April 17, 2012 <Back to Index>
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Taksin (Royal Institute: Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Maharat; Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช or The King of the Thonburi Kingdom; Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, Somdet Phra Chao Krung Thonburi; Chinese: 鄭昭; pinyin: Zhèng Zhāo; Teochew: Dênchao; Vietnamese: Trịnh Quốc Anh); (April 17, 1734 – April 7, 1782) was the only King of the Thonburi Kingdom. He is greatly revered by the Thai people for his leadership in liberating Siam from Burmese occupation after the Second Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, and the subsequent unification of Siam after it fell under various warlords. He established the city Thonburi as the new capital, as the city Ayutthaya had been almost completely destroyed by the invaders. His reign was characterized by numerous wars, fought to repel new Burmese invasions and to subjugate the northern Thai kingdom of Lanna, the Laotian principalities, and a threatening Cambodia. He was succeeded by the Chakri dynasty and the Rattanakosin Kingdom under his long time friend King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke. Although
warfare took up most of King Taksin's time, he paid a great deal of
attention to politics, administration, economy, and the welfare of the
country. He promoted trade and fostered relations with foreign
countries including China, Britain, and the Netherlands.
He had roads built and canals dug. Apart from restoring and renovating
temples, the king attempted to revive literature, and various branches
of the arts such as drama, painting, architecture and handicrafts. He
also issued regulations for the collection and arrangement of various
texts to promote education and religious studies. In recognition for
what he did for the Thais, he was later awarded the title of Maharaj (The Great). The future ruler was born on April 17, 1734 in Ayutthaya. His father, Hai-Hong (Thai:ไหฮอง; Chinese: 郑镛), who worked as a tax collector, was a Teochew Chinese immigrant from Chenghai County. His mother, Lady Nok-lang (Thai: นกเอี้ยง), was Thai (and was later awarded the feudal title of Somdet Krom Phra Phithak Thephamat). Impressed by the boy, Chao Phraya Chakri (Mhud), who was the Samuhanayok (prime minister) in King Boromakot's reign, adopted him and gave him the Thai name Sin (สิน,) meaning money or treasure. When he was 7, he was assigned to a monk named Tongdee to begin his education in a Buddhist monastery called Wat Kosawat (later Wat Choeng Thar) (Thai:วัดโกษาวาส ต่อมาเปลี่ยนชื่อเป็น วัดเชิงท่า). After seven years of education he was sent by his stepfather to serve as a royal page, he studied Chinese, Annamese, and Indian languages with diligence and soon he was able to converse in them with fluency. When Sin and his friend, Tong-Duang, were Buddhist novices they met a Chinese fortune teller who told them that they both had lucky lines in
the palms of their hands and would both become kings. Neither took it
seriously, but Tong-Duang was later the successor of King Taksin, Rama I. After taking the vows of a Buddhist monk for about 3 years, Sin joined the service of King Ekatat and was first deputy governor and later governor of the Tak, which gained him his name Phraya Tak, the governor of Tak, which was exposed to danger from Burma, though his official noble title was "Phraya Tak". In
1764, the Burmese army attacked the southern region of Thailand. Led by
Muang Maha Noratha, the Burmese army was victorious and marched on to Phetchaburi.
Here, the Burmese were confronted by Thai soldiers led by two generals,
Kosadhibodhi and Phraya Tak. The Thai army beat the Burmese back to
Singkhorn Pass. In 1765, when the Burmese attacked Ayutthaya, Phraya Tak defended the capital, for which he was given the title "Phraya Vajiraprakarn" of Kamphaeng Phet.
But he did not have a chance to govern Kamphaeng Phet because war broke
out again. He was immediately called back to Ayutthaya to protect the
city. For more than a year, Thai and Burmese soldiers fought fierce
battles during the siege of Ayutthaya. It was during this time that
Phraya Vajiraprakarn experienced many setbacks which led him to doubt
the value of his endeavours. On January 3, 1766, shortly before Ayutthaya fell in 1767, he cut his way out of the city at the head of 500 followers to Rayong, on the east coast of Gulf of Thailand. This
action was never adequately explained, as the Royal compound and
Ayutthaya proper was located on an island; how Taksin and his followers
fought their way out of the Burmese encirclement remains a mystery. On
April 7, 1767, Ayutthaya was facing the full blast of the Burmese
siege. After the destruction of Ayutthaya and the death of the Thai
king, the country was split into six parts, with Sin controlling the
east coast. Together with Tong-Duang, now Chao Phraya Chakri, he
eventually managed to drive back the Burmese, defeat his rivals and
reunify the country. Due
to his courage and skill in fighting the enemy, he was promoted to be
the governor of Khampaeng Phet with the title of Phraya Vajiraprakarn (Thai: พระยาวชิรปราการ), but he was populaly referred as Phraya.
He carried out the defence of Ayutthaya in its last days. Perhaps Sin
saw that the situation of the kingdom was in great despair. Therefore
before the end of Ayutthaya came, he decided to cut his way out from
the city and travelled first to Chon Buri, a town on the Gulf of Thailand's eastern coast, and then to Rayong, where he raised a small army and his supporters began to address him as Prince Tak. He planned to attack and capture Chantaburi, according to a popular version of oral history, he said "We
are going to attack Chantaburi tonight, and all the food that we have
left just throw it away and destroy all of the utensils that we have.
As we are going to have breakfast together at Chantaburi otherwise we
would rather be dead." With
his soldiers he moved to Chantaburi, and being rebuffed by the Governor
of the town for his friendly overtures, he made a surprise night attack
on it and captured it on June 15, 1767, only two months after the
sack of Ayutthaya. His army was rapidly increasing in numbers, as men of Chantaburi and Trat, which had not been plundered and depopulated by the Burmese, naturally constituted a suitable base for him to make preparations for the liberation of his motherland. Having
thoroughly looted Ayutthaya, the Burmese did not seem to show serious
interest in holding down the capital of Siam, since they left only a
handful of troops under General Suki to control the shattered city.
They turned their attention to the north of their own country which was
soon threatened with Chinese invasion.
On November 6, 1767, having mastered 5,000 troops and all in fine
spirits, Taksin sailed up the Chao Phraya River and seized Thonburi
opposite present day Bangkok, executing the Thai governor, Thong-in, whom the Burmese had placed over it. He followed up his victory quickly by boldly attacking the main Burmese camp at Phosamton near Ayutthya. The Burmese were defeated, and Taksin won back Ayutthaya from the enemy within seven months of its destruction. Taksin
took important steps to show that he was a worthy successor to the
throne. He was said to take an appropriate treatment to the remnants of
the ex-Royal Family, arranged a grand cremation of the remains of King Ekatat, and tackled the problem of locating the capital. Possibly,
Taksin realized that Ayutthaya city had suffered such vast destruction
that to restore it to its former state would undoubtedly have strained
his resources. The Burmese were quite familiar with the various routes
leading to Ayutthaya, and in the event of renewal of a Burmese attack
on it, the troops under the liberator would be inadequate for the
effective defence of the city. With these considerations in mind, he
established his capital at Thon Buri, nearer to the sea than Ayutthaya. Not
only would Thon Buri be difficult to invade by land, it would also
prevent an acquisition of weapons and military supplies by anyone
ambitious enough to establish himself as an independent prince further
up the Chao Phraya River. As Thon Buri was
a small town, Prince Tak's available forces, both soldiers and sailors,
could man its fortifications, and if he found it impossible to hold it
against an enemy's attack, he could embark the troops and beat a
retreat to Chantaburi. The
successes against competitors for power were due to Taksin's fighting
ability as a warrior, splendid leadership, exemplary valor and
effective organization of his forces. Usually he put himself in the
front rank in an encounter with the enemy, thus inspiring his men to
brave danger. Among the officials who threw in their fate with him
during the campaigns for the recovery of national independence and for
the elimination of the self-appointed local nobles were two
personalities who subsequently played exceptionally important roles in
Thai history. They were the sons of an official bearing the title of
Pra Acksonsuntornsmiantra (Thai: พระ
อักษรสุนทรเสมียนตรา), the elder of whom named Tongduang (Thai: ทองด้วง)
was born in 1737 in Ayutthaya and later to be the founder of the Chakri Dynasty,
while the younger one, Boonma (Thai: บุญมา), born six years later,
assumed the power second to him. The two brothers joined the royal service. Tongduang, prior to the sacking of Ayutthaya, was ennobled as Luang Yokkrabat, taking charge of royal surveillance, serving the Governor of Ratchaburi, and Boonma had a court title conferred upon him as Nai Sudchinda.
Luang Yokkrabat (Tongduang) was therefore not in Ayutthaya to witness
the horrors that arose from the fall of the city, while Nai Sudchinda
(Boonma) made his escape from Ayutthaya. However, while King Taksin was
assembling his forces at Chantaburi, Nai Sudchinda brought his
retainers to join him, thus helping to increase his fighting strength.
Due to his previous acquaintance with him, the liberator was so pleased
that he promoted him to be Pra Mahamontri. Just after his coronation,
Taksin was fortunate to secure the service of Luang Yokkrabut on the
recommendation of Pra Mahamontri (Thai: พระมหามนตรี) and as he was
equally familiar with him as with his brother, he raised him to be Pra
Rajwarin. Having rendered signal service to the King during his
campaigns or their own expeditions against the enemies, Pra Rajwarin
(Thai: พระราชวรินทร์) and Pra Mahamontri rose so quickly in the noble
ranks that a few years after, the former was created Chao Phraya Chakri, the rank of the Chancellor, while the latter became Chao Phraya Surasih.
On December 28, 1768, he was crowned king of Siam at Wang Derm Palace in Thonburi, the new capital of Siam. He assumed the official name of Boromraja IV,
but is known in Thai history as King Taksin, being a combination of his
popular name, Phya Tak, and his first name, Sin, or the King of
Thonburi, being the only ruler of that capital. At the time of his
coronation, he was only 34 years of age. His father was Chinese or
partly Chinese, and his mother Siamese. He believed that even the
forces of nature were under his control when he was destined to
succeeded, and this faith led him to attempt and achieve tasks which to
another man would seem impossible. He never had time to build Thonburi
into a great city, as he was fully occupied with suppression of
internal and external enemies, as well as territorial expansion
throughout his reign. After
the sacking of Ayutthaya, the country had fallen apart, due to the
disappearance of the central authority. Besides King Taksin, who had
organized his force in the south-eastern provinces, Prince Teppipit,
King Boromakot's son, who had been unsuccessful in a diversionary
action against the Burmese in 1766, had set himself up as the ruler of Phimai holding sway over the eastern provinces including Nakhon Ratchasima or Khorat, while the Governor of Phitsanulok,
whose first name was Ruang (Thai: เรือง), had proclaimed himself
independent, with the territory under his control extending to the
province of Nakhon Sawan. North of Phitsanulok was the town of Sawangburi (known as Fang in Uttaradit Province),
where a Buddhist monk named Ruan had made himself a prince, appointing
his qualified fellow monks as army commanders. He had himself pursued
Buddhist studies at Ayutthatya with such excellent results that he had
been appointed the chief monk of Sawangburi by King Boromakot. In the
southern provinces up to Chumphon, a Pra Palad who was the acting Governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat declared his independence and raised himself to the princely rank. Having
firmly established his power at Thonburi, King Taksin set out to crush
his rivals so as to effect the reunification of the Kingdom. After a
temporary repulse by the Governor of Phitsanulok, he concentrated on the defeat of the weakest one first. Prince Teppipit of Phimai was quelled and executed in 1768. In dealing with the Prince of Nakhon Si Thammarat, who was taken prisoner by the loyal Governor of Pattani, the
King not only pardoned him but also favoured him with a residence at
Thonburi. Chao Narasuriyawongse, one of Taksin's nephews, was
substituted for him as Governor. King Taksin himself led an expedition
against him and took it, but the Prince disappeared and could not be
found again. Needless to say, Hsinbyushin of
Burma never abandoned his plan to force Siam to its knees, and as soon
as he had been informed of the foundation of Thonburi as King Taksin's
capital, he commanded the Governor of Tavoy to subjugate him in 1767. The Burmese army advanced to the district of Bangkung in the province of Samut Songkram to the west of the new capital, but was routed by the Thai king himself. Peace having been concluded with China,
the Burmese king sent another small army of 5,000 to attack Siam in
1774. But it was completely surrounded by the Thais at Bangkeo in Ratchaburi,
and eventually starvation compelled the Burmese to capitulate to King
Taksin. It would be no exaggeration to say that he could have massacred
all of them if he wished to do so, but the fact that he took them alive
was to promote the morale of the Thai people. The Burmese reinforcements who had encamped themselves in the province of Kanchanaburi were
then mopped up. Undaunted by this defeat, King Hsinbyushin tried again
to conquer Siam, and in October 1775 the greatest Burmese invasion in
the Thonburi period began under Maha Thiha Thura, known in Thai history as Azaewunky. He had distinguished himself as a first rate general in the wars with China and in the suppression of a recent Peguan rising. After crossing the Thai frontier at Melamao Pass, the Burmese marched towards Phitsanulok, capturing Phichai and Sukhothai on
the way. In his interrogation of two Phichai officials, Azaewunky
referred to Chao Phraya Surasih who was the Governor of Phisanulok as
"Phraya Sua" or "The Tiger", thus testifying to his boldness and
decisiveness. The Burmese then besieged Phitsanulok which was defended
by the brother generals, Chao Phraya Chakri and Chao Phya Surasih, and
as the result of the stubborn resistance on the part of Thai soldiers,
they were checked outside the city ramparts for about 4 months. Hearing
about Chao Phraya Chakri's successful assaults which drove back the
Burmese to their well fortified camp, Azaewunky arranged a meeting with
him, in the course of which he extolled his generalship and advised him
to take good care on himself. He prophesied that General Chakri would
certainly become king. Was he really honest in his prediction? No
definite answer has been found for it. Anyhow he was at that time
seventy two years of age, while his opponent was only thirty nine. Any
doubt about Azaewunky's stratagem to sow discord between King Taksin
and Chao Phraya Chakri should be dismissed, since they collaborated
closely in subsequent military expeditions. In
spite of King Taksin's endeavour to attack the Burmese from the rear,
Chao Phraya Chakri and Chao Phraya Surasih could not hold Phitsanulok
any longer, due to lack of provisions. Having collected most of the
inhabitants, they successfully fought their way through enemy lines and
made Phetchabun their
headquarters. Azaewunky led his army into the deserted city at the end
of March 1776, but was soon confronted with the same problem of the
shortage of food. At this juncture he was instructed by the new Burmese
King, Singun Min or Chingkucha (1776 - 1782) to evacuate Thai
territory.
So Azaewunky's army left Siam, but the remnants of the Burmese forces
continued the war until they were pushed out of the country in
September of that year. In King Taksin's opinion, so long as Chiang Mai was
ruled by the Burmese, the north of Siam would be constantly subjected
to their incursions. The prerequisite for the maintenance of peace in
that region would therefore be the complete expulsion of the Burmese
from Chiang Mai. In 1771, the Burmese Governor of that city moved his army southwards and laid siege to Phichai,
but he was driven out. Taksin followed the Burmese with a view to
studying their strength, and his army was thus not prepared for a
direct assault on their city fortress. After meeting with stubborn
resistance, he retired, presumably believing in an ancient prophesy to
the effect that two attempts were required for the capture of Chiang
Mai. King Narairaja had tried twice to seize it before it fell into his hands. The Burmese failure to take Phichai formed a prelude to Taksin's second expedition to Chaing Mai. In 1773, a Burmese army which threatened Phichai was drawn into an ambush and was heavily routed. Phraya Phichai,
the Phichai Governor, engaged the Burmese in a hand to hand fight until
his two long swords were broken, and thus won the name of "Broken
Sword." When
a Thai army under the command of Chao Phraya Chakri and Chao Phraya
Surasih reached Lampang, Phraya Chaban and Phraya Kawila, the two
leading officials who had deserted the Burmese joined him in laying
siege to Chaing Mai and soon King Taksin arrived on the spot. The city
fell to the Thai armies in January 1775, but the Burmese Governor and
the commander managed to escape with their families. Before his
departure for Thonburi, the King conferred honours and distinction on
those who had contributed to success of his campaign. Phraya Chaban was
made Governor of Chaing Mai with the title of Phraya Wichienprakarn,
while Phraya Kawila and Phraya Waiwongsa governed Lampang and Lamphun respectively. Chao
Phraya Chakri was directed to prolong his stay in order to assist them
in the pacification of the north, which included the Laotian states.
However, the Burmese King considered that as the Laotian states
constituted his base for the maintenance of Burmese power in the
territory further east, namely, Luang Prabang and Vientiane,
Chiang Mai must be taken back, and so a Burmese army of 6,000 men was
sent there to carry out its mission in 1776. The Burmese entered the
city, but were forced out by a Thai army under Chao Phraya Surasih
which had marched to its relief. Chaing Mai had suffered from the
recent campaigns so badly that its population was greatly reduced and
impoverished, and in the event of a new Burmese attack, it could not
defend itself. For these reasons, King Taksin abandoned the city and
its remaining inhabitants were transplanted to Lampang. Chiang Mai thus
became a deserted city and remained so for fifteen years. Over the next few years, Taksin managed to gain control over Chiang Mai, and put Cambodia under the vassalage of Siam by 1779 after repeated military campaigns. The annexation of Champasak Province indirectly
led King Taksin to send an expedition against Vientiane. In 1777, the
ruler of Champasak, which was at that time an independent principality
bordering on the Thai eastern frontier, supported the Governor of Nangrong, who had rebelled against the Thai king. A Thai army under Chao Phraya
Chakri was ordered to move against the rebel, who was caught and
executed, and having received reinforcements under Chao Phraya Surasih,
he advanced to Champasak, where the ruler, Chao O and his deputy, were
captured and were summarily beheaded. Champasak was added to the
Kingdom of Siam, and King Taksin was so pleased with Chao Phraya
Chakri's conduct of the campaign that he promoted him to be Somdej Chao Phraya Mahakasatsuek Piluekmahima Tuknakara Ra-adet (Thai:
สมเด็จ
เจ้าพระยามหากษัตริย์ศึก พิลึกมหึมาทุกนคราระอาเดช) (meaning the supreme
Chao Phraya, Great Warrior - King who was so remarkably powerful that
every city was afraid of his might)— being the highest title of nobility that a commoner could reach. It would be equivalent to the rank of a Royal Duke. In Vientiane,
a Minister of State, Pra Woh, had rebelled against the ruling prince
and fled to the Champasak territory, where he set himself up at
Donmotdang near the present city of Ubon. He made formal submission to
Siam, when he annexed Champasak, but after the withdrawal of the Thai
army, he was attacked and killed by troops from Vientiane. This action
was instantly regarded by King Taksin as a great insult to him, and at
his command, Somdej Chao Phya Mahakasatsuek invaded Vientiane with an
army of 20,000 men in 1778. It would be useful here to briefly
summarise the history of Laos which had been separated into two
principalities of Luang Prabang and Vientiane since the beginning of
the eighteenth century. The Prince of Luang Prabang, who was in enmity
with the Prince of Vientiane, submitted to Siam for his own safety,
bringing his men to join Somdej Chao Phya Mahakasatsuek in besieging
the city. After a siege of Vientiane which took about four months, the Thais took Vientiane and carried off the image of the Emerald Buddha to
Thonburi. The Prince of Vientiane managed to escape and went into
exile. Thus Luang Prabang and Vientiane became Thai dependencies.
Nothing definite is known about the origin of the celebrated Emerald
Buddha. It is believed that this image was carved from green jasper by
an artist or artists in northern India about two thousand years ago. It
was taken to Ceylon and then to Chiang Rai,
a town in the north of Siam where it was, in 1434, found intact in a
chedi which had been struck by lightning. As an object of great
veneration among Thai Buddhists. it has been deposited in monasteries in Lampang, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Thonburi, and eventually in Bangkok. In 1770, King Taksin launched a war against the Nguyễn Lords over their control of Cambodia.
After some initial defeats, the joint Siamese - Cambodian army defeated
the Nguyễn army in 1771 and 1772. These defeats helped provoke an
internal rebellion (the Tây Sơn rebellion)
which would soon sweep the Nguyễn out of power. In 1773, the Nguyễn
made peace with King Taksin, giving back some land they controlled in
Cambodia. In
1769, Cambodia was in turmoil again, due to the rivalry for the throne
by two royal brothers, the elder of who was King Ramraja (Non). Having
suffered defeat at the hands of his brother (Ton) who was aided by Annamite troops,
he sought shelter in Siam. Prince Ton proclaimed himself as King
Narairaja. This struggle afforded an opportunity to King Taksin to
resuscitate Thai suzerainty over
Cambodia as in the days of Ayutthaya. An army was dispatched to assist
the ex-King Ramraja to regain his power, but met with no success. In 1771, however, the Thai forces won back the Cambodia throne
for him, but Narairaja retreated to the east of the country. In the
end, Ramraja and Narairaja came to a compromise, whereby the former
became the first King and the latter was the second King or Maha Uparayoj,
and Prince Tam was Maha Uparat or Deputy to the first and the second
King. This arrangement proved to be unsatisfactory. Prince Tam was
murdered, while the second King died suddenly. Believing that King
Ramraja was responsible for their deaths, many prominent officials
under the leadership of Prince Talaha (Mu) revolted, caught him and
drowned him in the river in 1780. Prince Talaha put Prince Ang Eng, the
four year old son of the ex-King Narairaja, on the throne with himself
acting as Regent,
but he soon leaned too much Annam, thus coming into conflict with King
Taksin’s policy to support a pro-Thai prince on the Cambodian throne.
The Thai King therefore decided on an invasion of Cambodia. A Thai army
of 20,000 under Somdej Chao Phraya Mahakasatsuek moved into Cambodia,
and in the event of his success in subduing the country, he was to
assist in crowning Taksin’s son, Prince Intarapitak, as King of
Cambodia. With the aid of an Annamite army, Prince Talana was prepared
to take his stand against the Thai forces at Phnom Penh, but before any
fighting started, serious disturbances which had broken out in Siam
made Somdej Chao Phraya Mahakasatsuek decide on a hasty return to
Thonburi, after handing the command of the army to Chao Phraya Surasih. The kingdom under his rule was much bigger than it was in Ayutthaya times. It included the following provinces : Thon Buri, Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Singburi, Lopburi, Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan, Chachoengsao, Prachinburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chonburi, Rayong, Chantaburi, Trat, Nakhon Chai Si, Nakhon Pathom, Suphanburi, Ratchaburi, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Phetchaburi, Kanchanaburi, and Prachuap Khiri Khan. Throughout his reign, King Taksin carried out his policy of expansion. In the north, including the whole of Lanna. Burmese was driven out. local allies became Thonburi's subjugation. In the south, including Syburi (today is Kedah) and Trengganu in Malaysia. In the east, Cambodia was subjugated. His forces even attacked South Vietnam. In the northeast, including Vientiane, Phuan, Luang Phrabang, and Hua Phan Ha Thang Hok. In the southeast, including Phutthaimat (Hà Tiên in Vietnam today). In the west, as far as Mergui and Tenasserim in Myanmar today leading to the Indian Ocean. After
King Taksin established Thonburi as his capital, people were living in
abject poverty, and food and clothing were scarce. The king was well
aware of the plight of his subjects, so in order to legitimize his
claim for the Kingdom, he considered solving economic problems as the
main priority. He paid high prices for rice from his own money to
induce foreign traders to bring in adequate amounts of basic
necessities to satisfy the need of the people. He then distributed rice
and clothing to all his starving subjects without exception. People who
had been dispersed came back to their homes. Normalcy was restored. The economy of the country gradually recovered. King Taksin sent three diplomatic envoys to China in 1767, which then was ruled by Qianlong Emperor, After six years (1772), China recognized King Taksin as the rightful ruler of Siam, and the record dating from 1777 states: "Important goods from Thailand are amber, gold, colored rocks, good nuggets, gold dust, semi-precious stones, and hard lead." During this time the king actively encouraged the Chinese to settle in Siam, principally those from Chaozhou, partly with the intention to revive the stagnating economy and upgrading the local workforce at that time. He
had to fight almost constantly for most of his reign to maintain the
independence of his country. As the economic influence of the immigrant
Chinese community grew with time, many aristocrats, which he took in
from the Ayutthaya nobility, began to turn against him for having
allied with the Chinese merchants. The opposition were led mainly by the Bunnag, a trader aristocrat family of Persian origins. Coupled with the tax revenues that these activities provided — helped restore the kingdom's devastated economy. Thai galleons travelled to Portuguese colony of Surat, in Goa, India. However, formal diplomatic relations were not formed. In 1776, Francis Light sent 1,400 flintlocks along
with other goods as gifts to King Taksin. Later, Thonburi ordered some
guns from England. Royal letters were exchanged and in 1777, George
Stratton, the Viceroy of Madras, sent a gold scabbard decorated with gems to King Taksin. In 1770, natives of Terengganu and Jakarta presented King Taksin with 2,200 shotguns. At that time, Holland controlled the Java Islands. Simultaneously
King Taksin was deeply engaged in restoring law and order in the
Kingdom and in administering a programme of public welfare to his
people. Abuses in the Buddhist establishment, and among the public,
were duly rectified, and food and clothes as well as other necessities
of life were hastily distributed to those who needed them, thus
bringing respect and affection to him. King
Taksin was also interested in other branches of art, including dance
and drama. There is evidence that when he went to suppress the Chao
Nakhon Si Thammarat faction in 1769, he brought back Chao Nakhon's
female dancers. Together with dancers that he had assembled from other
places, they trained and set up a royal troupe in Thonburi on the
Ayutthaya model. The King wrote four episodes from the Ramakian for the royal troupe to rehearse and perform. When
he went north to suppress the Phra Fang faction, he could see that
monks in the north were lax and undisciplined. He invited
ecclesiastical dignitaries from the capital to teach those monks and
brought them back in line with the main teachings of Buddhism. Even
though King Taksin had applied himself to reforming the Buddhist
religion after its period of decline following the loss of Ayutthaya to
Burma, gradually bringing it back to the normalcy it enjoyed during the
Ayutthaya kingdom, since his reign was so brief he was not able to do
very much. The administration of the Sangha during the Thonburi period followed the model established in Ayutthaya, and he allowed French missionaries to enter Thailand, and like a previous Thai king, helped them build a church in 1780. Thai
historians indicate that the strain on him took its toll, and the king
started to become a religious fanatic. In 1781 Taksin showed increasing
signs of mental trouble. He believed himself to be a future Buddha,
expecting to change the colour of his blood from red to white. As he
started practising meditation, he even gave lecture to the monks.
Sometimes he flogged monks who refused to worship him as such. Economic
tension caused by war was serious. As famine spread, looting and crimes
were widespread. Corrupt officials were reportedly abundant. Taksin
himself executed several officials harshly. Discontent among officials
could be expected. Several
historians have suggested that the tale of his 'insanity' may have been
reconstructed as an excuse for his overthrow. However, the letters of a
French priest who was in Thonburi at the time support the accounts of
the monarch's peculiar behavior. Thus the terms 'insanity' or 'madness'
possibly were the contemporary definition describing the monarch's
actions. With the Burmese threat still prevalent, a strong ruler was
needed on the throne. According to some sources, many oppressions and
abuses made by officials were reported. King Taksin punished them
harshly, torturing and executing high officials. Finally a faction led
by Phraya San seized the capital and forced the king to step down. According to the following Rattanakosin era accounts,
King Taksin was described as 'insane.' The disturbance in Thonburi
widely spread, with killing and looting prevalent. A coup d'état removing Taksin from the throne consequently took place, although Taksin requested to be allowed to join the monkhood. When the coup occurred, General Chao Phraya Chakri was away fighting in Cambodia,
but he quickly returned to the Thai capital following being informed of
the coup. Upon having arrived at the capital, the General extinguished
the coup through arrests, investigations and punishments. Peace was
then restored in the capital. According
to the Royal Thai Chronicles, General Chao Phraya Chakri decided to put
the deposed Taksin to death. The Chronicles stated that, while being
taken to the executing venue, Taksin asked for an audience with General
Chao Phraya Chakri but was turned down by the General. Taksin was
beheaded in front of Wichai Prasit fortress on Wednesday, April 10,
1782, and his body was buried at Wat Bang Yi Ruea Tai. General Chao
Phraya Chakri then seized control of the capital and declared himself
king together with establishing the House of Chakri. The Official Annamese Chronicles states that Taksin was ordered to be executed by General Chao Phraya Chakri at Wat Chaeng by being sealed in a velvet sack and was beaten to death with a scented sandalwood club. There was an account claiming that Taksin was secretly sent to a palace located in the remote mountains of Nakhon Si Thammarat where he lived until 1825, and that a substitute was beaten to death in his place. King
Taksin ashes and that of his wife are located at Wat Intharam (located
in Thonburi). They have been placed in two lotus bud shaped stupas
which stand before the old hall. Another
contradicting view of the events is that General Chakri actually wanted
to be King and had accused King Taksin of being Chinese. The late
history was aimed at legitimizing the new monarch, Phraya Chakri or Rama I of Rattanakosin.
According to Nithi, Taksin could be seen as the originator, new style
of leader, promoting the 'decentralized' kingdom and new generation of
the nobles, of Chinese merchants - origin, his major helpers in the wars.
On the other hand, Phraya Chakri and his supporters were of 'old'
generation of the Ayutthaya nobles, discontent with the previously said
changes. However,
this overlooks the fact that Chao Phraya Chakri was himself of partly
Chinese origin as well as he himself being married to one of Taksin's
daughters. No previous conflicts between them were mentioned in
histories. Reports on the conflicts between the king and the Chinese
merchants were seen caused by the control of the rice price in the time
of famine. However, prior to returning to Thonburi, Chao Phraya Chakri had Taksin's son summoned to Cambodia and executed. All
in all, Phraya Chakri was, in fact, the highest noble in the kingdom,
charging the state affairs as the Chancellor. Therefore he was of the
greatest potential to be the new leader. Another
view of the events is that Thailand owed China for millions of baht. In
order to cancel the agreement between China, King Taksin decided to
ordain and pretend to die in an execution. King
Taksin was seen by some radical historians as a King who differed from
the Kings of Ayutthaya, in his origins, his policies, and his leadership style, as a representative of a new class. During the
Bangkok Period right up till the Siamese Revolution of 1932 King Taksin was, said, not as highly honoured as other Siamese Kings because the leaders in the Chakri Dynasty were
still concerned about their own political legitimacy. After 1932, when
the absolute monarchy gave way to the democratic period, King Taksin
become more honoured than ever before. Instead, King Taksin became one
of the national heroes. This was because the leaders of that time such as Plaek Pibulsonggram and
even later military junta, on the other hand, wanted to glorify and
publicise the stories of certain historical figures in the past in
order to support their own policy of nationalism, expansionism and patriotism. King Taksin statue was unveiled in the middle of Wongwian Yai (the
Big Traffic Circle) in Thonburi, at the intersection of
Prajadhipok/Inthara Phithak/Lat Ya/Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Roads. The
king is portrayed with his right hand holding a sword, measuring
approximately 9 metres in height from his horse's feet to the spire of
his hat, rests on a reinforced concrete pedestal of 8.90 x 1.80 x 3.90
metres. There are four frames of stucco relief on the two sides of the
pedestal. The opening ceremony of this monument was held on April 17,
1954 and a homage paying fair takes place annually on 28 December. The
king today officially comes to pay respect to king Taksin statue. The
monument featuring King Taksin riding on a horseback surrounded by his
four trusted soldiers; Pra Chiang-ngen (later Phraya Sukhothai), Luang
Pichai-asa (later Phraya Phichai),
Luang Prom-sena, Luang Raj-saneha. It is placed on the groung of Toong
na-chey public park on Leab muang road, just opposite the City Hall, Chantaburi. In 1981 the Thai cabinet passed a resolution to bestow on King Taksin the honorary title of the Great.
The date of his coronation, December 28, is the official day of homage
to King Taksin, although it is not designated as a public holiday. The
Maw Sukha Association on January 31, 1999 cast the King Taksin Savior of the Nation Amulet, which sought to honour the contributions of King Taksin to Siam during his reign. The Na Nagara (also spelled Na Nakorn) family is descended in the direct male line from King Taksin. A tomb containing King Taksin's clothes and a family shrine were found at Chenghai district
in Guangdong province in China in 1921. It is believed that a
descendant of King Taksin the Great must have sent his clothes to be
buried there to conform to Chinese practice. This supports the claim
that the place was his father's hometown. King
Taksin the Great Shrine is located on Tha Luang Road in front of Camp
Taksin. It is an important place of Chantaburi in order to demonstrate
binding of People in Chanthaburi to King Taksin. It is a nine - sided
building. The roof is a pointed helmet. Inside of this place enshrined
the statue of King Taksin. |