Rama I
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Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke Rama I of Siam
King of Siam
Reign	6 April 1782 – 7 September 1809
Coronation	6 April 1782
Full name	Thong Duang (birth name)
Titles	Chao Phraya Chakri (pre-reign military title)
Born	20 March 1737(1737-03-20)
Birthplace	Ayutthaya
Died	7 September 1809 (aged 72)
Predecessor	King Taksin (of Thonburi)
Successor	King Buddha Loetla Nabhalai
Consort	Queen Amarindra
Offspring	42 sons and daughters
Dynasty	Chakri Dynasty

Posthumously; Poramin Mahachakri Boromanat, Phra Buddha Yotfa Chulaloke (1736 - 1809), conventionally as Rama I. He was the founder and the first monarch of the current-ruling Chakri dynasty of Siam (now Thailand) in 1782 after subjugating a rebellion against King Taksin of Thonburi. He was also celebrated as the founder of Rattanakosin (now Bangkok) as the new capital of the reunited kingdom. Rama I was born in the Ayutthaya period and had served King Taksin in wars with Burmese Konbaung dynasty and the reunification of Siam. He emerged as the most powerful general. In 1782, he took control of Siam and crowned himself as the monarch.

The most renowned event in his reign was the Burmo-Siamese War of 1785, which was the last major Burmese assault on Siam. Buddha Yotfa Chulaloke was also the first Somdet Chao Phraya, the highest rank the nobility could attain equaled to a royalty.

An Ayutthayan aristocrat

Thong Duang was born in 1736 in the reign of king Boromakot of Ayutthaya. His father was Thong Di (later raised as Prathom Boroma Rajchanok – the grand primordial father) who was Phra Aksara Sundhornsat (royal secretary to northern Siam, keeper of the seal). Aksara Sundhornsat was also a descendant of Kosa Pan, the embassy to the French court, and was of Mon descent,^[1][2] His mother, Daoreung, was a Chinese.^[3][4][5] Thong Duang had other six siblings.

Thong Dung entered the palace as one of the royal pages of Uthumporn where he met his childhood friend Taksin. In 1757, aged 21, he became a monk temporarily according to Siamese tradition. In 1760, he married Nak, daughter of a town patron in Samut Sakorn. Next year (1758) he was appointed the Luang Yokbat (Ruler of) Ratchaburi by King Ekatat.

Service under Taksin

On the eve of the fall of Ayuttaya, Phraya Wachira Prakarn (later King Taksin) had foreseen that the fall of the city was certain. Wachira Prakarn decided to break the siege of Burmese armies and established a new base outside. Phraya Ratchaburi also joined this venture. In 1767, Ayutthaya under King Ekatat fell to Burmese invaders. Local warlords established their supremacy in the absence of the head of state.

Taksin and his men eventually managed to capture Chantaburi and Trat in the same year. Phraya Ratchaburi became one of Taksin's six ministers ^[6] and together with Phraya Pichai were they were regarded by Taksin as his two most valuable generals.

Taksin swiftly made a strategic plan and recaptured Ayutthaya quickly in one year. Taksin then crowned himself and founded Thonburi on the west bank of the mouth of Chao Phraya as a new capital. Under the new Thonburi regime, Thong Duang was appointed Phra Raja Warindra (Royal Police) in 1768 and after subjugating the warlord of Pimai with his brother Maha Montri was raised to Phraya Abhaya Ronarit.

After the campaign to subdue the lord of Fang in 1769, Abhaya Ronarit was raised to Phraya Yommaraj and next year became Chao Phraya Maha Chakri – the Samuha Nayak (Prime Minister). Maha Chakri joined the Burmese wars and went on to subjugate Cambodia. His brother, Phraya Anuchit Raja (previously Maha Montri), accompanied him in various campaigns. In 1776, he conquered Khmer Pa Dong (around modern Surin) and Laotian Champasak. He was eventually raised to Somdet Chao Phraya Maha Kshatriyaseuk, the first Somdet Chao Phraya.

Ascension

In 1781, Maha Kshatriyaseuk went on the campaigns against Cambodia, only to return prematurely due to instability in Thonburi – rebellion of Phraya San - because of the (uncertain) mental illness of Taksin. Maha Kshatriyaseuk returned in 1782 to defeat the rebellion and execute Phraya San. There were obscurities on this point of the incident. Maha Kshatriyaseuk seized the power on this occasion.

Maha Kshatriyaseuk crowned himself in 1782. Without naming himself, he was later given his name as Phrabat Somdet Phra Buddha Yotfa Chulaloke (Rama I – the first reign – for short). Rama I moved the capital of Siam to the east bank of the Chao Phraya mouth for a substantial number of reasons e.g. better strategic positions or to keep the royal legitimacy out of question. He named the city Rattanakosin (“Keeping place of the Buddha” – the Emerald Buddha). Rama I also raised various members of his family to the royalty. He appointed his brother Surasi (Anuchit Raja) as the “Front Palace” (conventional title of the heir) and his newphew Thong In as “Rear Palace”. His consort, Nak, was raised to Queen Amarindra.

Vietnamese and Cambodian succession

In 1784-1785, the first of the Nguyen Lords, Nguyen Anh convinced King Chulaloke to give him forces to attack Vietnam (which was under the control of the Tay Son brothers). However, the joint Nguyen-Siam fleet was destroyed in the Battle of Rach Gam–Xoai Mut in the Mekong delta region. Nguyen's appeal for Siamese assistance enabled the Siamese to exert considerable political influence over Nguyen's court. Mac Tu Sinh, who was the son of Mac Thien Tu and his Siamese wife and raised among the Siamese, was appointed the governor of Hà Tiên until his death in 1787. Ngo Ma, a general of Siamese descent was appointed as its acting governor in Mac's place.^[7]

Reamraja of Cambodia was deposed in 1779 and the throne was given to his son, the young Ang Eng. However, pro-Vietnamese policies of Cambodian aristocrats under Ang Eng did alarm Rama I. Rama I had Ang Eng captured and deported to Bangkok, where he became Rama’s adopted son to implant pro-Siamese sentiments on him. And Rama I also imposed Chao Phraya Abhaya Bhubet as a regent in Cambodia.

Nguyen Anh secretly left for Vietnam in 1787, leaving Rama I a note. Nguyen managed to recapture Saigon by 1788 and later ascended as Emperor Gia Long in 1802.^[8] (Thai; Phrachao Vietnam Ya Long)

Statue of Rama I at the Phra Buddha Yodfa Memorial Bridge, Bangkok (1932)

In 1794, upon Ang Eng’s majority, Rama I reinstalled him as the Narairaja III of Cambodia. The area around Siemreap and Batambang was annexed to Siam under the governance of Abhaya Bhubet. However, Rama I allowed the territories to be ruled according to the Cambodian traditions.

Wars with Burma

Bodawpaya of Burma pursued his ambitious campaigns to expand his dominions. The Burmo-Siamese War (1785 – 1786) was called “Nine Armies Wars” by Siam because the Burmese came in nine armies. The armies surged into Lanna and Northern Siam, yet the governor of Lampang managed to partly halt the Burmese, waiting for the troops from Bangkok. As Phitsanulok was captured, Rama I himself led an army to the north.

In the south, Bodawpaya was waiting at Chedi Sam Ong. The Front Palace led his troops to the south the counter-attacked the Burmese came from Ranong through Nakhon Si Thammarat and the engagements occurred at Kanchanaburi. The Burmese also attacked Thalang (Phuket), where to governor had just died. Chan, wife of the governor, and her sister Mook gathered people to defend Thalang against the Burmese. Today, Chan and Mook were revered as two heroines opposing the Burmese invasions.

The Burmese proceeded to capture Songkhla. Upon hearing the news, the governors of Phatthalung fled. However, a monk named Phra Maha encouraged the citizens to turn up their arms against the Burmese. Phra Maha was later raised to nobility by Rama I.

As his armies were destroyed, Bodawpaya retreated, only to renew attacks next year (1786). Bodawpaya, this time, didn’t divide his troops but instead formed into single army. Bodawpaya passed through the Chedi Sam Ong and settled in Ta Din Dang. The Front Palace marched the Siamese forces to face Bodawpaya. The fighting was very short and Bodawpaya was quickly defeated. This short war was called “Ta Din Dang campaign”.

Cultural works and Economy

Chinese immigration continued into Rama I's reign, who maintained Taksin's policy of allowing Chinese immigration as a factor to keep the country's economy going. The Chinese were found mainly in the trading sector, and by the time his son and grandson came to the throne, European explorers noted that Bangkok was filled with Chinese junks of all sizes. ^[9]

Rama I moved the capital from Thonburi, which was founded by his predecessor Taksin, and built the new capital Bangkok. During the first few years prior to the founding of the current capital, he saw the construction of the palaces and the Chapel Royal. The Chapel Royal of which the Emerald Buddha was enshrined in was located in his palace, Wat Phra Kaew. With the completion of the new capital, Rama I held an official ceremony naming the new capital.^[10]

In 1804, Rama I initiated the compilation of the Three Seals Law - consisting of old Ayutthayan laws collected and organized.

Rama I was also noted for instituting major reforms in Buddhism as well as restoring moral discipline among the monks in the country, which had gradually eroded with the fall of Ayutthaya. Monks had already dabbled in superstitions when he first came to power, and Rama I implemented a law which required a monk who wished to travel to another principality for further education to present a certificate bearing his personal particulars, which would prove a monk own's legitimacy that he had been properly ordained. The king also repeated emphasised in state ceremonies to place devotion to the Buddha over guardian spirits and past rulers, of which vestiges of ancient Animist worship had a persisted among the Thais prior to his rule.^[11]

The king also appointed the first supreme patriarch of Thai Buddhism, whose responsibilities included the duty of ensuring that Rama I's laws are maintained which was to ensure law and order within Buddhist Sangha.^[12] Rama I's passion for literature, which was also connected with his concern for Buddhist order within the country. He was noted for advocating important Thai translation of important Pali works.^[13]and Buddhist texts lost in the chaos after the sacking of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767 were salvaged under the direction of Rama I. He also wrote a Thai version of the Ramayana epos called Ramakian.

Death and Legacy

Siam during the reign of Rama I was in the most powerful state since the sixteenth century as Siam was able to successfully repel Burmese invasions and exerted influences over Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Rama I also encouraged cultural works to rehabilitate people after the successive series of wars. His policies laid the foundation for Siam to expand in next decades.

Rama I died on September 7, 1809 after a short but sharp illness,^[14] to be succeeded by his son Prince Isarasundhorn as Rama II.

In Memoriam

April 6 is Chakri Memorial Day, a holiday to commemorate the founder of the Chakri Dynasty.

References

1. ^ Chris Baker, Pasuk Phongpaichit (2005). A History of Thailand. Cambridge University Press, 32 and 288. ISBN 0521816157. 
2. ^ The following article was written by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Thailand in 1855 in response to the British Governor to Hongkong. And another related article from The Nation newspaper on 13 December 1999.
3. ^ Britannica encyclopedia
4. ^ Down Sampeng Lane: The Story of Bangkok's China Town
5. ^ Thailand, doing business in
6. ^ Clark D. Neher. Modern Thai Politics: From Village to Nation. Transaction Publishers, 50. ISBN 0870739166. 
7. ^ Nola Cooke, Tana Li (2004). Water Frontier: Commerce and the Chinese in the Lower Mekong Region, 1750-1880. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0742530833. 
8. ^ Nicholas Tarling (1999). The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia. Cambridge University Press, 584. ISBN 0521355052. 
9. ^ Chris Baker, Pasuk Phongpaichit (2005). A History of Thailand. Cambridge University Press, 32-3. ISBN 0521816157. 
10. ^ Urban Council. Sculptures from Thailand: 16.10.82--12.12.82, Hong Kong Museum. University of California, 33. 
11. ^ Nicholas Tarling (1999). The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia. Cambridge University Press, 221-2. ISBN 0521355052. 
12. ^ Nicholas Tarling (1999). The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia. Cambridge University Press, 222. ISBN 0521355052. 
13. ^ Nicholas Tarling (1999). The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia. Cambridge University Press, 221. ISBN 0521355052. 
14. ^ Čhunlačhakkraphong (1960). Lords of Life: The Paternal Monarchy of Bangkok, 1782-1932. Taplinger, 114.