccentricities had become more pronounced.
He imagined that he was developing into a Buddha, and
commanded the priests to pay him divine honours.
Some, through fear, assented, but many refused. These,
to the number of over five hundred, were cruelly flogged,
and the head priests among them were degraded and
imprisoned.
The laity suffered still more severely. As has before
been explained, the export trade of Siam was at that time
a Government monopoly. The King began to suspect
everybody of carrying on illicit trade. As he accepted
270 A HISTORY OF SIAM
the sworn statement of a single person as conclusive
evidence of this, a detestable band of informers soon
grew up, who waxed rich on fines extorted from their
victims. The latter were not only plundered, but often
flogged to death. Burning people alive became a common
event. One of the King's own wives was consigned to the
flames on a charge of stealing money from the treasury. l On
every side were heard the lamentations of innocent victims,
groaning under the insensate tyranny of a madman.
Ayut'ia was at that time a sort of mining camp, chiefly
populated by people engaged in digging for the treasures
which had been hidden during the siege. The super-
intendence of this business had been farmed out to a
man called P'ra Wijit Narong for four thousand Heals
a year, and in order to make a profit, he had to be pretty
hard on the diggers ; the latter were about ripe for
rebellion when, in March 1872, one Nai Bunnak set up
the standard of revolt near Ayut'ia, proclaiming his
intention of killing King Taksin and setting Chao P'ya
Chakri on the throne. By the end of March, Ayut'ia
was in the hands of the rebels, the detested treasure
farmer had been killed, and the Governor of Ayut'ia had
fled to Bangkok.
Among the ringleaders of the rebels was a certain
K'un Keo, the younger brother of an official called P'ya
Sank'aburi. King Taksin, who at first thought that he
had only to deal with a band of dacoits, sent up P'ya
Sank'aburi with a small force to arrest the offenders.
P'ya Sank'aburi, on reaching Ayut'ia, at once threw in
his lot with his brother, and was made the leader of the
rebels. The rebel army now marched to Bangkok with-
out opposition, and on the joth of March King Taksin
Thc lady was entirely innocent. The missing money, which had merely
been mislaid, was discovered in the Treasury after the accession of Chao P'ya
Chakri.
A HISTORT OF SUM 271
found himself besieged in his own palace. Firing took
place throughout the night, but in the morning the
King, with the same fatalistic spirit which had often led
him to overcome almost unsurmountable obstacles,
decided that his hour of destiny had sounded, and sur-
rendered to P'ya Sank'aburi, offering to abdicate and
assume the yellow robe, on the one condition that his
life should be spared. A couple of days later he was
admitted into the ranks of that priesthood whose members
he had, in his madness, so grievously ill-treated.
P'ya Sank'aburi now assumed the direction of affairs.
He began by releasing all the prisoners in the gaol, and
this step was followed by a general massacre of all those
persons who had set themselves up as informers.
The Governor of K'orat, P'ya Suriya Ap'ai, had sent
post-haste, on the outbreak of the rebellion, to inform
Chao P'ya Chakri, who was then at Siemrap. In reply,
he received orders to proceed at once to Bangkok with
all the troops he could raise, and hold the capital until
the arrival of Chao P'ya Chakri himself. He arrived
at Bangkok in the middle of April, and was well received
by P'ya Sank'aburi, who still expressed the intention of
placing Chao P'ya Chakri on the throne. Before long,
however, it became evident that P'ya Sank'aburi's
ambition had overcome his scruples, and that he intended
to make himself King, He began to rifle the Treasury,
and to distribute largess broadcast, so as to gain sup-
porters. He then released from prison a nephew of the
King's, Prince Anurak Songk'ram, and provided him
with troops to attack the army of P'ya Suriya Ap'ai.
Prince Anurak burnt down a great part of the city, but
when it came to fighting he was badly beaten. He him-
self fell into the hands of P'ya Suriya, and about half of
his troops joined the victor.
A HISTORT OF SUM
P'ya Sank'aburi now saw that his cause was hopeless,
and that the only thing to do was to make the best terms
he could with Chao P'ya Chakri.
Chao P'ya Chakri arrived at Bangkok, with a ferge
force, on April 2Oth. The populace, filled with joy at
the prospect of a just and settled government, flocked to
meet him, and he entered the city in state amidst general
jubilation. All the officials thronged to do him homage,
among them P'ya Sank'aburi and the members of his party.
The presence of King Taksin was extremely embarras-
sing ; he was incapable of governing, yet he had many
adherents in various parts of the country who might be
expected to grasp the first opportunity of replacing him
on the throne. Cambodia was still disturbed, and a
Burmese invasion was thought to be imminent. To
ensure the internal tranquillity of the country, all the
principal officials urged Chao P'ya Chakri to agree to
the death of the ex- King ; he finally accepted their counsel
and King Taksin was executed.
The false P'ya Sank'aburi and his chief adherents- met
with the same fate.
Thus perished, at the age of forty-eight, one of the
most remarkable men who ever wore the crown of Siam.
In 1767 he was a mere guerilla leader, with only five
hundred followers. When he was executed, only fifteen
years later, his dominions embraced the whole of the
former Kingdom of Ayut'ia with the exception of Tavoy
and Tenasserim, and, he was suzerain over almost all the
Lao States, including Luang P'rabang. Perhaps no
man but one with the germ of madness in his brain would
have set himself such -a task as that which King Taksin
undertook and accomplished.
Chao P'ya Chajcri was at once proclaimed King of
Siam, with the tide of King Rama T'ibodi.
SUPPLEMENT
KING RAMA I of the present dynasty, or P'ra P'utt'a
Yot Fa Chulalok, shortly after ascending the throne,
founded the present city of Bangkok, bringing down part
of the walls and fortifications of Ayut'ia to be used in the
construction of his new capital.
This King collected and revised the Laws of Siam,
and had them put into the form which many of them retain
until the present day.
There was constant trouble with Burma during his
reign. King Bodawpaya, who seized the throne of
Burma in 1781, was very anxious to subjugate Siam, and
in 1785 Burmese troops crossed the frontier at no less
than nine separate points. The Burmese met with some
initial successes, and overran part of the Peninsula, but
were ultimately all driven out of the country. The
Siamese took the opportunity, after expelling the Burmese
from the Peninsula, to regain their control over the Malay
States of Kedah and Patani, and even to extend it over
Kelantan and Trengganu, which had not previously
been subject to Siam.
During these operations the Sultan of Kedah, fearing
a Siamese attack, leased the island of Penang to the East
India Company. The exact degree of control exercised
by Siam over Kedah before the fall of Ayut'ia is a matter
concerning which authorities differ, but since the
establishment of the capital at Bangkok, Kedah had been
more or less independent. There is no record of any
274 A HISTORY OF SIAM
protest having been made by Siam to the cession of
Penang, and in 1800 Province Wellesley, on the main-
land, was likewise ceded by the Sultan of Kedah, again
without protest from Siam.
The lease of Penang was a very one-sided bargain.
The Sultan of Kedah expected, in return, a Treaty guar-
anteeing his independence, but the East India Company
declined to bind themselves in any way.
In 1786 another Burmese invasion of Siam was re-
pulsed, after a severe battle in the Kanburi district.
In 1787 the Burmese, who still held Chiengsen and
Chiengrai, attacked Lampang and Pasang (then the
capital of Prince Kawila, who had not yet established
himself at Chiengmai) but were defeated by the Laos,
assisted by an army under the Maha Uparat of Siam.
In 1787 die Siamese took the offensive, and attacked
Tavoy, but failed to take it. The Governor of Tavoy,
however, rebelled against the King of Burma in 1791,
and threw in his lot with Siam. This led to another war
in 1793. On this occasion the Siamese attempted to
invade Burma, but without much success, and Tavoy
was recaptured by the Burmese. It has not formed a
part of the Siamese dominions since that time.
In 1797 the Burmese made another attack on the Lao
Provinces. They reached Chiengmai, which had been
re-established by Prince Kawila as his capital in 1796,
but were driven back to Chiengsen. In 1 802 the Burmese
were at last expelled from Chiengsen, their last remaining
stronghold in northern Siam. Chiengsen was depop-
ulated and reduced to ruins, and has never since recovered
its former important position.
During the reign of King Rama I, Siamese control
over Luang P'rabang and Cambodia was more or less
acknowledged.
A HISTORT OF SIAM 275
King Rama I died on the 7th of December, 1809, aged
seventy-two. His younger brother, the Maha Uparat
or " Second King," had died in 1803, and he was suc-
ceeded by his son, Prince Isara Sunt'orn, now known as
King Rama II. 1
King Rama II was born on February 26th, 1768, and
was, therefore, forty-one years of age when he became
King. He had had great experience both in administra-
tive and military matters, having for many years taken a
prominent part in the Government, and having, since he
was a small boy, accompanied his father on his campaigns.
In 1810 the Burmese again invaded the Peninsula,
captured the island of Puket, and besieged Jump'orn. An
army of 20,000 men was sent against them, and they were
expelled without great difficulty.
In 1811 King Rama II published a Decree absolutely
forbidding the sale or consumption of opium. This
Law does not appear ever to have been properly enforced,
and in time became a dead letter.
In the following year (1812) Siamese troops were sent
to Cambodia, the King of that country, P'ra Ut'ai Raja,
having shown signs of disaffection. P'ra Ut'ai retired
to Cochin-China, but was later restored.
About the same time the Raja of Kelantan, who had
previously been subject to the Sultan of Trengganu,
quarrelled with the latter, and asked leave to send the
usual tribute of gold and silver trees to Bangkok. Kelantan
was accordingly acknowledged as a separate tributary
State, and placed under the control of the Governor of
Nak'on Srit'ammarat, who at that time exercised the
powers of a semi-independent Viceroy over the Siamese
part of the Peninsula.
He is often called by the posthumous title of Fra Futt'a Loet La Nop'alai.
*In English official documents of the period, he is usually referred to as the
Rajah of Ligor.
276 A HISTORY OF SIAM
In 1818 a Portuguese envoy, Carlos Manuel Silveira,
came from Macao to Bangkok, and a Commercial Agree-
ment was subsequently concluded between Portugal and
Siam. Senhor Silveira later became the first resident
Portuguese Consul in Siam. His position seems to have
been a curious one. He bore the Siamese title of Luang,
and Captain Burney reported in 1827 that the King of
Siam had pronounced sentence of death upon him ; he
was, however, subsequently pardoned. In those days it
\jrould seem that "what with one consideration and
another, a Consul's lot was not a happy one."
In 1819 war with Burma was once more imminent,
but the Burmese were prevented from invading Siam
owing to trouble on their western frontier. The Sultan
of Kedah was found to have been intriguing with the
Burmese. In 1821 Kedah was invaded by Siamese
troops, and the Sultan fled to Penang. There was a very
strong pro-Kedah feeling in Penang at that time, and it
may perhaps be said that a slight amount of jealousy
between Siam and her southern neighbours in regard to
the Malay States, traceable to the events of 1821, per-
sisted until the year 1909, when the States of Kedah,
Kelantan, and Trengganu were ceded to Great Britain.
In 1822 Dr. John Crawfurd visited Bangkok as an
envoy of the East India Company. He did not succeed
in concluding any definite Treaty or Commercial Agree-
ment with Siam. Nevertheless, from that time onwards
British trade with Siam began to increase, and the first
English resident merchant, James Hunter, settled at
Bangkok shortly afterwards.
In 1824 the first Anglo-Burmese war broke out. Siam
was approached by the British as a possible ally, and a
Siamese army was actually equipped. There was,
however, still a certain amount of ill-feeling and suspicion
A HISTORT OF SIAM 277
between Great Britain and Siam, consequent upon the
events in Kedah, and the Siamese took no serious part
in the war, though they were, as nominal allies, included
in the peace, signed on February 24th, 1826, whereby
Great Britain acquired the Burmese Provinces of Arakan,
Martaban, Tavoy, and Tenasserim.
King Rama II died on July 2Oth, 1824. He had not
formally designated a successor, but it had been generally
understood that Prince Maha Mongkut, his eldest son
by a royal mother, was to succeed him. This Prince,
then aged twenty, was at the time of his father's death
a member of the Buddhist priesthood. The eldest son
of the King, Prince Jett'a, though not the son of a
royal mother, was supported by a strong party, as he had
for many years taken a prominent part in public affairs,
and was thirty-seven years old. He was proclaimed King
without any opposition. He is known as King Rama III,
or by the posthumous title of P'ra Nang Klao.
In 1826 Captain Henry Burney visited Bangkok and
succeeded in concluding a Treaty of Friendship and
Commerce between Siam and the East India Company.
Captain Burney failed in one of the objects of his mission,
namely to obtain the restoration of the Sultan of Kedah,
but a clause was inserted in the Treaty guaranteeing the
independence of Perak, and Siam undertook not to " go
and molest " Kelantan and Trengganu.
The United States concluded a Treaty with Siam
in 1833.
In 1838 the ex-Sultan of Kedah tried to regain control
of that State by force. This resulted in another Siamese
invasion of Kedah, which again led to rather strained
relations between Siam and Great Britain.
King Rama III died on April 2nd, 1851. His reign
was, on the whole, a somewhat unprogressive one. He was
278 A HJSTORT OF SUM
succeeded by his younger half-brother, Maha Mongkut,
who assumed the title of P'ra Chom Klao, and is now
known as King Rama IV.
Rama IV was a very remarkable man. He spoke
English fluently and wrote it with a great charm of
style, and though in some respects he held firmly to old
fashions and traditions, in all important matters he was
always on the side of progress.
In 1852 the second Anglo-Burmese war broke out, and
resulted in the annexation of Pegu and all southern
Burma by Great Britain. Siam remained neutral, but
later on became involved in the tangled intrigues
between Burma and the Shan State of Kengtung (now
in Chinese territory), as a result of which Siamese
armies twice invaded the State of Kengtung, namely
in 1852 and in 1853. Neither invasion was entirely
successful.
In 1855 Sir John Bowring visited Bangkok and con-
cluded a Treaty between Siam and Great Britain, parts of
which are still in force. The principal features of this
Treaty, and of a supplementary Agreement signed the
following year, were the establishment of Consular
Jurisdiction, the restriction of residence for British
subjects, and the limitation of the import duties. British
Consular Jurisdiction was practically abolished in
northern Siam by the Treaty of 1883, and in
the rest of .the Kingdom by that of 1909, since
which year British subjects enjoy full residential
rights.
Similar Treaties were later entered into with most
other foreign Powers, the last one, with Japan, being
signed as late as 1898.
In 1867 Cambodia, which had been tributary to Siam
for several hundred years, became a French Protectorate,
A HISTORT OF SIAM 279
except the provinces of Battambang and Siemrap,
which remained Siamese until 1907.
In 1868 (October ist) King Rama IV died, and was
succeeded by his son, King Chulalongkorn, who assumed
the title of P'ra Chula Chom Klao, and is now known as
Rama V.
The chief events of this long and memorable reign were
the institution of posts, telegraphs, and railways, and
the remodelling of the Courts of Justice and the whole
system of administration on Western lines.
In 1893 difficulties arose with France, which resulted in
the payment by Siam of an indemnity of 3,000,000 francs,
and the cession of certain territory, including a portion of
the State of Luang P'rabang. The rest of Luang P'ra-
bang was ceded to France in 1907.
The greatest title to fame possessed by King Rama V
was, without doubt, the abolition of slavery, which, after
being gradually modified, was finally done away with in
1905. For this alone King Rama V deserves to bear the
title of " Great/' which has been applied in this book only
to two other Kings of Siam, namely Ramk'amheng of
Suk'ot'ai and Naresuen of Ayut'ia.
During the reign of King Rama V the office of Maha
Uparat (called by Europeans the " Second King "),
which had been retained from ancient times, was finally
abolished on the death of the last Maha Uparat in 1885.
King Rama V died on October 24th, 1910, and was
succeeded by his son, King Maha Vajiravudh, who
assumed in 1911 the title of Rama VI.
King Rama VI was born on January ist, 1881. During
his reign he set himself to follow the path of progress
trodden by his father and grandfather, and the high
position now occupied by Siam among the nations of the
world is sufficient proof of his success.
280 A HISTORT OF SUM
Siam entered the Great War on the side of the Allies
in 1917, and a small but extremely efficient Expeditionary
Force was sent to Europe. This step greatly strengthened
the bonds of friendship between Siam and her neighbours,
Great Britain and France.
Towards the end of King Rama's reign new Treaties
were concluded with the United States, France, Great
Britain (the last in I925),>and all the other foreign Powers
with interests in Siam, providing for the ultimate fiscal
and judicial autonomy of the Kingdom. Siam is now,
therefore, completely independent, and practically re-
leased from foreign control, direct or indirect.
King Rama VI died on November 26th, 1925. His
only child was a daughter, born the day before his death.
He was, therefore, succeeded by his youngest and only
surviving full-brother, Prajadhipok, the present reigning
monarch.
King Prajadhipok was born on November 8th, 1893.
He married in 1918 a daughter of his uncle, Prince
Svasti, but has, as yet, no offspring.
All the new King's measures, since he ascended the
throne, have been such as to inspire a feeling of confidence
and optimism throughout his realm. May he long be
spared to guide his people along the path of prosperity
and progress.
TABLE SHOWING THE PALI FORM OF SOME OF THE NAMES OF
PERSONS AND PLACES USED IN THIS BOOK
Names of Kings
Sri Int'arat'itya S'rl Indraditya
Ramk'amheng Rama Gamhfen
T'ammaraja Dharmaraj a
Rama Tibodi Ramadhipati
Ramesuen Rames'vara
Boromoraja ParamarSja
Ram Raja Ramaraja
Int'araja Indaraja
Boroma Trailokanat Paramatrailokanatha
Ratsada Rasht
P'rajairaja Brahjayaraja
Worawongsa Varavams'a
Chakrap'at Cakravarti
Mahin Mahlndra
Sri Sarap'et S'rl Sarvajfia
Naresuen Nares'vara
Ekat'otsarot Ekadas'aratha
Songt'am Dran dharma
Jett'a Jettha
At'ityawong Adityavams'a
PrasatT'wig PrisSd D6n
Ja| Jaya
Sri Sut'ammaraja S'rl Sudharmarajl
Narai Nryana
Petraja Bedraja\i.e. Vedaraja)
Boromokot Paramakos'a
Ut'ump'on Udumbara
Ekat'at Ekadas'a
P'umint'araja BhflmindarajS
Ts adz
282 A HISTORT OF SIAM
Kings of Present Dynasty
P'ra P'utt'a Yot Fa Chulalok Brah Buddha Y6t Fa Culalok
P'ra P'utt'a Loet La Nop'alai Brah Buddha Loes La Navolaya
P'raNangKlao Brah Nan Klau
Maha Mongkut Mahamahkut
Chulalongkorn Culalahkarana
Names of Princes and Princesses
Promanujit Jinnorot Paramanujita Zinorasa
Nak'on In Nagara Indra
Suriwong Suriyavams'a
Cham Tewi CamadevI
At'itya Aditya
Noh P'uttangkun Hn6 Buddhankura
Maha Tewi MahadevI
Jai Jett'a Jayajettha
Sri Suda Chan S'rl SutS Candra
Sri Sin S'rl Slip 3
Suriyot'ai Suriyodaya
Mahin Mahlndra
T*ep Krasatri Deb Krasatrl (i.e. Devakshatrl)
Sri Saowaraja S'rl Sauvaraja
Sut'at Sudars'ana
Saowap'ak Sauvabhlgya
Ap'ai T'ot Abhayadosha
Yot'a T'ip Yodhadiva
Yot'a Tep Yodhadeva
Ntren Narendra
Ap 9 ai Abhaya
Borommet Parames'vara
% Scna P'itak Senavidaksha
Tep P'ip'it Devavividha
In P'itak Indravidaksha
Anurak Anuraksha
A HISTORY OF SIAM 283
Names of Places
Ayut'ia . Ayudhya
Kamp'engp'et Kamb&n Bejr (i.e. Vajra)
Nak'on Prat'om Nagara Prathama
Sup'an Suvarna
Int'aburi . Indapurl
P'itsanulok Vishnuloka
Suk'ot'ai Sukhodaya
Sawank'alok Svargaloka
Nak'on Jaisi Nagara Jaya S'rf
Chantabun Candapura
Nak'on Srit'ammarat Nagara S'rt Dhammaraja
P'etchabun Bejra (i.e. Vajra) purna
Names of certain Prominent Officials
Maha Uparat Maha 1 Uparaja
Chao P'ya Kalahom Cau Braya Kralahoma
Chao P'ya Yomarat Cau Braya Yamaraja
Chao P'p Surasih Cau Braya Suraslha
Chao P'ya Chakri Cau Bray* Cakri
Chao P'ya Wijayen Cau Bray Vijayendra
P'ya Yut'it T'ira Bray! Yudhishthira
P'ya Sunt'orn Songk'ram .... BrayS Sundara Sangrama
P'p P'rak'lang Braya Brah Glan
P'ya Kosa T'ibodi Braya Kos'adhipati
P'ya Ram Dejo Braya Rima Tejo
P'ya Senap'imuk Braya Senlbhimukha
P'ya Sri Wbrawong Braya S'rfvaravaips'a
P'ya Kamp'engram Braya Kamtefi R-
P'ya Rajabangsan Braya Raja 1
P'ya Sank'aburi Braya Sargapi
P'ra Wisut Sunt'orn Brah Visa
P'ra Pi'jai Surin Brah Vijaya
P'ra Maha Montr! Brah Mah
28 4 A HISTORY OF SIAM
P'ra Rajawarin Brah R&javarlndra
Luang Yokrabat Hluan Yokkrapatr
Luang Sarasak Hluan Saras'akti
Luang Prasoet Hluari Prasoeth
K'un Jinarat Khun Jinaraja
K'un P'iren Khun Virendra
Names of some of the Kings of Cambodia
Lampongsaraja Laihbafts Rajah
Pasatr Pasatr
Kadom Bong Katamp6h
T'ammasok Dharmas'oka
Sadet Sde
Chandaraja Candar^ja
Satt'a Sattha
Sri Sup'anma S'rl Subarnama
INDEX
Acheen, 196
Aguirre, Don Tello de, Spanish
Ambassador, 149
Ailao, 32
Alaungpaya, King of Burma, 236 ;
invades Siam, 240 ; death of, 242
Albuquerque captures Malacca, 97
Alexander VII, Pope, 196
Alienma, Governor of Pegu, 54
Anderson's English Intercourse with
Siam, 28
Angkor Tom, 46, 47, 76, 81 (fn.)
Angkor Wat, 46, 47, 81 (fn.)
Anurak Songk'ram, Prince, burns
down part of Bangkok, 271
Anurutha, King of Burma, 47, 50
Ap'ai, Prince, 229 ; war with Maha
Uparat, 231 ; escapes from
Palace, 232 ; captured and exe-
cuted, 232
Ap'ai Tot, Prince, 212, 214
Appeal, law of, 184
Arakan, 150, 152, 153
Asoka, King of Maghada, 43
At'ityawong, King of Siam, 175
Ayut'ia : Foundation of, 62, 63 ;
fire at, 104 ; first siege by Bur-
mese, 113; second siege, 118;
third siege, 124 ; captured by
Burmese, 124 ; sacked by Japan-
ese, 161 ; attacked by rebels, 219 ;
besieged by Alaungpaya, 241 ;
last siege and destruction by
Burmese, 247-250; retaken by
Siamese, 252 ; rebellion at, 270 ;
and passim
Azevedo, Miranda, Portuguese Am-
bassador, 98
B
Ban Mtiang, King of Suk'ot'ai, 53
Bangkok, 210, 245, 253 (fn,)
Bangrachan village resists Burmese,
246
Banteay Mas, Battle of, 227
Bant'un Noi, Prince, 227. See
BOROMOKOT, KING
Be*rythe, Bishop of, 195, 196, 200
Bhureng Noung, King of Burma :
becomes King, 116; captures
Chiengmai, 117; invades Siam,
118; returns to Burma, 119;
attacks Chiengmai, 120 ; renews
war with Siam, 122 ; captures
Ayut'ia, 124; invades Wieng-
chan, 128 ; dies, 130
Bintale", King of Burma, 191
Bo Mayu Nguan, Burmese Governor
of Chiengmai, 260, 262, 263
Bo Supla, Burmese General, 262,
263
Boroma Trailokanat, King of Siam :
made Governor of P'ltsanulok,
8 1 ; becomes King, 83 ; reforms
administration, 84 ; legislation,
84, 85, 86 ; wars with Chiengmai,
87-93 ; capture of Malacca, 88 ;
moves capital to P'itsanulok, 88 ;
becomes Buddhist pnest, 90;
captures Tavoy, 94; dies, 94;
character, 94
Borommet, Prince, 232
Boromokot, King of Siam : made
Maha Uparat, 227; dispute
about succession, 229 ; civil war
with Prince Ap'ai, 231 ; becomes
King, 232 ; executes opponents,
232; family troubles, 233;
friendly relations with Burma,
234; treatment of ex-King of
Pegu, 235 ; sends army to Cam-
bodia, 236; receives Ceylonese
envoys and sends religious
mission to Ceylon, 237; has
Uparat flogged to death, 237;
dies, 238 ; character, 238 ; legis-
lation, 238
Boromoraja I, King of Siam:
defeats Cambodians, 65 ; becomes
King, 70; sends embassy to
China, 70 ; war with Suk'ot'ai,
71, 72 ; war with Chiengmai, 73 ;
dies, 74
385
286
INDEX
Boromoraja II, King of Siam :
becomes King, 80 ; war with Cam-
bodia, 81 ; war with Chiengmai,
82 ; dies, 83
Boromoraja III, King of Siam, 95
Boromoraja IV, King of Siam, zoo
Boromoraja V. See EKAT'AT
Boromoraja, King of Cambodia, 127
Boromoraja T'irat Rama T'ibodi,
King of Cambodia, 81
Bourges, des, 197
Bowring, Sir John : mission to
Siam, 278
Bradley, Dr., 24
Bradley, Professor, 26
Brahmanism, 44, 47
Brito, P. de, 163, 164
Buddhism. Introduction into China,
38 ; into Siam, 43, 44, 45, 46,
5<>* 5*
Bun K'wang, rebellion of, 222
Bunnak, Nai, rebellion of, 270
Burma, affairs of, 102, 116, 130, 131,
149, 150, 163, 193, 233, 234, 235,
236, 243, 263, 276, 278; wars
with Siam, 112, 113, 117, 118.
123, 124, 132, 133, 134, 136, 139,
140, 141, 145, 151, 156, 164, 193,
240, 241, 244-249, 252, 255, 260,
262, 264, 265, 266, 273
Burnaby, Richard, 201, 202, 207.
209
Buraey, Captain, mission to Siam,
277
Calendar, Siamese, 127, 181
Cambodia, 44, 46, 48, 50, 51, 54 ;
war with King Rama T'ibodi I,
65 ; war with King Ramesuen,
76 ; war with King Boromoraja
II, 8 1 ; wars with King Chak-
rap'at, 115 ; wars with King
Maha T'ammaraja, 127, 129, 130 ;
treaty with Siam, 133 ; assists
Siam against Chiengmai, 135 ;
invasion of Siam, 137 ; wax
with King Naresuen, 146, 147 ;
Siamese set up King Srisup'anma,
155 ; war with King Songt'am,
1 68 ; resumes allegiance to Siam,
187 ; war with Cochin -China,
190; war with King T'ai Sra,
227, 228 ; intervention of King
Boromokot, 236 ; wars with King
Taksin, 257, 261, 269 ; Siamese
control established, 274 ; Siamese
invasion, 275 ; becomes French
Protectorate, 278
Clbert (French envoy), 210, 211
Ceylon, Siamese religious mission
to, 237
Chaban, P'ya, 262 ; kills Burmese
followers, 263 ; becomes Prince
of Chiengmai, 264 ; abandons
Chiengmai, 266
Chakrap'at, Maha, King of Siam :
becomes monk, 108 ; conspires
against K'un Worawongsa, 1 10 ;
becomes King, 112; war with
Burma, 112, 113; fortifies
Ayut'ia, 114; war with Cam-
bodia, 115 ; rebellion of Prince
Sri Sin, 115; second war with
Burma, 117 ; submits to Burmese
terms, 118; sends daughter to
Wiengchan, 119; becomes monk,
122 ; third war with Burma, 123 ;
dies, 123 ; character, 123
Chakn, Chao P'ya, defeats Burmese
in Peninsula, 144, 145
Chakri, Chao P'ya. See RAMA I,
King.
Chakn, P'ya, taken as captive to
Burma, 119 ; returns to Ayut'ia,
124 ; treachery of, 124 ; executed,
124 (fn.)
Chakn, P'ya : expedition to Cam-
bodia, 227 ; supports Prince
A'pai, 231 ; is executed, 232
Cham T'ewi, 95
Chan, Nai, becomes Uparat, no ;
is shot, 112
Chandaraja, King of Cambodia, 115
Chantabun, 53 ; captured by King
Taksin, 252
Charles II, 203, 206
Chaumont, Chevalier de, Ambassa-
dor to Siam, 204 ; treaty with
Siam, 204 ; tnes to convert King
Narai, 205 ; leaves Siam, 206
Chiengjun, 89, 92
Chiengkrai or Chiengkran, 102
Chiengmai, foundation of, 56 ; in-
vaded by Boromoraja I, 73 ;
war with King Ramesuen, 75 ;
war with Int'araja I, 78 ; war
with Boromoraja II, 82 ; wars
with King Trailok, 87-93 ; war
with Rama T'ibodi II, 95, 96, 99 ;
treaty with Boromoraja IV, 100 ;
wars with King P'rajai, 103-106 ;
Pinto on Chiengmai, 107 (note) ;
taken by Burmese, 117; joins
Burmese against Siam, 118;
again occupied by Burmese, 120 ;
again assists against Siam, 123;
defeat by Prince Naresuen, 135 ;
INDEX
287
wax with Luang P'rabang, 151 ;
becomes tributary to Siam, 151 ;
disputes between rulers, 154 ;
re-annexed to Burma, 165 ;
Burmese relinquish claims, 166 ;
re-annexed to Burma, 169 ;
further trouble with Burma, 177 ;
appeals to Siam, 191 ; captured
by King Narai, 192 ; regains
temporary independence, 229 ;
assists King of Pegu, 235 ; again
taken by Burmese, 243 ; rebels
against Burmese, 244 ; Burmese
misrule, 260 ; invasion and cap-
ture of city by King Taksin, 262-
263 ; Burmese attack, 266 ; city
abandoned, 266 ; re -established,
274 .
Chiengrai, 78
Chiengsen, 49, 55, 69, 78, 151, 154,
265, 274
Chin Chantu, P'ya, 129
China, 39, 47, 48, 55, 70, 71, 79, 146,
235
Chinese Rebellion, 232
Chit, Prince, 245
Chulalongkora, King. See RAMA V
Chulamam, Wat, 90
Chulasakarat Era, 127, 181
Ciladitya, King of Kanyakubja, 45
Clement IX, Pope, 197
Clifford, Sir Hugh, 40, 46
Coates, Captain John, 205, 207
Coedes, Professor G., 8, 25 (fn.), 60
(fn.)
Coelho, D. de, Portuguese Envoy,
98
Colbert, 200
Commerce in Siam, 163
Crawfurd, Dr. J., mission to Siam,
276
Dala, P'ya, Governor of Martaban,
154, 163, 164
Dala, P'ya, becomes King of Pegu,
235 ; captured by Alaungpaya,
236 ; executed, 264
Damrong Rajanubhab, Prince, 8,
25 (fn.), and passim
Debt, law of, 185
Debt Slavery, law of, 186
Dhammathat, 127
Dtia, Nai. See StU, KING P'RACHAO
Dutch in Siam, 159, 162 ; war with
English, 167 ; relations with
King Prasat T'ong, 177, 179, 180,
182, 183, 184 ; compound cap-
tured by Burmese, 247
East India Company: relations
with Siam, 162, 190, 194, 199,
201, 202, 205 ; war with Siam,
206, 207, 208, 209, 219, 220 ;
envoy sent to Siam, 276
Ekat'at, King of Siam, 237;
becomes King, 239 ; character,
239 ; reforms, 239 ; war with
Burma, 240 ; abdicates, 241 ;
reassumes crown, 242 ; coun-
tenances Burmese rebels, 243 ;
fresh war with Burma, 243 ;
incompetence during siege of
Ayut'ia, 246 ; flees from Palace,
249 ; death, 249 ; cremation of,
253
Ekat'otsarot, King of Siam, 128 ;
made Regent, 129 ; courage at
siege of Ayut'ia, 136 ; made
Maha Uparat, 139 ; slays Bur-
mese Prince, 143 ; becomes King,
158 ; system of taxation, 158 ;
foreign relations, 159 ; Japanese
body-guard, 159 ; execution of
his son, 1 60 ; dies, 160 ; character,
1 60
Emerald Buddha, 93, 94, 268
Extra-terntonahty in Siam, 195,
278
Fa, King of Nanchao, 35
Fang, Pnest-King of. See RUAN
Fang, Muang, Foundation of, 50
Fang Ken, King of Chiengmai, 78,
82
Farges, des, in command of French
troops in Siam, 210, 213, 217
Fernandez, Portuguese Envoy, 97
Firearms, earliest use in Siam, 77
(and fn.), 78
Flons, P. W., 160 (fn.), 162
Footprint of Buddha, 170
Golconda, 205, 206
Gyaing, 102
H
Hamilton, Alexr., 221
Hang, Mfiang, 156
Heliopolis, Bishop of, 195, 196, 197
Heylyn's Gosmographie, 41 (fn.),
160 (fn.)
Hill, John, 209, 218
Hioun Tsang (Chinese monk), 45
Hippon,, Captain, 162
288
INDEX
Hodges, William, 209, 218
Hongwou, Emperor of China, 71
Huit'ongcha, Governor of Tavoyv
243
Imohsun, King of Nanchao, 33, 34
Inheritance, law of, 185
Innocent XI, Pope, 210
In P'itak, Prince, 267, 269
Inscriptions on stone, 26, 60
Int'araja, Prince, wounded in war
with Chiengmai, 80
Int'araja I, King of Siam : visits
China, 71 ; becomes King, 77 ;
war with Chiengmai, 78 ; embassy
to China, 79 ; dies, 80
Int'araja II, King of Siam. See
SONGT'AM, KING
Isara Sunt'on, Prince. See RAMA
II, KING
}ai, Chao Fa, King of Siam, 189
ai Jett'a, King of Cambodia, 166,
168
Jai Jett'a, King of Luang P'rabang :
becomes King of Chiengmai, 103 ;
leaves Chiengmai, 116 (fn.) ; es-
tablishes capital at Wiengchan,
119; invades P'ltsanulok, 121;
later history of, 129 (fn.),
James I, 162
James II, 206, 208
Japan : King Naresuen and China-
Japanese war, 146 ; relations
with Siam, 159, 169, 176
Japanese in Siam, 159, 1 60, 1 6 1, 176
Jayavarman II, King of Cambodia,
46
Jett'a, King of Siam, 171, 172, 173
Jett'a, Prince. See RAMA III, KING
Jinakalatnalini, 26
Jinarat, K'un. See WORAWONGSA
Jordan, Captain, 167
K
Kalahom, P'ya. See PRASAT T'ONG,
KING
Kalinga, conquest by King Asoka,
42
Kamp'engp'et, 59, 71, 72, 14, 118,
131. 133
Kampengram, P'ya, 175
K'amuks, 42
K'as, 42
Kaopien (Chinese General), 35
Kaotsong, Emperor of China, 33
Kawila, Prince of Chiengmai, 263,
264 (fn.)
Kedah, Sultan of, cedes Penang to
East India Company, 273 ; in-
vaded by Siamese, 276, 277
Kelantan, 273, 275
Kengtung, 41 (fn.), 54, 278
Keo Fa, King of Siam : becomes
King, 1 08 ; conspiracy of K'un
Worawongsa, 109 ; is murdered,
no
Keo Fa I, King of Cambodia, 155
Keo Fa II, King of Cambodia, 190
Keo Fa III, King of Cambodia, 227
Khmer, 42
Kodom Bong, King of Cambodia, 76
Kolofeng, King of Nanchao, 33
Kong Beng (Chinese General), 32
K'orat, Rebellions at, 220, 222
Kosa T'ibodi, P'ya, 220
Kosa T'ibodi, P'ya, invades Cam-
bodia, 227, 228
Kosa T'ibodi K'un Lek, P'ya,
invades Chiengmai, 192
Kublai Khan, Emperor of China,
35, 39 (fn.), 47. 52, 55
K'un Bang Klang conquers Suk'-
ot'ai, 51
K'un Chom T'amma, Prince of
P'ayao, 51
K'un P'a Mtiang, T'ai Chief, 51
K'uns, 85
K'wan, Chao, murder of, 223
Lambert, de la Motte. See BRYTHB,
BISHOP OF
Lamp'ang, 99, 191, 192, 262, 263,
267
Lannat'ai. See CHIENGMAI
Lanneau, Mgr. See METALLOPOLIS,
BISHOP OF
Lao, 31 (fn.)
Lawa, 41
Laws : Evidence, 66 ; Offences
against Government, 67 ; Re-
ceiving Plaints, 67 ; Abduction,
67 ; Offences against the People,
68 ; Robbers, 68 ; Miscellaneous
matters, 68 ; Husband and Wife,
69 ; Sakdi Na, 85 ; Palace Law,
86. Trial by Ordeal, 101 ;
Dhammathat, 127 ; Appeal, 184 ;
Debt Slavery, 185 ; Inheritance,
185 ; Debt, 186 ; Addition to
Law of Offences against the
Government, 186 ; Law of thirty-
six clauses, 215
Lei Lao (Tai Prince), 32
INDEX
289
Leslie, Alexr., 206
Library, National, 25
Loet'ai, King of Suk'ot'ai, 58, 59
Loubere, la, Envoy to King Narai,
210, 211
Luangs, 85
Luang P'rabang, 50, 53, 59, 103,
104, 116 (fn.), "9, 129 (fn.), 148
(fn.), 151, 161, 222, 243, 268, 279
Lui Mao (Tai Prince), 32
Ltrt'ai. See TAMMARAJA Lffx'Ai
M
Macassars, Rebellion of, 207
Madua, Dok. See UT'UMP'ON.
KING
Maha Montri, P'ra. See SURASIH,
CHAO P'YA
Maha Nohrata (Burmese General),
240, 243, 248
Mahajai Canal, 225
Maha Sakarat Era, 127
Maha Sihasura (Burmese General),
265, 266
Maha T'ammaraja. See TAMMARA-
JA
Maha T'ewi, Princess Regent of
Chiengmai, 104, 105, 107 (fn.),
120
Maha Uparat. See UPARAT
Mahavamsa, 43
Mahin, King of Siam : becomes
Regent, 121 ; attacks P'itsanulok,
122 ; abdicates office of Regent,
122; becomes King, 123; captured
by Burmese, 124 ; dies, 125
Maldonado, Fray, 148 (fn.)
Manglok, King of Burma, 242, 243
Mangra, King of Burma, invades
Chiengmai, 244 ; invades Siam,
245 ; captures Ayut'ia, 249 ;
again invades Chiengmai, 262 ;
invades Siam, 264 ; dies, 266
Mekut'i, Prince of Muang Nai,
invades Chiengmai, 103 ; becomes
Maharaja of ChiengL. di, 116 (fn.) ;
taken to Burma, 120
Mengrai, King of Chiengmai, 55,56,
57. 90
Mergui, 119, 207, 208, 209
MetallopoUs, Bishop of, 195, 217,
218
Min Chit Swa, Prince of Burma,
J 3 2 134 ; invades Siam, 136 ;
again invades Siam, 140 ; is
killed by King Naresuen in single
combat, 142
Minderippa, King of Burma, 177
Mingaing Nohrata. See MAHA
NOHRATA
Mingti, Emperor of China, 32
Mintara, King of Pegu. See SAM-
ING Ton
Missionaries, Buddhist, 43, 44
Missionaries, French, 195, 196, 197,
198, 204, 205, 217
Mogado, King of Pegu, 54
Mongkon, Luang, 173, 174
Morga, Antonio, 147 (fn.), 148 (fn.).
155 (fn.)
Muang Kesa, King of Chiengmai,
103
Muang Mao, 36
Musika, King of Nak'on Srit'am-
marat, 254 ; captured by King
Taksin, 258 ; treatment of, 258
N
Nak'on In. See INT'ARAJA, KING
Nak'on Prat'om, 43 (fn.), 45
Nak'on Srit'ammarat, 53, 63 ; re-
bellions at, 178, 220, 254, 258,
275
Names of Kings of Siam. 62 (fn.)
Nanchao, Kingdom of, 32-39
Nanda Bhureng, King of Burma :
becomes King, 130 ; quarrel with
Prince of Ava, 131 ; invades
Siam, 134, 139 ; becomes insane,
148 ; taken to Taungu, 152 ; is
poisoned, 154
Narai, King of Siam : accession,
190 ; re-establishes East India
Company in Siam, 190 ; invades
Chiengmai, 191 ; reforms army,
192 ; captures Chiengmai, 192 ;
invades Burma, 193 ; trouble
with Dutch, 194 ; encourages
French missionaries, 195, 196 ;
receives French officers, 200 ;
first embassy to France, 200 ;
favours English, 201 ; second
embassy to France, 203 ; receives
French embassy, 204 ; Treaty
with France, 204 ; attempts to
convert to Catholicism, 205 ;
third embassy to France, 206;
declares war on East India Com-
pany, 209 ; receives second
French embassy, 211; new
Treaty with France, 211 ; opposi-
tion to his policy, 211 ; death,
214 ; character, 215
Narai, King of Cambodia, 261, 268
Naren, Prince, resigns claim to
throne, 229 ; attempt to murder,
233
290
INDEX
Naresuen, King of Siam : taken as
hostage to Burma, 128 ; appoint-
ed Maha Uparat, 128 ; takes part
in war with Cambodia, 129 ;
visit to Burma, 131 ; captures
Muang Kum, 131 ; declares inde-
pendence of Siam, 132 ; defeats
Burmese near Sittaung River,
133 ; attacks Prince of Chieng-
mai, 135 ; quarrels with Prince
of Cambodia, 135 ; present at
siege of Ayut'ia, 136 ; invades
Cambodia, 137 ; becomes King,
139 ; defeats Burmese, 140 ;
slays Burmese Prince, 142 ; re-
organises Kingdom, 146 ; again
invades Cambodia, 147 ; invades
Burma, 149 ; receives Spanish
embassy, 150 ; again invades
Burma, 150 ; Treaty with Chieng-
mai, 151 ; again invades Burma,
151 ; siege of Taungu, 153 ; retreat
from Burma, 153 ; sends army
to Cambodia, 155 ; invades Shan
States, 156 ; dies, 156 ; character,
156
Nawrat'azaw. See THARAWADI
MIN
Ngam Muang, Prince of P'ayao, 54,
56.58
Nob Keo, King of Luang P'rabang,
129 (fn.), 151
Noh P'utt'angkun, King of Siam,
See BOROMORAJA IV
Nohrata. See MAHA NOHRATA
Koi, Pnnce, 212, 214
O, Chao, rebellion of, 267
Ong ng. King of Cambodia, 269
Ong ng, Prince of Cambodia, 236
Ong K'am, Prince of Chiengmai,
229, 234, 240, 243
Ong Wiet, Prince of Luang P'ra-
bang, 222
Ordeal, Trial by, xox, 259
Fako, Siege of, 268
Palat, P'ra. See MUSJKA, KING
Pallu, Mgr. See HELIOPOLIS,
BISHOP OF
P'angoa. See BOROMORAJA I
Patani : naval battle between
Dutch and English, 167 ; Queen
of, 177 ; war with, 179 ; sub-
mission of, 1 80
Patani, Raja of, rebellion, 1x9
Pauni, Captain, 245
Pawara T'ammaraja, King of
Burma, 192
Pawaret, Prince, 60 (fn.)
P'ayao, 54, 56, 58, 78
Pegu, 43, 54, 102, 148, 149, I93
234 2 35. 236. 262, 264
P'etchaburi, 53, 64, 161
P'etraja, King of Siam : origin,
211 ; appointed Regent, 213;
usurps Throne, 214 ; persecutes
Catholics, 216, 217, 218 ; Treaty
with Dutch, 218 ; negotiations
with East India Company, 219 ;
distrust of French, 221 ; trouble
at K'orat and Lopburi, 222 ; ill-
ness and death, 223 ; character,
223
Phaulkon, Constantino : origin.
198 ; official appointment, 199 ;
relations with East India Com-
pany, 199, 202, 203 ; letter
from James II, 206 ; made a
Count of France, 210 ; arrest
and execution, 213 ; character,
213
Phaulkon, Mme., 214
Phnom Penh, 81, 261
Pia, P'ra, 212, 213
P'ijai Sunn, P'ra, nominated King
of Siam, 223 ; resigns crown, 224
Pilawko, King of Nanchao, 33
P'imai, 256
Pinto, F. M., 27, 108, no (fn.), 112
(fn.), 113 (fn.)
P'iren, K'un. See T'AMMARAJA,
KING
P'itsanuiok, 72, 8 1, 88, 90, 94. 95.
10 1 ; taken by Burmese, 118;
attacked by King Chakrap'at,
122 ; civil war at, 245 ; King
Ruang, 255 ; captured by Priest-
King of Fang, 256; taken by
Burmese, 266
Ploughing Festival, 172 (fn.)
Polo, Marco, 39 (note)
Pong, Kingdom of, 36
P'ongsawadan, 24, 25, 26, 27
Portuguese : capture Malacca, 97 ;
embassies to Siam, 98 ; body-
guard of King P'rajai, 102 ;
trouble with King Songt'am,
1 68 ; assist King Narai, 190
(fn.) ; missionaries, 159 ; first
Consul in Bangkok, 276
Potts, Samuel, 201, 202
P'ra Nang Klao. See RAMA III
P'ra Yot, King of Chiengmai, 96
P'rabat, 170
INDEX
291
Prajadhipok, King of Siam, 280
P'rajai, King of Siam: usurps
throne, 101 ; improves naviga-
tion of river, 101 ; Law of Trial
by Ordeal, 101 ; Portuguese
body-guard, 102 ; war with
Burma, 102 ; invades Chiengmai,
103 ; again invades Chiengmai,
105 ; is defeated and retires, 106 ;
dies, 1 06 ; character, 106
P'rak'lang, 163
P'rak'lang, P'ya, victories against
Burmese, 145
P'rak'lang, P'ya, supports Prince
Ap'ai, 231 ; is executed, 232
P'rapatom. See NAK'ON PATOM
Prasat T'ong, King of Siam : early
life, 170, 172, 173 ; executes
King J'etta, 174 ; executes King
At'ityawong, 175 ; usurps throne,
175 ; trouble with Japanese, 176 ;
relations with Dutch, 178 ; mas-
sacres 178; rebellion of Patani,
179 ; alters calendar, 181 ;
trouble with Dutch, 182 ; expe-
dition to Singora, 183 ; legisla-
tion, 184-187 ; death, 187 ;
character, 188
P'rasingh (image of Buddha), 74
Prasoet, Luang, history of, 25, and
passim
Prat'um, Nak, Prince of Cambodia,
190
P'rohm, Prince, founds Muang
Fang and Sawank'alok, 49, 50
P'rohm, Prince of Chiengmai, 73, 74
Promanujit Jmnorot, Prince, 24
Pu'mint'araja. See TAI SRA, KING
P'utta Loet La Nop'alai, King. See
RAMA II
P'utta Yot Fa Chulalok, King. See
RAMA!
Pye. See PAWARA TAMMARAJA
Rajabangsan, P'ya, 221
Rajawarin, P'ra. See RAMA I
Ram, P'ya, adviser of King Mahin,
121 ; attacks P'itsanulok, 121 ;
delivered to King of Burma, 124
Ram Dejo, P'ya, 151, 153
Ram Dejo, P'ya, rebellion of, 221
Ram Raja, King of Siam, 77
Rama I, King of Siam, 273-275
Rama II, King of Siam, 275-277
Rama III, King of Siam, 277
Rama IV, King of Siam, 278-279
Rama V, King of Siam, 279
Rama VI, King of Siam, 280
Rama T'ibodi I, King of Siam:
origin, 62 ; founds Ayut'ia, 62 ;
war with Cambodia, 65 ; war
with Suk'ot'ai, 65 ; legislation,
66-69 ; death, 69
Rama T'ibodi II, King of Siam :
becomes King, 95 ; war with
Chiengmai, 95 ; casts gigantic
image, 96 ; second war with
Chiengmai, 96 ; relations with
Portuguese, 97, 98 ; third war
with Chiengmai, 99 ; reorganises
army, 100 ; dies, 100
Rama T'ibodi, King of Cambodia,
2 36, 257, 261, 268
Ramesuen, King of Siam : made
Governor of Lopburi, 64 ; de-
feated by Cambodians, 65 ; be-
comes King, 70 ; abdicates, 70 ;
becomes King again, 75 ; war
with Chiengmai, 75 ; war with
Cambodia, 76 ; dies, 77
Ramesuen, Prince, captured by
Burmese, 113 ; attacks Prince
Sri Sin, 116 ; urges resistance to
Burmese, 117 ; taken as hostage
to Burma, 119 ; dies, 120
Ramk'amheng, King of Suk'ot'ai :
his conquests, 53 ; sets up vassal
King of Pegu, 54 ; embassy to
China, 55 opens Sawank'alok
potteries, 55 ; assists in founding
Chiengmai, 56 ; trouble with
Prince of P'ayao, 56 ; adminis-
tration of justice, 57 ; invents
Siamese alphabet, 57; dies, 58
Rats, plague of, 257
Ratsada, King of Siam, 100
Rayong, 251
Ruan, Priest-King of Fang, 254 ;
captures P'itsanulok, 256 ; de-
feated by King Taksin and flees,
259
Ruang, P'ra, 52
Ruang, King of P'itsanulok, 254,
255
Sakais, 40, 41
Sakdi Na, Law of, 85
Saming T'oh, King of Pegu : be-
comes King, 234 ; offers alliance
to King Boromokot, 234; is
deposed, 235 ; flees to Ayut'ia,
235 ; later history, 236
Samuel, Thomas, 165
Sangitivamsa, 25
292
INDEX
Sank'atmri, P'ya, rebels against
King Taksin, 270 ; attempts to
usurp throne, 271 ; is executed,
272
Sarasak. See SUA, PRACHAO
Satt'a, King of Cambodia, 129 (fn.) ;
makes treaty with Siam, 133 ;
invades Siam, 137; war with
King Naresuen, 147 ; flees from
Cambodia, 147 ; legend concern-
ing him, 147 (fn.)
Satt'a, Prince of Cambodia, 236
Sawangbun. See FANG
Sawank'alok, 55, 59, 87, 88, 89,
115, 118, 133, 245, 260
Sayamwong sect, 237
Sen Dao, conspiracy of, 103 ; is
executed, 104
Sen Muang Ma, King of Chiengmai,
75.78
Sen Mtiang, Prince of Chiengmai :
relations with King Narai, 191,
192 ; captured, 193
Shans, 31, 36
Silveira, C. M., Portuguese Consul
in Siam, 276
Singora, rebellion of, 183, 200, 201
Singu Mm, King of Burma, 266
Sinulo, King of Nanchao, 32
Si Hong Chong Te, Emperor of
China, 115 (fn.)
Slavery in Siam, 60, 185, 279
Songt'am, King of Siam : accession,
1 60 ; excesses of Japanese, 160 ;
Luang P'rabang invasion, 161 ;
British and Dutch factones, 162 ;
foreign trade, 163 ; trouble with
Burma, 163 ; war with Cam-
bodia, 1 66, 1 68 ; English and
Dutch at Patani, 167 ; relations
with Japan, 169 ; discovery of
Buddha's footprint, 170 ; death,
170 ; character, 171
Spanish embassy to Siam, 149
Sraket, 135
Sri Intaratitya, King of Suk'ot'ai,
52
Sri Sai Narong, P'ya, 141
Sri Saowap'ak, 160 (fn.)
Sri Sawaraja, Prince, 123, 124
Sri Sin, Prince, 108, in ; rebels
against King Chakrap'at, 115,
116
Sri Sin, Prince, 173 ; rebellion of,
173, 174
Sri Suda Chan, Princess, becomes
Regent, 108 ; intrigue with
K'un Jinarat, 109; murders
young King, zio; makes K'un
Worawongsa King, no; is
executed, 1 1 1
Sri Sup'anma, King of Cambodia,
assists Siamese, 135 ; quarrels
with Prince Naresuen, 135 ; flees
from Boribun, 147 ; is captured
by Siamese, 148 ; becomes King
of Cambodia, 155 ; dies, 166
Sri Sut'ammaraja, King of Siam,
189
Sri Tammaraja, King of Cambodia,
227
Sri Worawong, P'ya. See PRASAT
T'ONG, KING
Strangh, William, 202
Sua, Prachao, King of Siam :
assaults Phaulkon, 212 ; executes
Princes, 214 ; trouble with rebels,
219 ; becomes King, 224 ; his
amusements and vices, 225 ;
legend of his origin, 224 (fn.) ;
plague and famine, 225, 226 ;
death, 226 ; character, 226
Suentsong, Emperor of China, 34
Sugyi (Burmese General), 251
Suk'ot'ai, Kingdom of, 26, 51, 52-
61 ; wars with Ayut'ia, 65, 71,
72, 74 ; under Ayut'ia, 75, 79, 87,
96, 113 (fn.), 118
Sup'an, 62, 64, 70, 77, 113, 141
Surasih, Chao P'ya, 255, 261, 265,
267, 269, 275
Suryavarman, King of Cambodia,
46
Suvarnabhumi or Suwanp'umi, 43,
58, 62
Svasti, Prince, 280
Synam, 150, 163
Tabeng Shwe T'I, King of Burma :
conquers Prome and Pegu, 102 ;
war with Siam, 102 ; second war
with Siam, 113; is murdered,
116
Tachard, Father, 214, 218, 221
T'ado Maha T'ammaraja, King of
Burma, 177 (fn.), 182
Tai, origin of, 31-39
Tai S'ra, King of Siam : accession,
227 ; war with Cambodia, 227 ;
attempts to alter succession, 229 ;
death, 229 ; character, 229
Taitsong, Emperor of China, 33
Taksin, King of Siam : repulses
Burmese, 244 ; flees from
Ayut'ia, 248 ; takes Chantabun,
252 ; captures Bangkok and
Ayut'ia, 252; establishes new
INDEX
293
capital, 253 ; becomes King, 253 ;
establishes control over whole
Kingdom, 254-256 ; war with
Cambodia, 257; captures Srit'-
ammarat, 258 ; captures Sawang-
buri, 259 ; reforms priesthood,
259 ; invades Chiengmai, 260 ;
war with Cambodia, 261 ; Bur-
mese invasions, 262-266 ; wars
on Eastern frontiers, 267, 268 ;
invasion of Cambodia, 269 ; be-
comes insane, 269 ; abdicates,
271 ; is executed, 272
Talalja, Regent of Cambodia, 269
T'am T'ien, Rebellion of, 219
T'ammaraja, Lut'ai, King of Suk'-
ot'ai : accession, 59 ; becomes
priest, 59 ; his reforms and noble
character, 60 ; stone inscription,
60 (fn.) ; public buildings, 60,
6 1 ; death, 61
Tammaraja II, Sai, King of
Suk'ot'ai, 61
T'ammaraja III, King of Suk'ot'ai,
61, 79
T'ammaraja IV, King of Suk'ot'ai,
61
T'ammaraja, Maha, King of Siam :
conspires against K'un Wora-
wongsa, no, in ; becomes
Governor of P'itsanulok, 112;
captured by Burmese, 113 ; joins
Burmese, 118; trouble with
Prince Mahin, 121, 122 ; assists
Burmese at siege of Ayut'ia,
123 ; set up as vassal of Burma,
126 ; strengthens defences of
capital, 128 ; death, 137 ; charac-
ter, 137
T'ammaraja II, King of Siam. See
BOROMOKOT, KING
T'ammaspk, King of Cambodia, 81
T'anaburi, 245, 253 (fn.)
Tarekpyemin, King of Burma, 54
Tavoy, 53, 63, 94, 144, 145, 243,
277
T'ep Krasatri, Princess, 119, 120
T'ep P'ip'it, Prince : conspiracy of,
239 ; is exiled, 239 \ returns to
Siam, 244 ; resists Burmese, 247 ;
sets himself up as King, 254 ; is
captured and executed, 256
T'ep Singh rebels against Burmese,
229
Tetsong, Emperor of China, 33
Tha Aung, Maung, Burmese
Governor of Pegu, 233
Thalun. See T'ADO MAHA T'AMMA-
RAJA
Tharawadi Min, Burmese Prince of
Chiengmai : becomes Prince of
Chiengmai, 130 ; assists Burma
against Siam, 134; defeated by
Siamese, 135 ; troubles with
Luang P'rabang, 151 ; becomes
vassal of King Naresuen, 151 ;
disputes with Siamese Commis-
sioner, 153 ; dies, 165
Thomas, Father, 195, 196
T'ien, Prince. See CHAKRAP'AT,
KING
" Tiger," King. See SUA, P'RACHAO
T'llok, King of Chiengmai : usurps
throne, 82 ; wars with Siam, 82-
93 ; dies, 93
T'ip'anet, P'ya Luang, Viceroy of
Chiengmai, 177
T'ong In, Nai, 252
Traibhumikatha, 6b
Transliteration of Siamese names,
28-30
Tras Noi, Prince, 223 (and fn.)
Tsui Lung, King of Nanchao, 34
Turpin's History of S%am t 28, 190
(fn.), 245 (fn.), 246
U
Udall, Captain, 206, 207
Upali, 237
Upahwong sect, 237
Uparat, Maha, 92, no, 139, 216,
227, 275
Ut'ai Raja, King of Cambodia, 273
Ut'ong, 43 (fn.), 58, 62
Ut'ong, P'ya. See RAMA T'IBODI I
Ut'ump'on, King of Siam: acces-
sion, 238 ; abdicates, 239 ; re-
assumes crown, 241 ; again abdi-
cates, 242 ; captured by Bur-
mese, 249 ; author of book called
Statement of K'un Luang Ha Wat,
238 (fn.)
Vajiravudh, King of Siam. See
RAMA VI
Van Vliet, J., 27, 173 (fn.), 176
(fn.), 181, 182, 183
Votaries of the Cross, 197
W
Wanleh, Emperor of China, 146
Wareru. 54, 55
Was, 40, 41
Weltden, Captain, 208, 209
Westerwolt, 183
White, Captain George, 198, 199
White, Samuel 199* 208
294
INDEX
Wiengchan : made capital of King
Jai Jctt'a, 119; captured by
Burmese, 129 ; captured by King
Taksin, 268
Wijaiyen. See PHAULKON
Wijit Narong, P'ra, 270
Wills, Siamese Law on, 185
Wimon T'am, Fia. See SRI SIN,
PRINCE
Wisut Sunt'on, Envoy to Louis
XIV, 206
Worawongsa, K'un, conspires
against King Keo Fa, 109;
usurps throne, no ; is executed,
in
Ya, Mating (Burmese General), 252
Yale, Elihu, 219
Yale, Thomas, 202
Yamada, N. : Commander of Japa-
nese body-guard, 159; receives
title, 162 ; expedition to Nak'on
Srit'ammarat, 175 ; poisoned,
176
Yamada, O., 176
Yan Prajien, rebellion of, 130
Yokrabat, Luang. See RAMA I,
KING
Yomarat, P'ya, See SURASIN,
CHAO P'YA
Yonglo, Emperor of China, 79
Yot Fa. See KEO FA.
Yot'a T'ep, Princess, 212, 214, 223
Yot'a Tip, Princess, 216, 223
Ytsong, Emperor of China, 35
Yunhli, Prince of China, 191
Zaparo, Prince of, 140, 143
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