Towards a History of Chanthaburi, 1700-1860: The French Sources (original) (raw)
Journal of the Siam Society, 2022
This article presents research findings from a project seeking to plug gaps in accounts of Muslim actors in Siam between the early 17th and the mid-19th century, between the reigns of King Prasat Thong (r. 1629-1656) and King Rama III (r. 1824-1851). We limit ourselves to the legacy of the descendants of Sultan Sulaiman (r. 1620-1676), which-for comparative purposes-we juxtapose with Sheikh Ahmad Qomi. We begin by contextualising both of these by documenting Siam's administrative structure and culture. This is followed by the succession, rebellion and rehabilitation of Sultan Sulaiman's eldest son, Mustapha (between 1676 and 1692), before considering the administrative and military careers of Hussein (d. 1693) and Hasan (d. 1691), and the range of contributions by the descendants of Mustapha, Hussein and Hasan. These reveal hitherto overlooked connections between South and Central Thailand, similarities between these Muslim lineages, their mixed fortunes, the contributions of the Sultan Sulaiman lineage to the military, the side forms that co-option by Ayutthaya and Bangkok took, that led some to forsake the religion of these lineages for Buddhism.
A Note on the Ancient Towns and Cities of Northeastern Thailand_rev
Tonan Ajia Kenkyu (“Southeast Asian Studies”) (Kyoto), 1974
In this note I call attention to some evidence in the indigenous literature of the people of the Khorat Plateau that might throw some additional light on the ancient towns and cities known archaeologically. While I consider some specific evidence from two legends from the region, I do so only to indicate what information might be derived from legendary sources rather than to present the distillation of a long period of research. I conclude this note with a few suggestions regarding the possible interpretation of the evidence on the ancient sites of northeastern Thailand.
Tok Takia's Legacy in Ayutthaya, Thailand: Tracing Qadriyyah Circulations through the Bay of Bengal
Studia Islamika
This article fills some of the gaps in the secondary literature about the growing Muslim presence in the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya during the mid-sixteenth century. It does so by reconstructing the arrival of Tok Takia, a miracle-working Sufi missionary who arrived from somewhere in the Indian subcontinent. The study begins with a description of the Tok Takia Complex which consists of a mosque that once was a Buddhist temple and a maqam where Tok Takia was buried in 1579 before introducing references to the former in Thai primary sources. Before dealing with details about Qadriyyah presence across the Bay of Bengal, this research reconstructs the geopolitical and commercial developments from the late fifteenth century contributing to the growth of Muslim—and specifically, Kling Muslims—presence in Ayutthaya mentioned in a range of Siamese and Portuguese primary sources. This paper presents reasons for suggesting that Tok Takia’s missionary activism was connected to the Nagore-e-S...
Royal Brother, Ethnic Other: Politicizing Ethnonyms in the Chronicle Compositions of Early Bangkok
Rian Thai: International Journal of Thai Studies, 2017
This article examines a late eighteenth-century innovation in the composition and revision of dynastic chronicles in the Thai language. In chronicles and chronicle passages composed at this time, internally-diverse political networks – the subjects or armies of one monarch or another – are regularly identified as single "ethnic" groups as never before. This transition is traced through three periods of chronicle (re)writing. Compositions from the Ayutthaya period (1351-1767) focus overwhelmingly on the actions of specific individuals. The diverse population, army, and nobility of a kingdom are not endowed with a single ethno-political identification, and are not allowed important roles in the narratives as corporate entities. In extant chronicle texts from this period, the ethnic term "Thai" does not appear at all. In chronicle narratives of the late eighteenth century, however, we can see the tentative introduction of the ethnic term "Thai" as one of the two communities supporting King Taksin (r. 1767-1782) along with “Chinese”, and a dramatic trend towards the ethno-political identification of the armies from the Irrawaddy valley kingdoms as “Burmese”. Finally, beginning in the last decade or so of the eighteenth century, the diverse peoples and armies of Bangkok were glossed frequently as “Thai”, and even the peoples of Bangkok’s tributary kingdoms were assigned ethno-political identities that distinguished them socially and politically from the “Thai” in Bangkok. In late eighteenth and nineteenth century chronicle compositions, the politicization of ethnonyms facilitated the narration of a chronic history of aggression and deceit not just between certain newly-ethnicized kingdoms, but also between their newly distinguishable sets of officials and subjects. Early twentieth-century historians, in turn, drew from these ethnicized royal chronicle narratives to craft a nation-centered history for modern Thailand. Indeed, the political circumstances that motivated late-eighteenth century chroniclers to promote loyalty to the crown through the repetition of ethnicized us-versus-them narratives of history remain powerful even today.
Before Siam: Essays in Art and Archaeology
River Books & The Siam Society, 2014
The birth of Siam has been traditionally marked by the founding of the great city-states of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya respectively. These civilisations, however, grew out of a rich milieu of cultures and traditions in the region present from as far back as prehistoric times. Whether it be the Mon Buddhism that flourished during the so-called Dvāravatī period, the architectural heritage of the Khmers or the Brahmanical and Mahāyāna stimuli of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, these varied aspects and influences came together to shape what became early Siam and today modern Thailand. The aim of this peer-reviewed publication is to present new research and discoveries to reconstruct the historical and geographical settings, languages and cultures, religious persuasions and artistic traditions in pre-modern Thailand and its neighbouring regions. Through a large array of contributions by renowned experts, the public and academics alike will gain a richer and more multifaceted appreciation of this early history which played such a formative role in the birth of Siam.
(2019) The Legacy of Melaka's 15th Century Successes in 16th Century Siam
2019
main-page/conference/dr-christopher-m-joll/ The Legacy of Melaka’s 15th Century Successes in 16th Century Siam This paper seeks to respond to the perceived dearth of studies pursuing an explicitly comparative approach to Southeast Asian historiography. Before the publication of Chris Baker’s Ayutthaya Rising From Land or Sea?, there were a few examples in the secondary literature on “littoral“, and “mainland” of any engagement between Thai Studies specialists and members of the Malay Studies Guild. Although this paper seeks to build on Baker’s seminal contribution to comparative historiography vis-à-vis mainland Southeast Asia subservient to Ayutthaya, and Melaka, I ask questions about what insights into Melaka in the 15th century might be provided from an exploration of developments in the 16th. I argue that the prosperity of port cities such as Ayutthaya and Patani following 1511, confirms Melaka’s regional importance in the 15th Century. Furthermore, the presence of transcultural entrepreneurs in Siamese palaces and ports suggests Ayutthaya to have actively imitated Melaka’s highly successful cosmopolitan model. Finally, I consider case studies of how aspects of Melaka’s religious cosmopolitanism spread to Ayutthaya. These include Sufi tariqat, and Persian mercantile networks present in South Indian port cities arriving via transpeninsular portages revitalised by mercantile networks forced to establish new operational hubs.
The significance of peninsular Siam in the Southeast Asian maritime world
2005
This thesis would not have become possible without the generous financial support of the Anandamahidol Foundation, under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty King Bhumibol of Siam. The foundation has funded me for my study at the University of Hawai'i and for my research. This academic endeavor would not have come to fruition without the patience and unending support of my thesis committee, including Drs. Miriam Stark, James Bayman, and Michael Aung-Thwin. My gratitude also goes to Drs. Leonard Andaya and Dhida Saraya who offered me valuable suggestions on the Southeast Asian maritime interaction. I would particularly like to single out Dr. Miriam Stark, my advisor, for special mentions. The advice and guidance that she has showered upon me during my time at the University of Hawai'i have not only shaped me into a better student, but also groomed me for my life ahead. I am indebted to many people and organizations in Thailand, in particular to Professor Surapol Nathapintu, the Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology of Silpakom University. I am grateful to the Fine Arts Department for making available data of the archaeological sites for this thesis, Research and Development Office of Prince of Songkhla University for the base maps in the thesis, and Walailuk University for the GPS unit used during my survey in Nakhon Si Thammarat. I would like to thank my family for cultivating my interest in archaeology and for their unconditional love. Many thanks are due to all my friends in Hawai'i and Thailand, especially to Nantiya Janchanakit for cartographic assistance, Soon Hock Kang and Koh Keng We for proofreading, Cyril Calugay for stimulating discussions, and Somjat Sukcharem for his support in my survey. Last but not least, I wish to thank Nareerat Leelachat for the everlasting help, hospitality, and encouragement that she has always given to me. Thank you very much. IV 6. The Distribution of the Earliest Vishnu and Buddha Images 67 a. The Earliest Vishnu Images in Peninsular Siam b. The Earliest Buddha Images in Peninsular Siam IV. Data Analysis and Interpretation A. Phase I: The early coastal polities (c. fifth century BC-fifth century AD) 72 1. The Application of a Dual-Processual Theory 75 2. The Application of Peer Polity Interaction B. Phase II: The Early Mandalas (c. fifth century-tenth century AD) Chapter 4: Tambralinga Case Study I. Geographical Overview II. Archaeological Database A. Archaeological Background prior to the Fifth Century AD B. The Early Historic Sites (c. fifth to tenth centuries AD) 1. Methodology 2. The Distribution of Early Historic Sites a. The Group of the Tha Khwai River 104 b. The Group of the Tha Chieo-Tha Thon Rivers 107 c. The Group of the Tha Lat River 112 d. The Group of the Maying River 114 e. The Group of the Haad Sai Keao Sand Dune 118 IV. Interpretation and Discussion 123 A. The Early Mandala of Tambralinga (c. fifth to tenth centuries AD) 123 B. The Inter-Mandala Interaction 135 Chapter 5: Summary and Conclusion Figures Bibliography v 162 164 164 165 166 Figure 43. Vishnu from Satingpra 44. The Yarang Complex 45. Peninsular Siam and Nakhon Si Thammarat 46. Geography ofNakhon Si Thammarat 47. The Nakhon Si Thammarat City and the sand dune 48. The Distribution of Early Historical Sites in Nakhon Si Thammarat 49. The inscription ofHup Khao Chong Koy 50.