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The Intellectual Aspects of Strong Kingship in the Late Nineteenth Century

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The Intellectual Aspects of Strong Kingship in the Late Nineteenth Century Attachak Sattayanurak The Intellectual Aspects of Strong Kingship in the Late Nineteenth Century he development of strong kingship in to reform the government. This analysis rests T Thailand has received considerable atten­ on two bases. The first is the confidence in the tion from researchers. Some studies have institution of the monarchy which resulted in no examined it as a whole while others have one asking the simple question of whether it examined just some of its aspects. 1 A number of was the king alone who was clever enough to scholars, for example, have examined the change recognize the danger posed by the West that in legal structure or the formation of the then led to the establishment of strong kingship Thesaphiban provincial administration system. when there are wise people born in all societies Surprisingly, though, little attention has been in every era. But despite the fact that some of paid to the intellectual background to the those wise persons were kings, they may not formation of the absolute monarchy. Recently, have been able to single-handedly make a study examined the intellectual history of the decisions affecting everyone. Thus, this 1932 Revolution2 which examined the attitudes explanation is incomplete. What is needed is an of different groups before and after 1932. The understanding of the intellectual forces that led study, which also described the intellectual to the king making these decisions. The second climate and how the royalty adjusted to the basis exaggerates the external dangers to the change in government, provided a better Thai state, resulting in overlooking intellectual understanding of the attitudes of those holding factors motivating the king to establish strong power in the absolute monarchy. Nevertheless, kingship. Such an analysis places too much stress the study of the origin of attitudes to kingship, on environmental conditions. how these related to cultural factors and to The present study examines the important actions taken by the ruling class cannot be intellectual forces that motivated the king of avoided in coming to an understanding of the Siam's actions resulting in far reaching changes intellectual roots of the absolute monarchy in in Thai society. This includes understanding a Siam. new historical consciousness by the king which Past studies have described threats from the saw him as the protagonist in history shaping its West as the main factor motivating the monarchy course and leading the country in a progressive Journal ofthe Siam Society 88.1 & 2 (2000) pp. 72-95 The Intellectual Aspects ofStrong Kingship in the Late Nineteenth Century 73 way. The intellectual forces stressed in this study intelligence (pannya) to achieve release from motivated the king. This does not mean, this life or whether they will dedicate their life however, that other factors did not affect these to help the state progress. The conception of changes. Although this study does not examine time is the same as other human conceptions in the relationship between these other factors, it that it changes according to new conditions in does examine the intellectual forces within the life. Because human beings pass through endless context of the socio-economic and political cycles of birth and death in different worlds changes occurring at this time. The new before achieving nirvana, there are two levels at historical consciousness, thus, is not seen as which time is meaningful today (or when a emerging spontaneously but rather as evolving human experiences a rebirth in the human in a gradual interaction with the socio-cultural world), human time and social time. Human changes occurring at that time. time, not more than 100 years, is uncertain, characterized by impermanence, temporality and Origins of the New Historical Consciousness suffering. This is because of the condition of non-self characterizing all existence. Therefore, The origins of the new historical consciousness humans should engage in behavior consistent that began to appear in the reign of King Rama with the dharma until they can achieve nirvana IV and which became fully developed in the in the future. Social time, although expressed in Fifth Reign of the Chakri Dynasty in Siam arose longer terms, is characterized by impermanence out of many overlapping intellectual forces. as well. Social life meaningful to human beings Understanding these forces requires that they is seen through the four Buddhas, each with an must be dealt with individually even though era of 5,000 years. During each of these eras, this may in some ways distort reality. society gradually deteriorates until the world Before discussing the new historical ends with the falling apart of society. consciousness, it is necessary to explain that Human life under these conditions was one during the Fourth and Fifth Reigns, a new type of suffering. There was no hope of being able to of historical writing emerged that differed from change one's destiny to any great extent because the traditional religious chronicles (tamnan). time was an unchangeable natural factor. Many historians have agreed that this new Another important factor was that during a life writing reflected influences from the West. of fewer thanlOO years, human beings were However, such an explanation encounters unable to change the course one's life took difficulties when it cannot answer clearly how because of its being predestined by the karma it was that this intellectual borrowing from the earned in earlier existences. The meaning of West made such an impact on society.3 life was to follow one's destiny until at a far The important intellectual changes were one distant point in the future, one would achieve basis for the new histories being written. They release from worldly attachments with the were written with a new historical consciousness attainment of nirvana. that was based on changes in the conception of That time flowed from the past and then time.4 The conception of time is closely tied to carried on into the future was seen as the human life and society. As a result, changes in unavoidable immutable law of nature (dharma). human life and society must. be examined so Human beings can neither set nor change time. that an understanding of how the conception of Stated differently, human beings do not time changed. determine time. Instead, time determines life Thoughts about time are an important force and society. The kaliyuga (end of the world), in determining human and social behavior. They thus, is when everyone (whose karma has affect how humans decide what to do with their predestined to have an earthly existence at that lives, such as whether to make merit for gaining time) must die a horrible death. If someone a better future life or whether to try energetically earns good karma then that person will be born to achieve a better present life or whether to to a long life. If someone earns bad karma, then observe Buddhist morality (sila), that is, that person will be born in a bad era, such as the practising concentration (samadhi), and using kaliyuga. Journal ofthe Siam Society 88.1 & 2 (2000) 74 ATIACHAK SATIAYANURAK Persons living in traditional societies know reputation live on in the Kingdom for a long time as expressed in the Traiphum wherein time time".8 as experienced on earth is given little importance. The giving of royal explanations in which Time is not seen as it is in everyday social life. creativity is praised and the existence of certain Instead time is seen as changing slowly other practices that are handed down to later according to the traditional Buddhist notions generations clearly show the change to a new described above. Thus even though someone kind of society. In traditional society there was might not be alive when society is deteriorating, no desire for novelty, creativity was meaningless that person will believe society is indeed and the desire to pass things on to later deteriorating such as at the banchantarakhan. generations non-existent. This was because Then that person will quickly perform good everything, both the persons and society were works to earn merit and barami in order to be seen as impermanent. Furthermore, in a born at an auspicious time such as when the traditional society, there is no place for anything next Buddha, Maitriya, will appear. new.9 But the author of Nang Nophamat lived The new conception of the time, which in a world that was beginning to change. began being accepted by the elite in tlie early Creating new goods was then becoming to Bangkok period, was a response to changing be important to society. The fact that Nang socio-economic conditions. One major change N ophamat used new strategies to create was the exchange of goods with other countries something new by which the Kingdom became that became increasingly commercial as time famous should be a powerful inducement to passed. Investment, financial planning, and people living in such a society to have the same recruiting skilled workers for improving ambition as Nang Nophamat. It can be seen production5 gave many commoners and clearly too that in Nang Nophamat time flowed members of royalty an increased acceptance of almost endlessly with no sign of the world the cause and effect principle. Such activities deteriorating. This represents quite a difference gave more attention to experience and from traditional society when the world was confidence in human potential than before. 6 indeed seen as deteriorating. The belief in a All of these factors resulted in the lower royalty time that flows continuously represents a bridge and nobility to have more contactswith others. between the traditional conception of time and They saw for example that there was a greater the new conception of time which is seen as chance to change one's future based only on progressive in nature and which shall be one's own attributes.
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