Taksin

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Taksin พระเจ้าตากสิน
King of Siam (Thonburi era)
Reign	28 December 1768–6 April 1782
Coronation	28 December 1768
Predecessor	King Boromaracha V (prior to fall of Ayutthaya)
Successor	King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke
Spouse	Queen Bathabharija (Sorn)
Issue
30 sons and daughters[1]
Full name
HM King Taksin The Great
Father	Hai-Hong
Mother	Nok-lang
Born	17 April 1734(1734-04-17) Ayutthaya, Thailand
Died	7 April 1782 (aged 47) Wang Derm Palace, Thon Buri, Thailand

Somdet Phrachao Taksin Maharaj (Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช) listen (help·info) or Somdet Phrachao Krung Thonburi (Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี; Chinese: 鄭昭; pinyin: Zhèng Zhāo; Teochew: Dênchao) was the first and only monarch of Thonburi kingdom. He was greatly revered for his leadership in liberation of Siam from the Burmese occupation after the Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 and unification of Siam under various warlords. He founded Thonburi as the new capital for his kingdom since Ayutthaya was razed to the grounds. His reign was characterized by immense wars to ward off Burmese invasions and subjugate Lanna, Laotian kingdoms, and Cambodia. With his death, however, his kingdom ended with the foundation of Chakri dynasty as the monarch of Siam by Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke.

Taksin was also the only Siamese monarch of the Chinese (Teochew) descent. He was later honored as Maharaj (The Great)

[edit] Early life and career

He was born in Ayutthaya and given the name Sin (Treasure). His father Hai-Hong, who worked as a tax-collector,^[2] was a Teochew Chinese immigrant with roots from Chenghai County,^[3] and his mother Lady Nok-lang was Thai.^[4] When aged 7 he started his education in a Buddhist monastery. After 7 years of education he was sent by his father to serve as a royal page. According to legend, when he 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.

Sin was first deputy governor and later governor of the Tak province,^[5][6] which gained him his name Tak-Sin, "Treasure of Tak," (or Treasure Exposed, as Tak (Exposed) is exposed to danger from Burma); though his official noble title was Phraya Tak. When he was promoted to be governor of Kamphaeng Phet province, he had to return to Ayutthaya. The Burmese attacked at that time and besieged the Thai capital. Taksin took a leading part in the city's defense. Shortly before Ayutthaya fell in 1767, Taksin cut his way out of the city at the head of a small army.^[7] 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.

After the destruction of Ayutthaya and the death of the Thai king, the country was split into six parts, with Taksin controlling the east coast. Together with Tong-Duang, now General Chao Phraya Chakri, he managed to drive back the Burmese, defeat his rivals and reunify the country.

[edit] Resistance and Independence

On January 3, 1766. General Taksin then set about reining in a number of rebellious Thai princes and reasserting central control over the entire kingdom including the tributary kingdoms. Two soldiers under General Taksin, named Phraya Pichai and Mek, were instrumental in his future. Sin was appointed ruler of the city of Kamphaeng Phet at the same time the Burmese forces were attacking the city of Ayutthya and the surrounding kingdom. As the ruler of Kamphaeng Phet,General Taksin placed his trustworthy friend Mek in charge of Tak province and took his army along with Phra Ya Phi Chai to assist the Royal Forces against the Burmese attacking the city of Ayutthaya.^[8]

[edit] General Taksin's route to mobilize the troops

General Taksin lead his army to Ban Phran Nok. His party crossed with 30 Burmese cavalrymen and 200 conscripts routed from Prachinburi province. As the Force of Burmese chased them to Ban Phran Nok, General Taksin commanded his soldiers to separate into two ways and attacked the Burmese. General Taksin's party emerged victorious.^[9]

As the news of General Taksin's army's victory spread, General Taksin convinced the Thai people to persuade governors to join him. General Taksin lead his army to Nakhon Nayok, passed Dong Sri Maha Pho. As Burmese chased General Taksin's army again to Prachinburi, where he defeated them.

General Taksin went to Chachoengsao province, Chonburi province and then to Ban Na Klua, Bang Lamung. They arrived in Rayong, whose governor acknowledged General Taksin's leadership. He allowed General Taksin's army to stay in Rayong. In less than a month General Taksin and his force sallied the force of Burmese out of Ayutthaya and seized Rayong as a tributary state. Then they went to Chanthaburi province.

[edit] Attacking Chanthaburi

Before attacking Chanthaburi his forces were ordered to eat their last meal and discard their eating utensils. It was either victory or die in the fight. However, Chanthaburi was taken and became the stronghold for the resistance forces.

After Ayutthaya was lost, the Burmese Army appointed "Suki Phanaikong" as the Commander in Charge of the area at Pho Sam Ton Camp. Suki created much havoc for the area inhabitants, who were then prisoners of war. The Thai women were abused and ravaged. A Thai named Thong In sold out to the Burmese and was put in charge of the prisoners of war, and coerced many into assisting the Burmese army.^[10]

When General Taksin finally assembled a larger army at Chanthaburi he mounted an attack on the Pho Sam Ton Camp. The attack was successful and both Suki and Thong In were killed during the battle, which finished on June 15, 1767. The many who did not die or manage to escape back to Burma were taken prisoner.^{[11] [12]}

[edit] King of Siam

On December 28, 1768, he was crowned king of Siam in the new capital at Thonburi. Two years later, King Taksin launched a war against the Nguyen Lords over their control of Cambodia. After some initial defeats, the joint Siamese-Cambodian army defeated the Nguyen army in 1771 and 1772. These defeats helped provoke an internal rebellion (the Tay Son rebellion) which would soon sweep the Nguyen out of power. In 1773, the Nguyen made peace with King Taksin, giving back some land they controlled in Cambodia.^[13] Over the next few years, Taksin managed to gain control over Chiang Mai and putting Cambodia under the vassalage of Siam by 1779, after repeated military campaigns.^[14]

In order to legitimize his claim for the Kingdom, he sent a diplomatic envoy to China which then was ruled by Qianlong Emperor. China recognized King Taksin as the rightful ruler of Siam, and Taksin began the reunification of Siam. During this time he actively encouraged the Chinese to settle in Siam, principally those from Chaozhou, partly with the intention to revive the stagnating economy^[15] and upgrading the local workforce at that time.^[16]

King Taksin 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 Bunnags, a trader-aristocrat family of Persian origins.^[17]

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 madness. He believed himself to be a future Buddha, and he flogged monks who refused to worship him as such.^[18] Several historians have suggested that this tale may have been created 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.

[edit] Death

With the Burmese threat still prevalent, a strong ruler was needed on the throne. Due to some sources, many oppressions and abuses made by officials were reported. King Taksin punished them harshly, some high officials were even tortured and executed. This might cause discontent among officials. Finally a group of powerful officials, led by Phraya San, seized the capital and forced the king to step down.

King Taksin was declared insane and a coup d'état removed him from the throne in March 1782.^[19] Although he 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. The 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, 10 April 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.^[20]

While the Official Annamese Chronicles stating about the death of Taksin that he was ordered by General Chao Phraya Chakri to be put to death at Wat Chaeng through being sealed in a velvet sack and was beaten to death with a scented sandalwood club.^[21] 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.^[22]

Another view of the events is that General Chakri actually wanted to be King and had accused King Taksin of being Chinese; 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.^[23] However, prior to returning to Thonburi, Chao Phraya Chakri had Taksin's son summoned to Cambodia and executed.

[edit] Legacy

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.^[24]

The monarch remains a favorite of Thai Chinese, and is referred to as the King of Thonburi. Taksin's equestrian statue stands in the middle of Wongwien Yai (the Big Traffic Circle) in Thonburi, and is a well known Bangkok landmark.

The Na Nagara (also spelled Na Nakorn)^[25] family is descended from King Taksin.^[26]

[edit] Children

King Taksin had 21 sons and 9 daughters named^[27]

[edit] Major events of King Taksin's reign

In King Taksin's reign from 1767 to 1782, wars were fought to unify, defend and expand the country almost all the time. A brief survey of major events is given below ^[28]

• 1767
  • Ayutthaya was lost to the Burmese for the second time.
  • The country was liberated when the Burmese were defeated at Pho SamTon Camp.
  • Thon Buri was established as the capital.
  • A Burmese army attacked Bang Kung.
• 1768
  • King Taksin ascended the Throne.
  • An army was sent to suppress the Phitsanulok faction.
  • Chao Phra Fang's faction attacked the Phitsanulok faction.
  • An army was sent to suppress the Phimai faction.
• 1769
  • A delegation from Si Sattanakhanahut headed by the ruler's son brought tribute to become a vassal state.
  • An army was sent to suppress Cambodia.
  • An army was sent to suppress Nakhon Si Thammarat.
• 1770
  • An army was sent to suppress the Sawangkhaburi faction.
  • The Burmese advanced an army against Sawankhalok.
  • The first expedition to subdue Chiang Mai.
• 1771
  • Construction of Thon Buri city wall.
  • An expedition to subdue Cambodia.
• 1772
  • The first Burmese attack on Phichai Province.
• 1773
  • Tattooing on the wrist (to classify men as soldiers of the king, fresh recruits, or provincial soldiers).
  • The Burmese second attack on Phichai Province.
• 1774
  • The second expedition to subdue Chiang Mai.
  • A Burmese attack on Bang Kaew (a District in Ratchaburi).
• 1775
  • A Burmese attack on Phisanulok.
• 1776
  • The Nang Rong revolt and an expedition to subdue provinces along Mekong River.
  • King Taksin started meditation practice.
• 1777
  • The title of Chao Phraya Chakri Somdet Chao Phraya Maha Kasatsuhk was created.
• 1778
  • Si Sattanakhanahut sent an army to attack Phra Woh at Nong Bua Lamphu and Don Mod Daeng.
• 1779
  • An expedition to subdue Vientiane.
  • The Emerald Buddha was brought to Thon Buri.
  • Maha Da rebellion.
• 1780
  • An uprising in Cambodia.
  • A Vietnamese revolt in Thon Buri.
• 1781
  • An expedition to subdue Cambodia.
  • Unrest in Thon Buri.
  • Phraya San's uprising.
  • Civil war between Phraya San and Phraya Suriya Aphai.
• 1782
  • Deliberation on the problem of King Taksin.
  • The end of Thon Buri period.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• King Taksin the Great - Saviour of the Thai Nation
• King Taksin The Great
• สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช