Antares Buddha Centre
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Holy "Bailan" Palm leaf Mantra - 400 yrs- found in pagoda of Nakhonrajasrima Province, Issarn
Prehistory in Thailand
Tens of thousand years ago, this land was covered with lush tropical rain forests. The fertile land, temperate climatic conditions, abundent natural resources attracted early settlers and migrants throughtout the subsequent periods, even up to the present. Rich cultures amalgamated into distinct life styles. Emerging out of a thousand years of consciously striving for unity were the T'ai people. City states soon unified into an independent kingdom. Emergent also was a distinct culture known as Thai.
Stone tools and implements of prehistoric man dating to the Paleolithic Period have been found throughout this country. Over 10,000 years ago, man lived near the waterways in the north and central Thailand. Archaeological evidence of Neolithic settlements has been discovered in an area covering no less than 40 provinces. They include tools and decorative objects made of flint, bone and shells. Primitive paintings dating to this period exist in a number of caves. Metal works, both bronze and iron, appeared almost simultaneously some 2,700 years ago.
A part of prehistory in Thailand has become a subject for intensive study shedding new light on the evoluation of man in southeast Asia. "Ban Chiang" used to be the name of a small village in Udonthani Province. Since the discovery that this modern settlement had been founded on top of an area rich in prehistoric archaeological evidence, the name has become well known worldwide and synonymous with an important prehistoric culture.
Ancient Ban Chiang culture existed in scattered areas throughout the Northeastern region of Thailand. The people lived near watersources in dense forests. They gradually cleared the forest for settlements, They hunted with axes, spears, arrows, sling shots and fishing hooks. They cultivated rice in irrigated paddies and learnt to use buffaloes in farming. They wove cloth out of natural fibres and might have printed patterns on the fabric by using rollers. They made and wore decorative ornaments such as glass beads, earthenware amulets and bronze bangles. They made stylistic pottery which had applied or and painted decorations both for household use and for ritualistic burial. They became proficient metal workers quite early in prehiston, and discovered the use of iron almost contemporaneous with bronze.
The Ban Chiang people believed in the afterlife. They buried the dead accompanied with personal belongings, perhaps insignia of rank, containers of food and other burial goods. Theirs was a structured society which existed for thousands of years until unknown causes disrupted their stable existence. There is no historical evidence of a direct link with the inhabitants of modern Ban Chiang. who are said to have migrated into the area from Laos some 200 years ago. Nevertheless, certain aspects of the contemporary lifestyle indicate some heritage from the past. However vague this link may be, modern Ban Chiang has benefited from the fame of the ancient people.
Early Kings of Thailand Lung Pa Gnio Ai-Lao King Muang 122BC Nanchao King Se-Luan of Nong-Seh King Khun Luang (Hsi-nu-lo) Lo Sheng-Yen-ko (674-712) Sheng-lo-P'i (712-728) Khun Luang Fa (Ko-lo-feng) (748-778) I-mou-hsun (778-808) Chuan-lung-sheng Lannathai King Menkri (1259-1317)
The Lana-Thai Period
The chronicles of the origin of "Lan Na" to "Chiang Saen" lies on the Mae Kong River. Its first leader named "King Mengrai", ascended to the throne in 1259. He extended the kingdom from the borders of Laos to Lamphum and successfully captured the ancient Mon of Harupinjaya stronghold. King Mengrai also founded a new capital in Chiang Mai, located in the River Ping.
Lan Na flourished for over 200 years. Its arts and literature rose at the peak, especially in the middle of 15th century, the King Tilokoraj period. Chiang Mai in this period was also chosen as the navel of the eight world synod of Theravada Buddhism.
After the death of King Tilokoraj, the kingdom suffered from internal conflicts. Lan Na weakened because of wars with Sukhothai's successors.
King Ramkhamhaeng, a son of King Sri-inthrathit, is the most famous and dynamic monarch ever to rule the Sukhothai kingdom. He was a valiant warrior, a wise statesman, a far-sighted scholar and a brilliant diplomat. His attributes of a warrior can be seen from the fact that during his reign, the Sukhothai was an extensive kingdom, bordering in the north on the kingdom of Lannatai at Lampang, including in the north-east Phrae, Nan and Luang Prabang and in the east Wiengchan (Vientiane). To the south, it extended to the towns in the Malay Peninsula and in the west to Tenesserim, Tovoy, Martaban and Hangsawadi up to the Bay of Bengal.
King Ramkamhaeng was an absolute monarch who organized the government of the country along military lines. He was himself the head of the army and all the governors and officials in the cities and towns served under him, in diminishing ranks. He also governed with justice and magnanimity his own people as well as people of other nationalities that lived within his kingdom. Their welfare received his unfailing attention. He was accessible to his people. For example, he had a bell hung in front of a palace gate so that any subject with a grievance could ring it and ask for justice. He also showed considerable interest in the moral education of the people. He persuaded them to observe the simple Buddhist precepts, to make merit and give alms, and to attend a sermon regularly.
King Ramkamhaeng created in 1283 the first Thai alphabet so that it was a symbol of the nation's independence. Although his original script has undergone some changes, it is still in use now. It consists of 44 consonants, 32 vowels, and 5 tones of sound. In 1292, King Ramkamhaeng had a stone inscription built. It is considered to be a seminal source of Sukhothai history as well as a masterpiece of Thai literature. The Thais still learn about Sukhothai in the 13th century from this inscription.
King Ramkhamhaeng was a paternalistic and benevolent king. His people were happy. Most of them engaged in agriculture while others carried on trade, which was greatly facilitated because no tax was collected. This style of kingship has caused posterity to regard the Sukhothai Kingdom's heyday as a 'golden age" in Thai history. Under the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng, Sukhothai was both prosperous and well governed.
King Narai the Great was the son of King Prasatthong. He was a great warrior with sufficient armed forces to protect the Kingdom. In 1662, King Narai sent troops to attack Burma and Chiang Mai. His numerous conquests and victories glorified Siamese military might throughout Asia. At this time, it was said among foreigners in Ayutthaya that of all the Asian natives, the Kingdom of Siam was the most powerful with an incomparably magnificent Court.
Above all of his well-known characteristics, King Narai was the most outward-looking and cosmopolitan ruler during the reign of Ayutthaya. Like all Siamese kings, King Narai was the upholder of all faiths in the Kingdom. Bishop Pierre Lambert de la Motte said that, except for Siam, there was nowhere in the world where various natives could live together in liberty of conscience.
As
for foreign relations, King Narai became the most renowned Thai monarch since
he adopted a friendly policy towards foreigners, especially the Europeans.
Ayutthaya was a metropolis where peoples from many lands congregated,
including the Dutch, the British, the French, the Portugese and the Arab. The
French, who first arrived in 1662, sent missionaries and merchants to the
capital. During the 1680's, splendid embassies were exchanged between King
Narai and King Louis XIV. Later on, the conflict broke out when the French
tried to convert King Narai to Christianity and also attempted to gain a
foothold in the Thai kingdom by sending troops to garrison Bangkok and Mergui
in 1687. However, an anti-French official seized power in 1688, drove out the
French garrisons, and executed King Narai's Greek favorite Constantine Faulcon,
who had been championing the French cause. After 1688, Ayutthaya had less
contact with western nations.
The Thai Kingdom under the reign of King Narai was abundant in agricultural produce. Siam did a lot of trade with merchants from different parts of the world. During his prosperous reign, Siam was always crowded with hundreds of vessels of all sizes from both Asia and Europe.
K ing Narai himself was a poet, and Thai literature was revived during his reign. Under his patronage, his Court became the center where poets congregated to compose verses and poems. King Narai certainly made his poetic mark in the history of Thai literature and enjoyed the literary works, which were admirably produced by such outstanding poets as Pra Maharajkru, Pra Horatibodi, and Sriprachya. At the command of King Narai, Pra Horatibodi wrote a book for the study of Thai language entitled Chindamani, in order to counter balance the French cultural influence. The King worried about Thai children who attended the catholic schools in increasing numbers, as they might adopt the European culture and be converted. Summing up the elements, the grammar, the prosody, the versification of Thai language as well as official forms of correspondence, the Chindamani became a popular textbook in due time and continued to be in use until the commencement of King Chulalongkorn's reign (1868-1910). It is generally accepted as the first textbook of Thai language.
King Naresuan was King Mahathammaracha's son. At the age of nine, he had been taken as hostage to Burma for 6 years. King Naresuan was a great warrior king. He liberated Ayutthaya from Burma while he was the Crown Prince. He led the soldiers into battles to defend the country against Burmese invasions many times. He is also widely known among the Thais nowadays for his heroic efforts. He led the assault of a Burmese camp by climbing the wooden stockade with the blunt side of a saber in his mouth. He had a duel on elephants with the Burmese Crown Prince and slew him. He took the offensive against Burma and also dealt with the Cambodians who made a series of raids. King Naresuan extended Ayutthaya's territory to include Lanna, Lanchang, Cambodia and some parts of Burma. He enforced strict discipline on his soldiers and the people. During his reign, Ayutthaya was a very secure and powerful state.
Apart from being a great warrior, King Naresuan also played a significant role in foreign relations and trade. Realizing the importance of foreign trade, he sent envoys to China and Spain, and cultivated friendly relations with the Europeans. Ayutthaya concluded a treaty of friendship and commerce with Spain, which was the second treaty that Siam made with a European Power. (The first European power with which Siam had a treaty was Portugal.) Under this treaty, Spaniards had the right to reside, to trade and to practice their religion in Siam. At the end of his reign, he exposed Ayutthaya to another western nation - the Dutch.
King
Naresuan deserved the honor of being "the Great". He not only
restored the national independence but also made Siam such a powerful country
that no enemy threatened the walls of Ayutthaya again for a period of one
hundred seventy three years.
Three of King Naresuan's weapons and belongings have constituted a part of the Royal Regalia down to the present. The first is the musket with which he shot the Burmese leader in one of the battles to defend Ayutthaya against Burma. Second is the saber that he carried in his mouth during his assault on the Burmese camp at Ayutthaya. The last is the leather hat with a brim cut-off in the shape of a crescent moon, which he was wearing when he engaged in a duel on elephants with the Crown Prince of Burma.
By the time Ayutthaya was invaded by Burma at the end of King Ekatat's reign, King Tak Sin was the governor of Tak Province known as Phya Tak. He and his men were drafted to help in the defense of Ayutthaya, which was facing the full blast of the Burmese siege. Due to his courage and skill in fighting the enemy, he was promoted to be the governor of Kampaeng Phet. But he was popularly referred to as Phya Tak Sin. After the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, King Tak Sin drove out the Burmese invaders and united Thailand. He started his work of liberation with only five hundred followers, and spent fifteen years in military operations to regain the independence of Thailand.
Since Ayutthaya had been so completely devastated, King Tak Sin chose to establish his capital at Thonburi (across the river from Bangkok). Thonburi, although a small town, was strategically situated near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River and therefore suitable as a seaport. By that time, foreign trade was needed not only as a way to acquire weapons but also to bolster the Thai economy, which had suffered extensively during the war with Burma.
King Tak Sin's greatest achievement was the rallying of the Thai nation during a time of crisis. He was one of the most remarkable men ever to wear the crown of Thailand through his own ability. At the time of his coronation, he was only thirty-four years of age. He was also interested in promoting a cultural revival in literature and the arts. He was deeply religious and studied meditation to an advanced level. His kindness and bravery as the liberator of Thailand will always be on the Thai people's mind. His achievements have caused posterity to bestow on him the epithet "the Great".
1. Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok the Great: Rama I (1782 - 1809)
King Rama I was formerly known as Thong Duang. Following the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, he entered the service of Phya Tak Sin and fought by his side in almost every campaign until the latter became King Tak Sin. After King Tak Sin was deposed in 1782, Thong Duang was chosen as King, becoming the founder and first ruler of the Chakri Dynasty. In the year of his accession, he moved the capital of Thailand from Thonburi to the city of Bangkok, the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River. During his reign, the Grand Palace was constructed and the Emerald Buddha was installed in the Royal Chapel. Many historians have stated that the modern Siam dates from his reign.
Although the absolute monarchy was still the form of government, King Rama I's rule was endowed with the Ten Kingly Virtues. He devoted himself to a thorough reorganization of the administration that had fallen into a chaotic condition since the destruction of Ayutthaya. However, the government of King Rama I was still highly centralized with officials whom he could trust to the fullest measure in charge of the various offices. It was suitable for the country and the people of that period since education was practically non-existent for the common people. He then undertook a reform of the Buddhist Church. The monks' discipline was tightened in order to maintain a respectable standard of behavior. The Buddhist Scripture, or the Tripitaka, was assiduously revised at royal expense. This was a necessity since most of the authoritative books on the subject had been scattered or lost in the conflagration of Ayutthaya. The King built and restored twelve monasteries, in addition to a monastery called Wat Prajetubon or Wat Po at the rear of the Royal Palace.
King Rama I set up a commission of legal experts to revise the country's laws in 1805. The result of its work was the Laws of Three Seals or the Law Code of 1805-1808.
The reign of King Rama I fostered a literature renaissance after the ransacking of Ayutthaya. In spite of such pressing matters as the war with Burma, he found time to uplift the dignity of Thai literature. Not only did he encourage the writing of prose and poetry, but he also himself composed poems so well that he is now accepted as a legitimate poet in the history of Thai literature. He took upon himself the task of rewriting and revising the Ramakien and the Inao. The Ramakien is the Thai version of the Ramayana that is a great epic of Hindu inspiration. It is ranked as a literary work of enormous popularity, and is the only one used in the classical masked play called "Khon".
Even though King Mongkut or King Rama IV may not be remembered as "the Great", his accomplishments also deserve to be highlighted.
Born in Bangkok on October 18, 1804, King Mongkut had entered a monastery shortly before the accession of his elder half-brother King Rama III and spent 27 years as an abbot before mounting the throne as king - a unique situation in the history of any country. He was the first Thai king to learn the English language and entered into correspondence with foreign rulers, the Pope and the American president.
King Mongkut's unique personality left its stamp on his country - his keen mind and his quest for knowledge led him into encounters and situations which no Thai king had experienced before. He conducted theological discussions with American missionaries living in Bangkok, delighting in arguing with them about the differences in belief of the Christian and Buddhist religions. He employed an English woman to instruct his children in the English language. He himself undertook the study of Western science, his favorite subject being that of astronomy. In 1868 he correctly predicted an eclipse of the sun and invited his doubting courtiers and members of the foreign community in Bangkok to accompany him to Sam Roi Yod to view the eclipse. The choice of the site proved to be fever-infested and on his return to Bangkok the king fell seriously ill from malaria and six weeks later, on October 1, 1868, he died.
K ing Chulalongkorn the Great was a son of King Mongkut. He ascended the throne on October 1, 1868, following his father's death. The first few years of his reign were under a regency..
K ing Chulalongkorn is perhaps the most revered of all the Chakri kings. During his long reign of 42 years, great advances were achieved for the country. The first measure he took after his coronation was to abolish slavery. He issued a royal decree that all the people born in his reign would be free, since he was determined that slavery must eventually disappear from his realm. However, to avoid disturbing the peace, King Chulalongkorn chose to follow a gradual and moderate policy so it took as much as 30 years to abolish slavery completely and successfully.
H is achievements in economic matters centered on reform of taxes and public finance. The Public Revenue Development Chamber was founded in 1874 to collect taxes and state revenue. It became the Ministry of Finance in 1910. Other than that, private banking was encouraged. In 1906, a group of private persons was allowed to establish the first bank of Thailand named "Siam Commercial Bank".
A s for education, King Chulalongkorn realized that education was important, and had to be encouraged since it would make the public knowledgeable, able and responsible, while rendering the task of government less formidable. As a result, he began to foster education by establishing a school in the Grand Palace in 1871 for the teaching of Siamese and English to members of the royal families and children and grandchildren of noblemen. This was later expanded to include commoners by the establishment of a royal school at Mahannaparam monastery in 1884. Three years later, the Department of Education was set up by royal command for the regulation of education in the capital. In 1894, the Ministry of Education was established for the regulation of nation-wide education. King Rama IV also began the provision of the "King's scholarships" to enable commoners to study abroad. In 1902, King Chulalongkorn established a school for royal pages to train noblemen in political science so as to be competent to conduct the affairs of the various new Ministries that he had founded. Teachers' training schools were also created to produce teachers for the numerous schools that had been started.
K ing Chulalongkorn actively pursued a policy of "modernizing" the country and had a number of Europeans in his service to oversee such projects as the building of the first railway in Thailand. He himself made two visits to Europe, one in 1897 and another in 1907, during which he became acquainted with most of the rulers of Europe. Bonds of friendship between himself and the various European royal families were formed - bonds that continue to the present day. In brief, he succeeded in putting Siam on the map of the world. Not only was he the first Thai king to travel abroad, but he also sent his sons to study in Europe. He successfully managed to cultivate the idea of Siam as a buffer state between the colonial possessions of the European powers in Southeast Asia. The price he paid for losing certain border territories was amply rewarded, since Siam was never colonized. She was the only country in the region to maintain its sovereignty throughout the period of colonial expansionism.
M uch beloved by his people, he died on October 23, 1910. The day has been declared as a government holiday in deference to his memory. On the anniversary of his demise on October 23 every year, homage in the form of floral tribute is paid to his Equestrian Statue in the Royal Plaza of Bangkok.
9. Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great: (Rama IX) (1946…..)
King Bhumibol Adulyadej was given the title "the Great" by more than 40 million of Thailand's 55 million people through a nationwide poll conducted between 1985-86. Mr. Prem Tinsulanonda, Prime Minister at that time, gave the title to His Majesty the King at a gathering at the Government Office Building to mark the 42nd anniversary of the king's coronation in May 1988. The poll said His Majesty King Bhumibol deserved to be given the title because of his competence, intelligence and love for the people.
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