Vajiravudh
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| Vajiravudh Rama VI of Siam พระบาทสมเด็จพระมงกุฎเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว |
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| King of Siam | |
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| Reign | 23 October 1910–25 November 1925 |
| Predecessor | Chulalongkorn |
| Successor | Prajadhipok |
| Spouse | Suvadhana |
| Issue | |
| Princess Bejaratana | |
| Father | Chulalongkorn |
| Mother | Saovabha |
| Born | November 8, 1893 |
| Died | November 25, 1925 (aged 44) |
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua (Thai: พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรเมนทรมหาวชิราวุธฯ พระมงกุฎเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว), or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua (Thai: พระบาทสมเด็จพระรามาธิบดีศรีสินทรมหาวชิราวุธฯ พระมงกุฎเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว), or Rama VI (January 1, 1881 – November 25, 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death. Vajiravudh is known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism. His reign was characterized by Siam's movement further towards democracy and minimal participation in World War I.
[edit] Education
Prince Vajiravudh was born on January 1, 1880 to Chulalongkorn and one of his four queens, Saovabha. In 1888, upon coming of age, Vajiravudh received the title Krom Khun Thep Dvaravati. He was firstly educated in the Royal Palace in Siamese and English language. He continued his education in Britain, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1891 and became part of Durham Light Infantry Regiment upon graduation. In 1894, his half-brother Crown Prince Vajirunhis died. Vajiravudh was then appointed the new Crown Prince. He made his studies in law and history at Christ Church, Oxford in 1899. However, he suffered the appendicitis that barred him from personally receiving the graduation in 1901.
Crown Prince Vajiravudh returned to Siam in 1902 and became a monk temporarily according to Siamese traditions in 1904. In 1906, his father Chulalongkorn traveled to Europe to cure his lung disease. Chulalongkorn made Vajiravudh the regent of Siam. Crown Prince Vajiravudh accomplishment during his regency was his supervision of the construction of Chulalongkorn Equesterian Statue.
Chulalongkorn died on October 23, 1910. Vajuravudh succeeded his father as the king of Siam.
[edit] Ascension and Early Reforms
Even before coronation, Vajiravudh swiftly passed several reforms. He organized Siam’s Defence and established military academies. He created the rank of General for the first time and Siam, with his uncle Prince Bhanurangsi Savangwongse as the first Siamese general.
His first act following his ascension to the throne was to build the Royal Pages College which was subsequently renamed Vajiravudh College by King Rama VII to honour his brother. It was built as an all boy boarding school in the same tradition as English public schools such as Eton and Harrow. The school was also built instead of a Royal monastry that was a custom of Thai kings as King Vajiravudh deemed that there were already too many temples in Bangkok. In his own hand written letter, King Vajiravudh wrote that "In the Royal Pages College, what I want is not so much to turn out model boys, all of the same standard, all brilliant scholars with thousands of marks each, as to turn out efficient young men - young men who will be physically and morally clean, and who will be looking forward keenly to take up whatever burden the future may lay upon them". Later he also raised the Civil Servant School to Chulalongkorn Academy for Civil Officials – then Chulalongkorn University. Both Vajiravudh College and Chulalongkorn University still benefit from the personal funds that King Vajiravudh set aside for educational use at the two elite institution up till today.
In 1911, he established the Scout Order in Siam, part of which became Thai Military Reserve today. On November 11, 1911, Vajiravudh coronation was held with royalties from Europe and Japan as guests – for the first time in Siam to host international parties. In December, the first airplane was flown in Siam.
Early years of Vajiravudh's administration was largely dominated by his two uncles - Prince Damrong and Prince Devawongse - both of them Chulalongkorn's right hands. However, the matter came into problems with Prince Damrong the Minister of Interior as Vajiravudh had disagreed with Prince Damrong's negotiation of Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 that ceded four sultanates to British Empire[1].
Vajiravudh also reformed his father's monthon system by imposing the paks (Thai: ภาค) or regions over the administrative monthons. Each pak was governed by an Uparaja directly in command of the king. The Uparaja presided over the intendants of monthons in the region - thus grabbing local administrative powers in his hands - much to the dismay of Prince Damrong.
[edit] Incident of Bangkok Era 130
The radicals sternly expected that constitution upon the coronation of Vajiravudh. However, no constitution came. In 1911, the Wuchang Uprising that led to the fall of Qing dynasty was a strong urge for Siamese radicals to act. So, for the first time, an attempt to overthrow the monarchy and establish the democracy happened in Siam.
The immediate cause, however, was laid even before Vajiravudh’s coronation. In 1909, Crown Prince Vajiravudh had ordered a Thai Royal Military Academy’s student who had had an argument with one of Vajiravudh’s pages to be canned. The alumni of the Acedemy, who had already been stationed throughout the kingdom, was provoked further by Vajiravudh’s establishment of the Scout Order, which was seen as Vajiravudh’s personal troops to replace the military.
The plotters were, however, relatively young army and navy officials, who was also the students in the 1909 event. The coup was planned to be staged on April 1 – Siamese traditional New Year Day. They also planned to choose one of Vajiravudh’s brothers as the first President of Siam. They also viewed that, if the absolute monarchy had been removed, Siam would achieve modernization like those of Japan. The coup leaders accused the King of devoting his time to writing plays and acting in them with his companions. They also accuse him of living a luxurious life in western style; building Sanam Chan Palace and Lumphini Park, and owning expensive horses from Australia, while preaching to his subjects to be austere and nationalistic.
However, the coup plan was leaked. Captain Yut Kongyu, who was selected as the assassinator by lottery, told Mom Chao Prawatpan – and then Prince Chakrabongse - about the upcoming coup. Prince Chakrabongse personally led the arrest of all conspirators and their punishments were severe – including executions to long-term imprisonment. However, Vajiravudh halted the punishment and released them all saying that what they did was for sake of the kingdom.
[edit] Administration, Economy, and Infrastructure
In 1912, Vajiravudh announced the change of calendar usage from Rattanakosin Era designated by Chulalongkorn to the Buddhist Era that has been used till the present. In 1913, Siam faced financial crisis as the Chinese-Siamese Bank went bankrupted.
In 1914, the construction of Don Mueang Airport, the first Siamese airport, began. In the same year the Siamese government decided to take a loan from the Federated Malay States to extend the railways to the south. In 1915, Vajiravudh himself visited the souther provinces to oversee the railway constructions. The Bangkok railway station at Hua Lamphong was then established as a center of Siamese railroads. Prince Damrong eventually left the Ministry of Interior in 1915. In 1916, Vajiravudh appointed his half-brother Prince of Kampangpetch as the Head of Railway Department.
In 1917, Vajiravudh established the Nakorn Sri Thammarat regiment as his handful forces. Also in 1917 that Vajiravudh officially founded the Chulalongkorn University - the first university in Siam named in honor of his father. In 1918, Vajiravudh founded the Dusit Thani near his Dusit Palace as an experimental place for democracy. The democratic institutions were imitated including elections, parliament, and the press. Vajiravudh himself acted as one of the citizens of Dusit Thani yet the city was perceived as another Vajiravudh's acting theatre.
[edit] World War I and Nationalism
In July 1917, Vajiravudh sided himself with the Allied Powers and readiliy expelled the German and Austrian officials from the Railway Department and Siam Commercial Bank. He also put the properties of the Axis Power nations under government's protectorate. Vajiravudh then saw this as an opportunity to create and promote Siamese nationalism, against the so-called enemies - the Axis Powers. He changed the Flag of Siam from the elephant-banner one to a tricolor. King Vajiravudh is then considered the father of Thai nationalism, which was later built upon by Field Marshall Phibunsongkhram and Sarit Dhanarajata. He introduced the practice of using the name Rama for the Chakri kings in deference to foreign practice.
They were the only Southeast Asians in the European theatre (except for 140,000[2] Vietnamese troops and workers drafted by the French). Though the Siamese did not see much action, as the Siamese troops arrived in Europe towards the end of the War. In any case, by participating in the War allowed Siam to later negotiate with the Western Powers on 'unfair' treaties made before.[3]
[edit] Financial crisis
In 1917, the silver prince rose to the point that higher than the value of the coin. The coins were then melted down and sold out of Siam by individuals. The government solved this by changing from pure silver to alloy coins. Vajiravudh eventually forbade any kinds of exports of Siamese coins. In 1918, the usage of 1-baht coins was nullified and the 1-baht banknotes were used instead. The coins were accumulated as national reserve. In 1919, Vajuravudh imposed his military-exemptation tax (Thai: เงินรัชชูปการ) that effected his popularity on all men.
Though the Siamese forces that joined the march at Versailles returned triamphant in 1919, the economic problems caused by World War I was serious - the Great Depression. In the same year, the drought hit Siam and rice shortage was suffered. The government forbade the export of rice - the main Siamese revenue since the Bowring Treaty. Queen Mother Saovabha, Vajiravudh's mother, died in 1919. Siamese participation in World War I opened the way to reconcile, firstly with the United States in 1920, the unequal treaties imposed by Western Powers in the 19th century.
In spite of the financial crisis, the railway constructions continued. The trains reached Narathiwat and was expanding to the north and the east. The construction of Rama VI Bridge began in 1922 and the same year the raiway reached Chiangmai. However, the national account was in such deficit that a large loan from Britain was taken. Also in 1922, an insurgency occurred in Pattani over the new taxation policies, which was readily subjugated by the Nakorn Sri Thammarat regiment. In 1923, Vajiravudh announced his six principles in the governance of Pattani Province, emphasizing local freedom and cautive tax measures.
[edit] Marriages
Vajiravudh had been a king without queen for about ten years. In 1920, he met Mom Chao Wanwimon, at his theatre at Phayathai Palace. They got engaged and Mom Chao Wanwimon was raised to Princess Wallapa as his fiancée. However, four months later in 1921, Vajiravudh nullified the engagement and went for Princess Wallapa's sister - Princess Laksamilawan - whom he engaged. However, the marriage was never held and the couple then separated.
In 1921, Vajiravudh married Prueng Sucharitkul, who was a daughter of Chao Phraya Sutham Montri and then raised to Phra Sucharitsuda, as his concubine. He also then married Sucharitsuda's sister Prapai Sucharitkul as his concubine as Phra Inthrasaksachi. In 1922, Phra Inthrasaksachi was raised to Queen Inthrasaksachi. However, the queen suffered two miscarriages. In 1924, Vajiravudh married Krueakaew Abhaywongse, a daughter of Phraya Abhay Bhubet, as Concubine Suvadhana. Queen Inthrasaksachi was then demoted to Princess Consort Inthrasaksachi in 1925.
[edit] Succession Law
In 1924, Vajiravudh promulgated his Law of Succession - which has been a codex for successions of Chakri dynasty till today. According to the law, the throne would be passed to the king's sons and grandsons. However, in the case of Vajiravudh who had no sons, the throne would passed to his eldest true brother, which meaned the brother that shared the same mother as his - Queen Saovabha. The law gave priority to the descendants of the princes born to Queen Saovabha, then to Queen Savang Vadhana, and then to Queen Sukumalmarsri. The law also forbade any princes whose mother was foreign from the throne. This referred to his companion Prince Chakrabongse who had married a Russian woman and his son Prince Chula Chakrabongse was therefore barred from the throne.
[edit] Further financial problems and Death
In 1924, King Vajiravudh, accompanied by Concubine Suvadhana, visited Federated Malay States. The reconcilation with European powers on unequal treaties progressed gradually, while financial crisis was taking a great toll on Siam as another loan was taken from Britain and the fire of a large number of government officials occurred. In 1925 Vajiravudh had to dissolve his Nakorn Sri Thammarat regiment and merged the administrative provinces into larger ones to lower the maintanance cost.
In November 1925, it was announced that Vajiravudh fell ill due to his gustatory disease[4] as Princess Consort Suvadhana was then pregnant. Vajiravudh then announced his succession will; that if Princess Suvadhana born a son, then the throne would went to him. If not, the throne would instead went to his surviving brother Prince Prajadhipok of Sukhothai. He also barred Princess Inthrasaksachi from being interred with him in the future and instead granted that right to Princess Suvadhana. And Vajiravudh also barred his uncle Prince Damrong from the government.
On November 24, midnight, Princess Suvadhana eventually born a princess, only 2 hours before Vajiravudh's death. It was said that Vajiravudh had a glimpse of his sole daughter before his demise. Then the throne passed to his brother Prajadhipok, who named Vajiravudh's daughter as Princess Bejaratana (Her Royal Highness Princess Bejaratana).
[edit] Vajiravudh as a writer
King Vajiravudh was one of Thailand's highly renowned artists, writing modern novels, short stories, plays and even journals. Among his works were translations of three Shakespeare plays - The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet and many other writing pieces to promote the ideology of Thai nationalism. In several writings, he criticised the ethnic Chinese in Thailand as being "Jews of the East", particularly the immigrant traders, due in part to the their economic affluence in Thailand.[5]
[edit] Other
Through most of his reign there was a good deal of criticism of the king. Some argued that the real power in the state lay with the king's favourites, the young men of his inner entourage for whom he had written plays and with whom he played games and organised clubs and societies. Some, like King Chulalongkorn before his death and Queen Saowapha, his mother, frowned on the king's personal life and his almost total lack of interest in the opposite sex.[6] It was commonly known, but never spoken of, that the King was in fact an "erratic homosexual".[7] He would in fact usually have been passed over had his father not introduced succession-by-legal-primogeniture.
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rama VI |
- ^ http://www.reurnthai.com/index.php?topic=1816.0
- ^ Sanderson Beck: Vietnam and the French: South Asia 1800-1950, paperback, 629 pages
- ^ ä·Â¡ÑºÊ§¤ÃÒÁâÅ¡¤ÃÑ駷Õè 1 at knowledge.eduzones.com
- ^ http://www.kingvajiravudh.org/main/index.php/2009-01-09-07-31-48/2009-01-05-08-35-11
- ^ Chris Baker, Pasuk Phongpaichit. A History of Thailand. Cambridge University Press. pp. 114–6. ISBN 0521816157. http://www.amazon.com/History-Thailand-Chris-Baker/dp/0521816157/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product/104-7867281-3169568.
- ^ David Wyatt: Thailand, A Short History: Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai, 2003
- ^ Greene, Stephen, 'Thai Government and Administration in the Reign of Rama VI (1910/1925),' PhD Thesis, University of London 1971, p 92
- Greene, Stephen Lyon Wakeman. Absolute Dreams. Thai Government Under Rama VI, 1910-1925. Bangkok: White Lotus, 1999.
- Vella, Walter Francis. Chaiyo! King Vajiravudh and the Development of Thai Nationalism. Honolulu: The University Press of Hawaii, 1978.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
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Vajiravudh
Chakri Dynasty
Born: 1 January 1881 Died: 25 November 1925 |
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| Preceded by Chulalongkorn |
King of Siam 1910–1925 |
Succeeded by Prajadhipok |
| Preceded by Vajirunhis |
Crown Prince of Siam 1895–1910 |
Succeeded by Vajiralongkorn |
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