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Routledge Handbook of Contemporary

Pavin Chachavalpongpun

Thai historiography

Publication details https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315151328-3 Charnvit Kasetsiri Published online on: 06 Nov 2019

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The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The publisher shall not be liable for an loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 06:34 25 Sep 2021; For: 9781315151328, chapter3, 10.4324/9781315151328-3 (4457 Gautama; anditisofdivers aspects”. the Dispensationcommencingwith the timeof aspiration of our Teacher, the Exalted One that “for therein, theEpochofConqueror asthelinealsuccessionof meansthetimeasfar land, in 1517. It gives a very clear statement of the Sheaf ofGarlandstheEpochsConqueror”), inChiangMai, written northern Thai- history ofBuddhism. history ofthefuture.is alsopart Thus thepast, thepresent andthefuture ofonewhole –the are parts not onlywiththepast. The past iscontinuous withtheexistenceof present andthepresent topromotingtheir actionscontribute . Therefore, in thissenseisconcerned history etc.). Kings, extentthelaypeople kingdomsandtoacertain as comeintothepicture insofar Buddhistlocality:kingdom oracertain monuments (cetiya templesorimportant , certain , force ofBuddhisminconnectionwithaBuddhist init. thehistory istodescribe Itspurpose of the palace. There were two types ofsuchwritings, namelythetamnanby Buddhistmonksand within limitedgroups ofeducated, oftheBuddhisttemplesand malemembers strictly Historiography, in ofhistory orthewriting Thailand, isoneoftheoldesttasksandconfined from the two Pali words vamsa kingdom under discussion will remain the centre until the year of Buddhist 5000 focus on their roles the religion. in supporting in these documents that the It is usually agreed atthispoint.Mai Kingdombegins Various kingsand other kingdomsare portrayed, withthe finally travelled toChiangMaiintoday’s northern Thailand. The “real history” oftheChiang of Buddhism. Afterwards, deals withtheevents thehistory whenBuddhism whichoccurred Lanka. andSri Italsoemphasisesthe role IndianKing ofthegreat Asoka inthepromotion ing oftheBuddha, world discussesvarious Buddhistcouncilswhichtookplacein thehistory how hereached enlightenmentandhow hetaughthislaw,. the dhamma/dharma After thepass - history clearlyrevolvestamnan history around religion. ItistheGautamaBuddhawhomoving type of historiography isthe Jinakalamalipakaranam (“The The bestexampleofthetamnantypehistoriography As for the other type of historiography whichisknownAs fortheothertypeofhistoriography asthephongsawadan, derives theterm phongsawadan by literati. thecourt Tamnan means story, legendormyth. The maintheme ce ) from thetimeofBuddha’s nibbana/niravana. THAI HISTORIOGRAPHY 1 Tamnan, phongsawadan, prawatisat (genealogy) and Charnvit Kasetsiri Charnvit 2

The history thencontinues withthecareerThe history oftheBuddha, 3 26 avatara (reincarnation); it means the history, tamnan concept of time and space. It says be

Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 06:34 25 Sep 2021; For: 9781315151328, chapter3, 10.4324/9781315151328-3 order ofBuddhism, but they now – theking, served theirimmediatesuperior notthereligion. ferent role from thatofearlierdays. menwere Learned stillbeingeducatedwithin themonastic not tosay thatBuddhismhadlostitsinfluencein Thailand, playedbut ratherthat religion adif- language, ratherthanPali, languageoftheBuddhistworld. andinternational areligious This is not amonk. Moreover, was thelanguageofnew typeofhistory Thai, asecularandethnic Luang PrasoetChronicle of Ayutthaya”) by was aroyal ofthe17thcentury written astrologer, order.the religious The Phraratchaphongsawadan KrungSi Ayutthaya ChabapLuangPrasoet (“The Therefore, were historians now andbelongedtoitratherthan menwhoserved thecourt institution, whichhadincreasingly taken theculturalinitiative from leadership. thereligious a longprocess ofpoliticaldevelopment, kingshiphaddeveloped intoapowerful autonomous royal andwere governed court by nolongerstrictly order thereligious asinprevious days. After ers, especiallyEuropeans. Bythistime, men, learned orliterati, were tomake theircareers atthe and toalesserextentofthecontactswhich eliteof Thai ruling Ayutthaya hadwithforeign- new nation-state. Siam were shapedtowhatisseentoday as Thailand. Ineffect, theprawatisat isoneofa history Malaya, Laos and in order to remain independent. Therefore, of the new boundaries in Indochina. Burma, bordering kingshadtogive uptheirclaimsoverThe Chakri territories nialism: was inIndia, thecountry caughtbetween theBritish andMalaya Burma andtheFrench ingly, Damrong is 18 years olderthan , was years 18 who inturn olderthan Wichit. King Vajiravudh, andLuang Wichitwathakan (or Wichit Wichitwathakan; 1898–1962). Interest- ofthistype the construction “modern” historiography. DamrongThey are (1862–1943), Prince Thai eliteanduppermiddleclass. However, he began to publish old works which became widespreadThai historical among the ary. forsettingupapublishing housewas doctrines. Hismainpurpose topropagate Christian machine for Thai alphabetswas introduced in1836by Dr. D. press. was tothenew history theprinting which contributed Itisbelieved printing thatthefirst were technologies and modern brought intoSiamfrom the West. factor The mostimportant nation-statesinthemiddle ofthe19thcentury.of definedboundary thistime, During new ideas to theEnglishword “history”. tory, orliterally “science ofwhathappens”. Itisnowadays commonlyacceptedasanequivalent from Pali-: in the1910s, andscientific(i.e. tolookmore modern prawatisat). The new Thai word comes coup, a “soft revolution” whichabolishedabsolutemonarchy inSiam. A new word was coined, Vajiravudh, VI (1910–1925); itbecameeven more toandafterthe1932 vigorous prior on, known anew asprawatisat typeofwritings becamemore accep table by thetimeofKing to the 20th, the reign of King , especially during Rama V (1868–1910). And later reign ofKingNarai(1657–1688) . became popularwithinthepalacecircle sometimeinthe17thcentury, probablythe during chronicles ofaline, orannalsofmembers kingsandkingdom. The phongsawadan one ofthemost celebratedstatesmenofSiam. changein ofgreat Hegrew upinaperiod Thai Damrong wasPrince one of 82children of KingMongkut, RamaIV(1851–1868), andalso There are atleastthree mainfigure s, ofthree different generations, whowere responsible for of The new writing The The type of palace history reached its height by the turn of the 19th century reached ofthe19thcentury phongsawadan itsheightby typeofpalacehistory theturn phongsawadan 5 paravati or puravuttanta + sastra =prawatisat, meaningscientifictreatise orhis- type of palace history wastype of palace history the result of changes within the Thai society prawatisat out of modernity, typewas born colonialism and the concept 4 Moreover, thethreat ofcolo- Siamfaced thisperiod during Prince Damrong Prince Thai historiography 27

B. Bradley, an mission- American historiography historiography 3 Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 06:34 25 Sep 2021; For: 9781315151328, chapter3, 10.4324/9781315151328-3 the Lao(notpeopleofpresent dayofLaosbut ofanethnic calledLawa)”. country occupiedbySiam isnow peopleoftwo madeupwas races, originally (Khom)and theKhmers (space)and races(ethnicities).way offocusingonterritories Accordingly, ofwhich “the territory tothetwo ancientcapitals(Sukhothai-Ayutthaya). prior elaboration onperiods Heexplainedby Interestingly enough, Damrong even went backbeyond classicalSukhothaiandaddedalengthy was “classical”,Sukhothai Ayutthaya Ratanakosin/Chakri/ “modern”. “medieval” and sequence was influenced ofby European periodisation “classical-medieval-modern”. Therefore, capital anditskingswere considered thecentre ofwhathadhappened. Itwas possible thatthis (Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Ratanakosin-Chakri-Bangkok). wheneach Itfocusesontheperiods day Golden Triangle. day to settle in the valleysalready migrated of the Salween and the Mekong, south of the present- argued thatwhilethe Thais were stillpowerful intheir home”,“original number agreat had by Kublai Khan in 1253, but thelinktopresent-day Thailand continued. Damrong Prince sin) hasbeenthecapital”. the capital, (2) When Ayutthaya was thecapital, and(3)SinceBangkok (Chakri’s Ratanako- in which ofSiamisdivided intothree“the history periods, namely, (1) When Sukhothaiwas influenced by the method used by the great German historian Ranke. historian influenced greatby themethodused German by the history. The mostnotable istheusageandselectionofsources. Itissaidthathewas very much of writings, around 100booksandarticles, towhichvery fewcouldlay scholars claim. cratic coup in 1932, was forced the prince into exile in . He left an extensive collection his nephew, King Vajiravudh, Damrong habit. was releasedhiswriting topursue After ademo- trative works andliving overseas. postforafew years under Though maintaininghisministerial ofhistory,from the1910sto1943 –writing whenhewas particularly free from adminis- responsibilities ofgoverning thecountry, Damrong devoted much ofhistime –almost30years (1892–1915).minister ofeducation(1888–1892)andinterior Inspiteofhisheavy rong rose toprominence inthe Thai government, positionsincluding holdingmany important development ofamodern Thailand. thereign ofhisbrother During KingChulalongkorn, Dam- Western andclassical Thai scholarship, thushewas thesetwo able cultures tobridge forthe society, and modernisation whenitfaced Western colonialism. Damrong was educatedinboth with theimpact of Western penetration. Itwas influenced by the West, whichcontributed , literally the original country ofthe doem, country literallytheoriginal Thais. Nanzhao asmuang Thai from the6thto the mid-13thcenturies, thekingdomlastedfor700 years. Damrong labelled one majorstop. They were able toestablish themightyKingdomofNanzhaoin Yunnan. Here, migration” back some thousand years ago. movement,And in their migration the Thais made in China. developed Inshort, prince anew hypothesis thehistorian ofthe “Thai southward the peopleofSiam,Thais were hadtolookelsewhere north nottheoriginal further theprince the origin of the origin Ayutthaya. Thus, herejected theoldmethodsof tamnanandphongsawadan. the area. Various sources were taken intoconsiderationandahypothesis was setuptoexplicate in theMenamBasin. Itbecamethecentre ofthe Thai whentheKhmerbegantolosecontrol of fact.ble historical According to him, Ayutthaya was of a result of a long period Thai settlement individuals.or miraculous acts of certain However, Damrong explained it by- presenting a tangi Ayutthaya cameintoexistence, astheoldschoolsseeit, asaresult oftheBuddha’s prophecy and/ Kingdom of Ayutthaya by forces associatingitwithmyths beyond andexternal humancontrol. history. Formerly, the tamnan of thefoundationKingdom Ayutthaya introduced anew techniqueinexamining Thai In 1914 Prince Damrong wroteIn 1914Prince periodisation andestablished anew conceptofhistorical As mentioned before, Damrong the works revealed of Prince of a change in the writing Thai In short, theconceptofnew historiography, asseenfrom Damrong’s works, commenced 11 Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, andBangkok/Rattanakosin followed, respectively. 8 becameknown assamkrung,This periodisation or “three capitals” and schools of thought described the phongsawadan schools ofthoughtdescribed “birth” ofthe Charnvit Kasetsiri Charnvit 28 6 For example, hisaccount 10 Nanzhaowas defeated 9 Since 7 Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 06:34 25 Sep 2021; For: 9781315151328, chapter3, 10.4324/9781315151328-3 people to think and imagine their ownpeople to think andimagine placeinsociety differently. paksiang (mouth and voice) of the common people. In addition, “print-capitalism” alsoallowed ronistic. The timewas also marked by thespread ofthefree press, whichclaimedtorepresent Sino-Thai, ofSiam’s whobecamecritical absolutemonarchy. To them, ithadbecomeanach- new, thoughrathersmalleducatedmiddleclasshademerged, agoodnumber ofwhomwere a few monthsafterthe13-day extravaganza ofhissecondcoronation inNovember 1911. known as “Kabot R.S. 130”, orthe1912 Rebellion, tooverthrow Vajiravudh. It happened only extension ofthe king’s bodyguards. personal Itdidnot fit well withtheexistingmilitary. The Of thetwo, the Wild askhonglen (“plaything” was criticised Corps Tigers or “toy”) and asan Powell’s Boy Scouts. Both were aimed at “instilling the love of the nation among the Thai”. 1 July 1911, respectively. Bothwere inspired by theBritish Volunteer Force andLord Baden- (sue pa) and the BoyCorps Scouts (luk sua , meaning cubs or male child of a tiger), on 1 May and compelled toembarkonhisown nationalistpolicy. Romanovs, andtheHabsburgs), was areason why Vajiravudh andfelt hadtoconsolidatehisrule alism, ofmonarchies in alongwiththefall andEurope (the Qing, theOttomans, the no longerinisolation. past tothepresent, by surrounded many otherpowerful countries, especiallythe Western ones, nation, ofaparticular becamethehistory Thai history asecularlinearforward moving from the wrote inwhichthemonarchyforce inthenew driving history nation-state. remained theprime the new methodsofusingsources and “scientific” analyses. However, many oftheoldthemes policy andisoftenlabelled “The Fatherof Thai Nationalism”. sermons, totallingaround 200titles. knownThe kingisparticularly forhisofficialnationalistic King”. Undermore than100pennames, he wrote travelogues, plays, poetry, songs, and articles Siam, Vajiravudh isnow officially remembered asPhraMaha Dhiraratchao, orthe “Great Scholar his father, whoseabsolutistreign hadlastedfor42 years. ofalltimein As themostprolific writer royal-national paramilitary “Wild Tiger Corps”, andkept himselfbusy inhisown peculiarways. Pathom, some50 kmoutsideBangkok. himselfwithamaleentourage, Healsosurrounded the In theearlyyears ofhisreign heoftenstayed atthenewly built SanamChanPalace inNakhon self from thelargeandactive ofhisfather, palacefamily hisrelatives, andfrom thebureaucracy. throne. andlaterasking,As aprince Vajiravudh was known toberatheraloof. Heisolatedhim- In thislight, beingEnglisheducated, hewas therefore different from hispredecessorsonthe the Royal Military Academy andOxford’s Sandhurst Church College(law Christ andhistory). He spentnineyears inGreat Britain, andthrough 1902hewent schoolsincluding tovarious In 1893, attheageof12, hewas oneofthefirst royal children tobesentschoolsinEurope. the new “royal nation-state”. Vajiravudh, in1881, born isoneofChulalongkorn’s 97children. ofthechangeswithin the understanding Thai societyinconnectionwiththeemergenceof alist policy. As suggestedearlier, ofKingChulalongkorn’s thelatterpart reign was for crucial Besides Damrong, itisimperative tostress theimpactofKing Vajiravudh andhisofficialnation- in Peking end. came to an abrupt before coronation his first on 11November 1910. The following year, the Celestial time ofchange. strikes by Bangkok’sThe first Chinesemerchants and workers tookplacejust Indeed, the1900sand1910swere avery different time. First, withdomestic changes, a Soon after his first coronation,Soon afterhisfirst thenew kingestablished two organisations: the Wild Tigers The 15 years hespentonthethrone were caughtbetween of thevery successfulandlongrule phongsawadan tradition still remained. Thus, although using new methods, Damrong still 13 The year 1912, in February, witnessed an attempted coup, King Vajiravudh Thai historiography 29 12 The reign of Vajiravudh was a 14 Second, of nation- the rise Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 06:34 25 Sep 2021; For: 9781315151328, chapter3, 10.4324/9781315151328-3 tory texts. tory prawatisatThe new caughton, term andby 1917theword was frequently usedfortitlesofhis- translation, ofaroyal suchasthereincarnation time. whichdidnotfitwiththemodern family unfitting tousetheestablished Thai word phongsawadan inaglobalcontextbecauseofitsdirect ings oftheperiod. of His interpretation showedThai history uncomfor creating kings. andstrong anew tooktheroles nationinwhichthe military leaders of former ofthe andglory was according interpreted tothepurity Thai race. Everything was aimedat Damrong. ofthe phongsawadan and ofPrince predominant inthewritings Thus Thai history He putasidetherole ofthemonarchs (exceptRamkhamhaeng, , and ), once Sanskrit: ingly, itwas Vajiravudh whoactuallycoinedthenew Thai word prawatisat (possibly from Pali- toachieve (“Waking strategies various hispolicyofplukchat-pluk uptheNation”). Interest- Trinity” regimes. andmilitary hasfrequently beenexploitedby right-wingers which became the three pillars of the Siamese modern stateideology.which became the three of the Siamese modern pillars lectured (nation),personally themaboutchat satsana (religion), andphra king), (great mahakasat was withinthecircle ofthe Wild thatthekinglaunchedhisnationalistprogrammes.Tigers He Wild Tigers, nottheBoy Scouts, ceasedtoexistsoonaftertheendofhisreign. However, it policies. thePhibunIndochina toFranceandurgedthepublic government’s tosupport irredentist titled In 1942, hewrote anationalisticaccount(inEnglish)condemningtheFrench imperialism, nationalismin of military Thailand. instigatorofthesemovements.Wichit became aprime of rallyingpopularsupport. between 1932to The period World War II witnessedtherise to replace theabsolutemonarchy. nationalismbecameameans Military-bureaucratic-oriented Damrong,to Prince Luang Wichit was aprolific writer. activities which were directed towards arousing nationalistic feeling within the country. Similar regimes. military Sarit He displayed anability ofmanipulating, andorganisingcultural writing countries. However, hismostnotable positionwas asadvisor-administratortothePhibun and including director oftheFine Department,Arts cabinetministerandambassadortovarious government, from 1934untilhisdeathin1962, Wichit heldmany posts extremely important became intimatewithPremier Phibun Songkhram. FieldMarshal inthe hislongservice During afterthe1932anti-royalistright coup, Wichit acted asaspokesman forthenew and regime in 1931. Itisamagnum opuscalled prawatsat sakon (“world history”, 12volumes). A year later, inLondon.briefly Uponhis writing inthereturn, major hisfirst Thailanguage waspublished in Paris, from 1920–1926; hewas alsoassignedtotheLeagueofNationsinGeneva andserved ofForeignjoined theMinistry Affairs. Hewas tothe sentasanassistantsecretary Thai Legation scienceandtheEnglishlanguage.ern In1918, attheageof20, Wichit leftthemonkhoodand came through thisexperience, studyingBuddhisttempleclassicsandself-educatingwithmod- from 1906 to 1918, he was ordained, as a novice first and then as a monk. His main education Thai outside the Bangkok elite circle. He moved his way up by joining the kan was themostoutstanding. Wichit ofavery was humble origin, born possibly thatofaSino- Among the post Damrong-Vajiravudh generation of the 1930s commoners, Luang Wichiwatha- In terms of historiography and the construction of historical narratives, ofhistorical andtheconstruction ofhistoriography In terms Vajiravudh employed Since 1932, successive governments have tocreate anew beentrying kindoflegitimacy Thailand’s Case. essayThis short explainedhow in Thailand unjustlylostitsterritory 17 puravuttanta of At theheart Wichit’s history, there were strong leading the leaders Thai race. 16 = history + history sastra Luang Wichitwathakan = Charnvit Kasetsiri Charnvit scientific treatise) for “history”. He may have found it 30 - writ toNaziandfascist table similarities 15 Sincethen, this “Holy . For 12 years Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 06:34 25 Sep 2021; For: 9781315151328, chapter3, 10.4324/9781315151328-3 Thongchai went ontosay that version of Thai history, nomatterhow politicallybiased. ofhis tothespread andsenseofpublic andpopularisation sentimentcontributed in writing songs. These were presented onstageandbroadcast ontheofficialRadioof Thailand. Hisskills Department, heused this positionto propagate through hisconcepts of history music, plays and ofhistory.ing themassmediatodisseminatehisinterpretation As director oftheFine Arts rule the country.who sought justifications to Furthermore, Wichit hadthe advantage ofexploit- (1914–1986), SeniSaowaphong (1918–2014), Assani Pholachan (1918–1987), UdomSisuwan known (andsomelesswell-known) Burapha(1906–1974), like authors Sri SuphaSirimanond were numerous writings, novels left-Socialist-Marxisthistory historical andtranslationsby well- . of ustowhatis known asaperiod This brings Thai “radical discourse”. There War whenthe “free world” clashedwiththe “Communist bloc” in Thailand andelsewhere in above, writings. itisworth lookingbacktothe1950shistorical oftheCold This was theperiod ferent story. Exactly two decades before the “intellectual revolution” in the 1970s, as mentioned also bemisleadingtosay thatthere was noneedforanew past. Butacloserlookwilltelldif- underthelong, constructed alistic historiography hegemonicreign ofKingBhumibol. Itwould (2) theroyal phongsawadan, eliteprawatisat royal-official (3)theruling and(4)thehybrid - nation seen from above, from tamnan, (1)thetimesofreligious hasbeensmoothanduninterrupted Asia, wrote: work outsuccessfully. Fine andPublic Relations.Arts The new agreeable version of seemsto Thai historiography government offices, of ofEducationandCulture andtheDepartments namelytheMinistries society andpolitics. version Itcanbesaidthatthishybrid isaproduct ofbureaucrats atvarious self andhisspecialnew styleofmonarchy hadbecomeahegemonicbalancingforce for Thai the very long70-year reign ofKingBhumibol, RamaIX(1946–2016), inwhichthekinghim- together nationalistichistoriography. togive to ahybrid birth This outcomewas aproduct of new commonerelitehadbecomedominant. However, by the1960sthesetwo were blended vigorously promoted, andby the1930smilitary-bureaucratic version of Wichit andthe can say thatfrom 1900tothe1920s, theroyal nationalisticversion ofDamrong-Vajiravudh was Wichit’s was history very popular. weapon Itbecameanideological elite ofthenew ruling Therefore, itwould bemisleadingtosay thatdevelopment ofofficial Thaihistoriography, However, in 1995, Thongchai Winichakul, of Southeast one of the most prominent historians In short, therefore, astheprawatisat isconcerned, asfar typeofofficialhistoriography one past was challenged andnegated. A new pastwas needed. arena struggles, ofideological withdramaticeffect. The conventional knowledge ofthe studiesbecameacentre of intellectualinterest foralldisciplinesaswellHistorical asan in 1973, a political as well as an intellectual revolution, paradigm. shook this historical ledby thestudentmovementThe popularuprising dictatorship againstthemilitary difficulties,and protectingdespitegreat thecountry andpromising aprosperous future. by andforthenationalelitecelebratingtheirsuccessfulmissionofbuilding tion ofstories based upontraditionalperceptions ofthepastandtraditionalmaterials. It was acollec- little. Itpresented aroyal/national chronicle, incharacterbut modern ahistoriography nation . nation studiesin Historical Thailand have ofthe beencloselyrelated totheformation . ., ofthepastinthiselitistcraftchangedbut anduntilrecently thepattern Thai historiography 31 18 19 Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 06:34 25 Sep 2021; For: 9781315151328, chapter3, 10.4324/9781315151328-3 that Jit’s isapoliticalweapon classin history againsttheruling Thailand. classemployed meanswhichtheruling andvarious their misery foritsself-interest. Itcanbesaid most outstandingofallwas ayoung mannamedJitPhumisak(1930–1966). (1920–1993), Plueng Wannasri (1922–1996) and Thaweep Woradilok (1928–2005). But the supervised by various governmental ministries and departments) become firmly established and become firmly by anddepartments) governmentalsupervised various ministries 1960s tothe1980s, time(though it studies hadforthefirst was history well controlled and period, the chaptershouldendwithtoday’s majortrend. thethree decadesfrom During the After portraying a general picture of fromThai historiography ancient time to the modern class differentiation, landownership, labourandoppressive corvée taxation. approach, whichshows inhishistory, of but rathertheissuesof class exploitationintheform added upthecredibility ofhis interpretation. Thus itisnotsomuch aquestionofMarxist evidence.up hisanalysisby historical His knowledge of andhislinguistic command Thai history either reject or ignore in the question of classstructures Thai historians Thailand. But Jit backed represent andanalternativeof interpretation theforbiddenfruit writings Thai society. Most ever, in Thailand, where communism was outlawed andMarxistideassociallyostracised, Jit’s fact, hisnameiscontroversial in Thailand even today. have been undergone several reprints, and his songs and poems continue to be sung and read. In student uprising. Sincethen, in offreedom of speechhasflourished aperiod Thailand. Hisbooks radical students. It should be pointed out that Jit’s became very popular after the 1973 writings posed poemsandsongsforthemasses, whichare now sungandcitedby the Thai leftwingand Thai anduseditaccordingly – aqualitywhichDamrong and Wichit didnotpossess. Jitcom- worked from adifferent socialviewpoint. Moreover, hewas apoetwhohadmastered classical he hadgoodcommandofthe . However, his Thai was more forceful becausehe ture. were Hiswritings very expressive andprovocative. As inthecasesofDamrong and Wichit, May 1966, attheageof36, hewas dictatorship. killedby agentsofthemilitary forces oftheCommunist Party of untilhe decidedtojointheguerrilla regime Thailand. On5 pennames.various At theendof1964, Jitwas released but was threatened andspiedonby the hand. Mostofthetime, hewas able andhave tosmuggle outhisarticles thempublished under writing. banned, passed illegally from Despite being strictly hand to writings his most important successive coupsin1957and1958. forhisiconoclastic Jitspentsixyears (1958–1964)inprison together withotherwriters, stagedtwo were Sarit and putinjailwhenFieldMarshal arrested ban (“The RealFaceof Thai Today”), whichisaMarxistanalysisof Thai history. Jit, of Jit’s thistime, cameoutduring writings including ChomnaKhongSakdina to compensate, the government allowed of freedom degree of speech. a certain A middle ofthe1950s, thePhibun semi-authoritative government begantoloseitspopularity; University.korn whenhewas career started studyingattheFacultyof Hiswriting Arts. Inthe his motheraschoolteacher, Jit’s totheconservative mindgothimanentry Chulalong- brilliant Thai intellectuals of the 20th century. wasAlthough his father merely a low-level official and Jit Phumisakisprobably oneofthefew mostoriginal, immenselygifted, brave andcommitted In short, the masses were history. the main interest of Jit in describing His books speak out Jit’s approach to Thai history, employing Marxisttheory, may notappearradicaltoday. How- Jit’s creative legacycovered from many subjectsranging history, politics, literature andcul- Charnvit Kasetsiri Charnvit Jit Phumisak Conclusion 32 20 Thai NaiPatchu- large number Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 06:34 25 Sep 2021; For: 9781315151328, chapter3, 10.4324/9781315151328-3 4 modern”, attentionpaidtoalternative withgreater issuesofgenderandLGBTIQissues. the “opposite”,directions,from “below”, myriad from “subaltern”, and “post- “post-colonial” 1986). They continue from where thesecondgroupleftoffandare inclinedtostudyhistory in1977),bundid (born Pokpong in1984)and Chanan(born Warisara Tangkhawanit in (born rongsak in 1964), Petchlertanan (born in 1971), Natthapoll Chaiching (born Chanida Chid- between the1960sand1980sare now andfifties; intheirforties examplesare Tham- new Thailand. fora oftheirpoliticalstruggle aboutwhathappensbut alsoaspart thefacts only tounderstand just tounderstand Thai societythrough thestudyofhistory. not history Butmany seeandwrite range from revised traditionaltoliberalandextremely radicalideology. Someofthemattempt but many are stillactive. They comefrom many backgrounds and directions andtheirhistories are overMost ofthesehistorians 60 years oldandhave officially retired from theiruniversities, in 1953), Thongchai in1958). in1957)andSomsakJeamteerasakulWinichakul (born (born and prasert Attachak Sattayanurak. The mostoutstandingare probably Saichol Wannarat (born Suntharavanich, Suwit Therasatwat, Sarasawadi Ongskul, Aroonrat Wichiankeo, Suthachai Yim include - historians Winai Phongsripian, Thanet Aphornsuwan, SunaitChutintaranond, Chalong late 1950s, ofthisbatch. but part it isnotable thatfemaleshadalsobeenanimportant Leading the radicalyouth ofthe mid-1970s. and studentleaders They were mostlymale, inthe born a socio-cultural history breaking awaya socio-culturalhistory from eliteinterpretation. thetraditionalruling Nidhi of University.Aeosriwong in 1940, Born he became an active promoter of earlier. There are atleastthree withnew different interpretations. agegroupsofnew historians are direct orindirect outcomesoftheunusual timeofthe1950sand1970sasmentioned the traditionalofficialdomain, unlike thoseofDamrong’s, Vajiravudh’s and Wichit’s times. Some lecturers have been cultivated to the point that there outside are new generations of historians economic boomsin Thailand andtheexpansionofeducation. andhistory departments History institutionalised inuniversities andcollegesthroughout thecountry. This was duetosocio- 1

to colonialismandsurvival tacticsinthesecondhalfof19thcentury. Instead ofclassicalormedieval, inthepast, like historians itismore ofthe Thai elite’s response andtointroduceofSukhothai ferent parts ofthehistory different interpretations Ayutthya. of riksh Thammasat University, in1942, born dif- tounderstand history interestingly appliesart 1941, introduced politicaleconomy intothestudyofhistory. pology insearching forlocalhistory. University, ofChulalongkorn ChatthipNartsupha in born Srisak Vallibhotama University, ofSinlapakorn in1938, born heappliesarchaeology andanthro- 2 3 It ispossible thatthethird groupof isnow inthemaking.Thai historians They were born Then came the second group directly or indirectly connected to the Octobrist generation,Then camethesecondgroupdirectly orindirectly connected totheOctobrist The first group mayThe first becalled avant-garde historians. They are led by senioracademicslike N. pp. Chanchira, Amphai Yale University Press, 1969), pp. of foreign diplomats.the information See D. aswellbelieved foruseininstruction textbook Chindamaniwas asfor thatthe17th-century written At thissametime, there was achangein Thai educationandanew textbookwas compiled. Itis pp. Anthony ReidandDavid Marr, PerceptionsofthePast inSoutheast Asia (: Heinmann, 1978), (Kuala Lumpur: andFifteenthCenturies Siam intheFourteenth Oxford University Press, 1976). Seealso For

A. Jayawickrama (tr.), 88–91; Sukhapanich, andKajorn 156–170. tamnan and phongsawadan

Wiwatthanakan KanphimNangsuNaiPrathet Thai (Bangkok: Wannasin, 1973), The Sheaf of Garlands of the Epochs oftheConqueror (London, The SheafofGarlandstheEpochs 1968), p. histories, see chapter 21–22. Kaoraek KhongNnangsuphimNaiPrathet Thai (Bangkok: n.p., 1966), Thai historiography

Notes K. Wyatt, 33 1 of my book The Rise of Ayudhya: A

The Politics of Reform in The Politics of Reform Thailand 22 Inthemeantime, Krai- Piriya 23 (New Haven: History of History 21 2. As for As 25 24

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18 7 19

20 21 9 8 5 6 Anderson, by Pokpong Chanan, Nai(InnerMen)(Bangkok: Matichon, 2013). Bangkok, 1999); andaprovocative new lifeof treatment ofthealmost-all-maleinner-court Vajiravudh also StephenL. lalongkorn”, Conference paper presented on at the International Thai Studies (Canberra, 1987). See Nationalism (Verso: London, 1991);andKullada Kesboonchoo, “Official NationalismunderKingChu- official nationalism, seeBenedict Anderson, ImaginedCommunity: andSpreadof ReflectionontheOrigin vudh andtheDevelopment of Thai Nationalism(Honolulu: University ofHawaii Press, 1978). As forhis The bestfavourable accountof Vajiravudh inEnglishcomesfrom Walter F. pp. 50–65. Vella,Ibid., KingVajira Chaiyo! - p. 61. Ibid., Damrong (Bangkok: SiamSociety, 1962), p. Thong”, inMiscellaneous Articles oftheSiamSocietyby fortheJournal HisRoyalWritten HighnessPrince See of Siam in the Period “History Antecedent to the Founding of Ayuddhya by King Phra Chao U tically different. Laobelongstothe Tai-Lao andLawa family isMon-Khmer. Buthewent ontosay: Interestingly, Damrong mistooktheword Prince “Lao” for “Lawa”. The two are ethnicallyandlinguis- Involvement in WorldInvolvement WarII”, JSS, Vol. 62, No. II(1974)pp. including imperialism Thai and French. See Charnvit Kasetsiri, Phibun Government“The First and Its However, ofnationalisminLaosandCambodia,Wichit ignored therise of whichopposedallforms in Witthayachan, No. 16, p. sawclaimed that he first this word used by Ramchitti, one of Vajiravudh’s many pen names, published See Krommahun Phitthayalab, HokhoPrawatisat Phak1[HeadingsofHistory, Part 1], 1917. The author order. the kingcopiedEnglishslogan of “God, King, andCountry” itinto andturned Thai inadifferent and nationality, but inreversed order. Anderson, ImaginedCommunity, p. remarksAnderson that Vajiravudh’s echoesthethemeoflate triad Russia:Tsarist autocracy, orthodoxy Ibid. alism andImperialism. Society, 1962), p. Articles oftheSiamSocietyby fortheJournal HisRoyalWritten Damrong(Bangkok: HighnessPrince Siam See translationby O. Frankfurter, oftheRecords ofSiameseHistory”,“The Story inMiscellaneous Chatniyom: PicharanaLuang Wichitwathakan”, See alistofhisplays inibid., pp. Society, 1961), ch. 4. ofKingChulalongkorn, For thereform seeforexample Wyatt; F. accountofMongkut’sSee abrief reign in A. See VI (1974), pp. Kobkua Suwannathat, “Kansuksa Prawatsat SakunDamrong Rajanubhab”, Journal ofSoutheast Journal Asian Studies, Vol. 26, No. 1(March 1995), pp. Thongchai Winichakul, Landscape of the Past:“The Changing in New Histories Thailand since 1973”, in late Nineteenth Century in lateNineteenthCentury Thailand”, pp. University, 1968, p. : His to the National Library, and His Contribution Writings MA thesis, Chulalongkorn Modernisation ofaBureaucratic Polity (Honolulu:Modernisation East-West CenterPress, 1966); W. Bureaucracy: InstitutionalChangeandDevelopment (Honolulu: East-West CenterPress, 1966). See a discussion on his writings in Suchart Sawadsri (ed.), inSuchart See adiscussiononhiswritings For NidhiEoseewong, seePenandSail: Literature inEarly andHistory Bangkok , 2006. Asia Program, 1994). Reynolds, Sciences (1974). Seethebestaccount andtranslationinEnglishonJit’s lifeandworks by CraigJ. 5–11. SeealsoC. original Lao,original they are tobeidentifiedinthepeoplestyledtoday LuaorLawa. stock. We may conclude, therefore, that these peoples are descended from the Khmers. As for the the nameofKha, Khamu, Cambodians, MonsandMengallspeaklanguageswhichare ofKhmer andLao? Khmers Who were theoriginal Today we onlyknow thatthepeoplesdesignatedunder The Riseof Imagined Community: andSpreadofNationalism, ReflectionontheOrigin ch. 6: OfficialNation- Thai RadicalDiscourse – The RealFace of Thai Feudalism Today (Ithaca: Southeast Cornell 28–44. W. Greene, AbsoluteDreams: underRama Thai Government VI, 1910–1925(WhiteLotus: Ayudhya, ch. 4. 31. 12.

J. Reynolds, “The CaseofK.S.R. Kulap: A Challenge toRoyal Historical Writing 104. 9–41. SeealsoKobkua Suwannathat, “Kankhian Prawatsat Thai Baeb JSS, Vol. 61, No. II(1973), p. Charnvit Kasetsiri Charnvit 49.

B. Griswold, Warasan Thammasat, Vol. 6, No. I(1969), pp. 34 King MongkutofSiam 179–228. Jit Phumisak, 99–120. 65; and Aemon Chaloemrak, Prince 101. Many Thais believe that , Vol. 2, No. No. 2, , Aksonsat Phichan Vol.

Association oftheSocial (New York:Asia The

J. Siffin, W. Riggs, 149–180. The Thai The Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 06:34 25 Sep 2021; For: 9781315151328, chapter3, 10.4324/9781315151328-3 25 24 22 Greene, StephenL. Charnvit Kasetsiri. 1976. TheRiseof Ayudhya: andFifteenthCenturies. ofSiamintheFourteenth A History Anderson, Benedict. 1991. ImaginedCommunity: andSpreadofNationalism. ReflectionontheOrigin London:

Siffin, Riggs, Reid, Anthony andDavid Marr. 1978. PerceptionsofthePast inSoutheast Asia . Singapore: Heinemann. Griswold. 1961. Vella, Walter F. 1978. Wyatt, 23 Lumpur: Oxford University Press. Verso. Bangkok. Press. of Hawaii Press. Tangkawanich, seePrawatsat Sukhothai [SukhothaiHistory: Sang Thi Pherng Newly Invented], 2014. dation oftheRoyal Hegemony], 2007; forPokpong Chanan, seeNai[InnerMen]; for Warisara sible Dream], 2013; forChanidaChidbundid, seeKanSathapanaPhra Ratcha Amnat Nam[TheFoun - After], 2001; forNatthapollChaiching, seeKhoFan Fai NaiFan An LueChua[To Dream theImpos- For Thamrongsak Petchlertanan, see2475LaeNungPiLangPatiwat [1932Revolution andOne Year tisat JustThi PhuengSang[History Invented], 2001. Siam Mapped: oftheGeo-BodyA History ofaNation, 1994; andforSomsakJeamteerasakul,Prawa seehis - andtheInvention[Kukrit of Thainess], 2vols. 2007; for Thongchai Winichakul, seehiswell-known ofMuang and theConstruction Thai Identity](2003); DapPraditdam Khwam andKukrit Pen Thai For Saichol Wannarat, seeSomdetKromPhraya DamrongKanSang Attalak Muang Damrong Thai [Prince and J. For Krairiksh, Piriya seeCharukPhoKhunRamkhamhaeng[RamkhamhaengInscription], revised 2003 Phongpaichit, published 1984. first edition(ChiangMai: Reprint Books, Silkworm 1999), p. See Chatthip Nartsupha,

F. D. W. W. 1966. ofaBureaucratic Polity. TheModernisation Honolulu: East-West CenterPress. . 1966. J.

S. Chamberlain, ed. TheRamkhamhaengControversy: CollectedPapers (Bangkok: SiamSociety, 1991). K. 1969. in ThePoliticsofReform Thailand. New Haven: Yale University Press. King MongkutofSiam. New York: The Asia Society. The Thai Bureaucracy: Institutional Change and Development. Honolulu: East-West Center W. 1999. AbsoluteDreams: underRama Thai Government VI,Lotus: 1910–1925. White Chaiyo! King Vajiravudh and the Development of Thai Nationalism. Honolulu: University The Thai Village Economy in the Past, Baker translated by and Pasuk Chris Thai historiography References 35 131. Kuala