Fond memories of HM King Chulalongkorn the Great
HM King
Chulalongkorn the Great.
Saturday, October 23, marks the 100th anniversary of HM
King Chulalongkorn’s death. Chulalongkorn Day is a national holiday here in
the Kingdom, but since it falls on a Saturday this year, banks and
government offices will be closed on Monday, October 25 in lieu. However, as
usual, ATMs and many foreign exchange booths will remain open.
His Majesty King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) was
born in 1853, the son of His Majesty King Mongkut (Rama IV) and Her Majesty
Queen Thep Sirinthorn. In 1868, He was given the title Duke ‘Meun
Phikhartnaresueansurasangkas.’
HM King Chulalongkorn ascended the throne in 1868, with
the title ‘Phrabat Somdej Phra Paraminthra Maha Chulalongkorn Bodinthorn
Thep Phaya Maha Mongkut Burutsaya Ratanaraj Rawiwong Warut-tapong
Saboripatara Wora Khatiyaraj Nikarodom Jaturatana Borom Maha Chakarapaddiraj
Sangart Boromtammika Maha Raja Thiraj Boromanat Bopitara Phra Chulachomklao
Chao Yoo Hua’.
His Majesty King Chulalongkorn lived with one purpose in
his mind and heart: the happiness and well-being of the Siamese people. His
Majesty would often dress as a commoner and move among his people with only
two or three advisors. In this way, he could find out how his subjects
really felt and see what was happening in his Kingdom.
There is one famous story of His Majesty and two
counselors who, after a hard day’s travel, stopped at a farmer’s house to
ask for a drink of water. Rural hospitality being a hallmark of Thai people,
the family asked the three strangers to stay and have food with them.
Speaking freely, the farmer and his wife told the strangers of how their
life was progressing and what they would like to see done for their village
by the ‘Great King who lives in the Palace in Bangkok.’ The farmer’s son
noticed that one of the strangers looked familiar. He went and looked at a
daguerreotype the family had of the King. Running back to the group, the
family learned that they were serving food to the ‘Lord of Life’ in Siam. HM
King Chulalongkorn the Great did this often and thus became ‘in touch’ with
the needs of the Siamese people.
Another story of the great love and respect happened in
1893. The territory hungry French had formulated a plan to take the Siamese
territory of Laos and certain valuable territories on the Eastern Seaboard
which produced precious rubies and sapphires.
In a carefully formulated plan, a French warship entered
the Chao Phraya River. It was required by international law that all foreign
ships fly their colors when entering the waters of another sovereign
country. The French deliberately did not do this. When hailed by the river
guard to fly their colors, the French ignored the guard. The guard fired a
warning shot over the French ship’s bow.
The French Embassy in Bangkok was prepared in advance to
carry out the plan. Bringing a letter sent from France months before the
incident, it stated that Siam had performed an act of aggression on the
French and must pay huge reparations.
The French were not prepared for what happened next.
Hearing of the huge demands, Siamese both wealthy and poor brought cartloads
of jewels, precious metals and every valuable possible to the Royal Palace
and offered it to His Majesty to keep the French out of Siam.
The French had not imagined that Siam was so wealthy and
the people so devoted to their King.
Siam was able to pay the reparations but the French,
deciding this was not enough, took all Siamese territory east of the Mekong
River.
His Majesty King Chulalongkorn was wise, knowing that
Siam could not resist the French and British and held the motto of ‘giving
up some so as not to lose all.’
Siam lost over 160,000 sq. kilometers of territory to the
French and British.
His Majesty King Chulalongkorn was the first Siamese
monarch to visit the West. He believed in adopting all things good from the
West while Siam kept its culture. The wise King Chulalongkorn made Russia a
strong ally of Siam to counteract the British and French influence in SE
Asia. He followed the Chinese concept of ‘have strong allies but make sure
their borders are far away.’
Many of the Royal Princes were sent to study in Russia.
In His letters to His sons, HM King Chulalongkorn wisely warned them ‘do not
feel that you are important because you are a prince. In Siam, there are
many princes, whereas in Russia there are few. Do the best you can at your
studies and that is enough.’
HM King Chulalongkorn’s most noteworthy achievement in
Siam was the abolition of slavery. He did not do this in a haphazard manner
as it was done in other countries. He devised a complex method of ‘freeing’
slaves so that older ones would not be left in poverty with no place to
live. Younger slaves were to be released by ‘stages’, responsibility falling
to the owner to see that they had a way of supporting themselves.
His Majesty King Chulalongkorn the Great is beloved of
Thai people and considered a truly ‘enlightened’ ruler among historians. His
Majesty passed away 100 years ago, on October 23, 1910, after the second
longest reign in the history of the Thai nation.
He is remembered and loved by the Thai people and the
date of his death is commemorated every year. Ceremonies are held, offerings
are made to his memory and the entire student body from the university that
bears his name perform obeisance before his statue.
Locally, city officials, people from the business
community, members from local charitable organizations, the private sector
and many local residents hold ceremonies in the morning at the Chulalongkorn
monument in front of the Banglamung district offices to celebrate this
Remembrance Day for King Rama V, all paying homage to one of the greatest
and most highly revered Kings of Thailand. Each organization and institute
will present wreaths to the King Rama V statue.
Would that all countries were so lucky to have one such enlightened ruler
in their collective histories.
