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Thai History III. Rattanakosin Period: Chakri Dynasty. 9 Kings of Chakri Dynasty. 9 Kings of Chakri Dynasty. Rattanakosin /Bangkok (since 1782).
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Thai History III Rattanakosin Period: Chakri Dynasty
Rattanakosin/Bangkok (since 1782) • When King Buddha YodFaChulaloke, or King Rama I succeeded to the throne of Chakri dynasty, he and his younger brother started to establish Rattanakosin city or Bangkok in 1692. When the city was nearly completely found, most people both in Thonburi and Ayutthaya integrated to settle down in the new capital city.
Rama I (1782 - 1809) • Rama I (Buddha YodFahChulaloke) became a king together with the inauguration of the Chakridynastry on April 6, 1782. He moved the capital across the Chao Phaya River from Thonburi to "Bangkok”.
Restoration • He restored most of the social and political system of the Ayutthaya kingdom, promulgating new law codes, reinstating court ceremonies and imposing discipline on the Buddhist monkhood.
Occupation • In 1792 the Siamese occupiedLuangPrabangand brought most of Laos under indirect Siamese rule. Cambodia was also effectively ruled by Siam. By the time of his death in 1809, Rama I had created a Siamese over lordship dominating an area considerably larger than modern Thailand.
Rama II (1809 - 1824) • In 1809, Rama II or King Buddha Loet Lah, son of Rama I took the throne until 1824. He devoted himself to preserve the Thai literature that had remained fromAyutthayaperiod and produced a new version of Ramakien or Thai Ramayana, the classical literature.
The Chakri dynasty now controlled all branches of Siamese government — since Rama I had 42 children, and Rama II had 73, there was no shortage of royal princes to staff the bureaucracy, the army, the senior monkhood and the provincial governments. (Most children were of concubines and thus not eligible to inherit the throne.)
British Occupation • In 1785 the British occupied Penang, and in 1819 they foundedSingapore. Soon the British displaced the Dutch and Portuguese as the main western economic and political influence in Siam. The British objected to the Siamese economic system, in which trading monopolies were held by royal princes and businesses were subject to arbitrary taxation.
British Demand • In 1821 the government ofBritish Indiasent a mission to demand that Siam lift restrictions on free trade — the first sign of an issue which was to dominate 19th century Siamese politics.
Rama II died in 1824 and was succeeded by his son Prince Jessadabondindra, who reigned as King Nangklao, now known asRama III. Rama II's younger son,Mongkut, was 'suggested' to become a monk, removing him from politics.
Rama III (1824 - 1851) • In 1824-1851, Rama III or King Nang Klao was successful in re-establishing relation and making trades with China which was necessary to meet the increasing domestic agricultural production.
In 1825 the British sent another mission to Bangkok led byEast India CompanyemissaryHenry Burney. They had by now annexed southern Burma and were thus Siam's neighbours to the west, and they were also extending their control overMalaya.
Burney Treaty • The King was reluctant to give in to British demands, but his advisors warned him that Siam would meet the same fate as Burma unless the British were accommodated. In 1826, therefore, Siam concluded its first commercial treaty with a western power, theTreaty of Amity and Commerce (Siam–UK) (also called theBurney Treaty).
Amendment of Monopolies • Under the treaty, Siam agreed to establish a uniform taxation system, to reduce taxes on foreign trade and to abolish some of the royal monopolies. As a result, Siam's trade increased rapidly, many more foreigners settled in Bangkok, and western cultural influences began to spread. The kingdom became wealthier and its army better armed.
Bowring Treaty • In late Rama III, Siam used monopoly policy again that against the Burney Treaty. This resulted trading disputesbetween Siam and Britain. In 1855 (Rama IV), the British made Bowring treaty that forced Siamese to be under British trading at last.
Lao Rebellion • A Lao rebellion led byAnouvongwas defeated in 1827, following which Siam destroyedVientiane, carried out massive population transfers from Laos to the more securely held area ofIsan, and divided the Lao Mueang into smaller units to prevent another uprising. In 1842–1845 Siam waged a successful war with Vietnam, which tightened Siamese rule over Cambodia.
By the 1840s it was obvious that Siamese independence was in danger from the colonial powers: this was shown dramatically by the BritishFirst Opium Warwith China in 1839–1842.
Foreign Traders’ Demands • In 1850 the British and Americans sent missions to Bangkok demanding the end of all restrictions on trade, the establishment of a western-style government and immunity for their citizens from Siamese law (extraterritoriality).
Chinese Influx • Economically, from its foundation, Rattanakosin witnessed the growing role of Chinese merchants, who were chased out before by king Taksin. Beside merchants, Chinese who were farmers, endlessly came to seek fortune in the new kingdom.
Chinese Assimilation • The Rattanakosin's rulers welcomed the Chinese, due to their source of economic revival. Some ethnic Chinese merchants became the court officials, holding crucial positions.
Relationship with China • Chinese culture such as literature was accepted and promoted. Many Chinese works were translated by ethnic Chinese court dignitaries. Siam's relationship with the Chinese Empire was strong.
It has been a royal tradition to build a temple of king since King Rama I. • Although temple of Rama III is WatRatcha O-Ros, his most visible legacy in Bangkok is theWat Photemple complex, which he enlarged and endowed with new temples. • Both temples contain many Chinese arts and sculptures.
Rama IV (1851 - 1868) • Rama IV or King Mongkut (Phra Chom Klao), who reigned from 1851 to 1868 lived as a Buddhist monk for 27 years. He used his long sojourn as a monk to acquire a western education from French and American missionaries, and British merchants. He could speak many languages such as Latin, English, and five other languages.
The missionaries hoped to convert him to Christianity, but in fact he was a strict Buddhist and a Siamese nationalist. He intended using this western knowledge to strengthen and modernise Siam when he came to the throne.
Having been a monk for 27 years, he lacked a base among the powerful royal princes, and did not have a modern state apparatus to carry out his wishes. • His first attempts at reform, to establish a modern system of administration and to improve the status of debt-slaves and women, were frustrated.
Under his reign, he created new laws to improve the women's and children's right. There was a common saying that “Woman is buffalo, Man is human”. • A Thai movie titled “Am Dang Muen and Nai Rid” portrayed women’s lives in this period.
“Anna and the King” • Anna Leonowens, a British governess, presents a group of liberated Christian women in the 1800's that worked to end slavery. She was a part of Siamese history and has been fictionalized asThe King and I.The film mentions that Anna was one of the forces that brought freedom from slavery and freedom of religion.
Rama IV thus came to welcome western intrusion in Siam. Indeed the king himself was actively pro-British. This came in 1855 in the form of a mission led by the Governor ofHong Kong,Sir John Bowring, who arrived in Bangkok with demands for immediate changes, backed by the threat of force.
The King readily agreed to his demand for a new treaty, called theBowring Treaty, which restricted import duties to 3%, abolished royal trade monopolies, and granted extraterritoriality to British subjects. • Other western powers soon demanded and got similar concessions.
The king soon came to consider that the real threat to Siam came from the French, not the British. The British were interested in commercial advantage, the French in building a colonial empire. They occupiedSaigonin 1859, and 1867 established a protectorateover southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia.
Rama IV hoped that the British would defend Siam if he gave them the economic concessions they demanded. In the next reign this would prove to be mistaken, but it is true that the British saw Siam as a useful buffer state between British Burma andFrench Indochina.
Buddhist Affairs • Rama IV also adopted the discipline of local Mon monkas he saw many monks during that time were not so disciplined. Thus he founded a new sect in which called “Dhammayutika Nikaya”. This sect observed precepts stricter than the majority monks, later were called “Maha Nikaya”.
Rama V (1868 - 1910) • Rama V or King Chulalongkorn, Rama IV's son, continued the throne when he was 15 years old. Rama V was the first Siamese king to have a full western education.
Survival of Colonization • In 1886, Siam lost some territory to French, Laos and British Burma accorded the foreign powers intercede. After that King Chulalongkorn declared Thailand as an independent kingdom on the 23rd of October.
