Accounts vary on the origin of Prasat Thong. While traditional Thai historians hold that he was an illegitimate son of King Ekathotsarot, Jeremias van Vliet's account states that he was the maternal cousin of King Songtham – his father was Okya Sithammathirat (Thai: ออกญาศรีธรรมาธิราช), elder brother of the mother of King Songtham. He was born during the reign of King Naresuan around 1600 and was known to have caused mischief in the royal court. He ruined the palace Agricultural Initiation Ceremony, royal ceremony of ploughing, and was threatened with imprisonment; only pleas from the queen of King Naresuan, Chao Khruamanichan, won a reduction of the punishment to five months imprisonment. He was later pardoned and given the title of Okya Siworawong (Thai: ออกญาศรีวรวงศ์), or Phraya Siworawong – a high-ranking title of royal page.[5]: 209–210
The rise of Prasat Thong to power was documented in van Vliet's The Historical Account of the war of Succession following the death of King Pra Interajatsia (1650). As the king's maternal cousin, he held great influence. It is said that he was an ambitious prince and wanted to become a king. King Songtham had had his brother Phra Phanpi Sisin or Phra Sisin (The Siamese chronicles say that Phra Sisin was one of the King Songtham's three sons.[5]) as the Front Palace, technically his successor, but a palace faction including Prasat Thong persuaded the king to give the throne instead to his son Prince Chetthathirat. When King Songtham died in 1628, Chetthathirat ascended the throne and a great purge of the mandarins who had supported Phra Sisin was instigated, including the Samuha Kalahom or Defence Minister. Prasatthong then replaced him as the defence minister with the new title of Okya Suriyawong (Thai: ออกญากลาโหมสุริยวงศ์).
The king maker
During the King Chetthathirat’s reign, Prasat Thong had Yamada Nagamasa, the head of Japanese mercenaries then known as Okya Senaphimok (Thai: ออกญาเสนาภิมุข), as a supporter. After Chetthathirat accession to the throne, Phra Sisin escaped into monkhood to save his life. However, he was lured into the palace with his monastic robes off and with princely attire. He was arrested and then exiled to Phetchaburi where he was thrown into a well to be starved to death. The prince was narrowly saved by the local monks who threw a body into the well as a substitute. Phra Sisin then organized a rebellion in Petchaburi. Prasatthong sent Okya Kamhaeng and Yamada Nagamasa to lead the Japanese troops to crush the rebels. Phra Sisin was captured and executed in Ayutthaya.
With the Phra Sisin gone, Prasat Thong was in full power. In 1629, his father died. A grand funeral was held and his father's ashes were cremated twice – a practice reserved for royalty. On that day King Chetthathirat called for an audience with all the nobles but all of them had gone to the funeral – much to the king's great displeasure. The king threatened to punish Prasat Thong but Okya Phraklang (the Minister of Trade who was Prasatthong's ally) managed to calm the king and convince him of Prasat Thong's innocence. The king was unprepared when Prasat Thong led armies into the palace. The king fled but was captured and executed. Prasat Thong installed the king’s brother – the eleven-year-old Prince Athittayawong – as the new puppet king with Prasat Thong as the regent who crowned himself as the second king.
Coup and rebellion
Prasat Thong strived to eliminate his allies-turned-rivals – the Okya Kamhaeng who contested for the throne and Yamada Nagamasa who objected to the takeover of the throne by Prasat Thong. He quickly condemned Okya Kamhaeng for treason and execution followed. And he sent Yamada Nagamasa to the south as the governor of Ligor, away from Ayutthaya. As soon as the Japanese mandarin left the city, only about a month after his ascension, the child-king was deposed and subsequently executed. Suriyawong or Okya Suriyawong crowned himself as the full-fledged King of Siam.
Prasat Thong had acted as "king-maker" before assuming the throne, by performing the double regicide of King Songtham's sons. Yamada, Okya Seniphimok, heard of the coup at Ayutthaya and rebelled. Prasat Thong had him poisoned and then expelled the remaining Japanese.[6]: 55
Reign
As a powerful and decisive leader, he promulgated many criminal laws and sometimes, according to Van Vliet, he even executed prisoners by himself.
Siam was a major trading center attracting Europeans merchants. Prasat Thong was interested in controlling the towns in the southern peninsula, perhaps because of profits from overseas trade. Ayutthaya lost northern subjugated principalities such as Chiang Mai.
Under Prasat Thong, Cambodia became subject to Siam again. He then built the capital city using Nakhon Thom as a model and built "places of temporary rest on the way to the footprint of the Buddha."[5]: 216
Succession
Upon King Prasatthong’s death in 1656, Chao Fa Chai, his eldest son, succeeded his father as King Sanpet VI.
Legacy
Constructions under the reign of King Prasat Thong
The Eulogy of King Prasat Thong, probably composed early in the reign of King Narai is a major example of the Thai tradition of royal panegyrics. It states that King Prasat Thong is a bodhisatta, invited by Indra to be reborn as the king of Ayutthaya, and destined to become the tenth in a sequence of ten future Buddhas beginning with Metteyya. It recounts the major events of the reign including religious constructions, amending the calendar, almsgivings, and festivals.
References
^Baker, Chris; Phongpaichit, Pasuk (2017). A History of Ayutthaya: Siam in the Early Modern World (Kindle Edition). Cambridge University Press. ISBN978-1-316-64113-2.
^Wyatt, David K. (2003). Thailand : A Short History (2nd ed.). Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books. ISBN974957544X.
prasat, thong, thai, ปราสาททอง, pronounced, prāː, sàːt, tʰɔ, ːŋ, 1600, citation, needed, 1656, 1629, 1656, first, king, dynasty, fourth, dynasty, siamese, ayutthaya, kingdom, ปราสาททองking, ayutthayaking, siamreign1629, august, 1656predecessorathittayawongsucc. Prasat Thong 4 Thai prasaththxng pronounced praː saːt tʰɔ ːŋ c 1600 citation needed 1656 r 1629 1656 was the first king of the Prasat Thong dynasty the fourth dynasty of the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom Prasat ThongprasaththxngKing of AyutthayaKing of SiamReign1629 1 2 8 August 1656PredecessorAthittayawongSuccessorChaiBornc 1600 citation needed Died8 August citation needed 1656 1657 aged 57 SpousePrincess Sirithida 3 IssueChaiNaraiTraiphuwanathittayawongThongIntharachaAphaiyathotNoiYothathipNamesPrasat ThongSanphet VHousePrasat Thong dynastyFatherOkya SithammathiratAccounts vary on the origin of Prasat Thong While traditional Thai historians hold that he was an illegitimate son of King Ekathotsarot Jeremias van Vliet s account states that he was the maternal cousin of King Songtham his father was Okya Sithammathirat Thai xxkyasrithrrmathirach elder brother of the mother of King Songtham He was born during the reign of King Naresuan around 1600 and was known to have caused mischief in the royal court He ruined the palace Agricultural Initiation Ceremony royal ceremony of ploughing and was threatened with imprisonment only pleas from the queen of King Naresuan Chao Khruamanichan won a reduction of the punishment to five months imprisonment He was later pardoned and given the title of Okya Siworawong Thai xxkyasriwrwngs or Phraya Siworawong a high ranking title of royal page 5 209 210 Contents 1 Rise to power 2 The king maker 3 Coup and rebellion 4 Reign 5 Succession 6 Legacy 7 ReferencesRise to power EditThe rise of Prasat Thong to power was documented in van Vliet s The Historical Account of the war of Succession following the death of King Pra Interajatsia 1650 As the king s maternal cousin he held great influence It is said that he was an ambitious prince and wanted to become a king King Songtham had had his brother Phra Phanpi Sisin or Phra Sisin The Siamese chronicles say that Phra Sisin was one of the King Songtham s three sons 5 as the Front Palace technically his successor but a palace faction including Prasat Thong persuaded the king to give the throne instead to his son Prince Chetthathirat When King Songtham died in 1628 Chetthathirat ascended the throne and a great purge of the mandarins who had supported Phra Sisin was instigated including the Samuha Kalahom or Defence Minister Prasatthong then replaced him as the defence minister with the new title of Okya Suriyawong Thai xxkyaklaohmsuriywngs The king maker EditDuring the King Chetthathirat s reign Prasat Thong had Yamada Nagamasa the head of Japanese mercenaries then known as Okya Senaphimok Thai xxkyaesnaphimukh as a supporter After Chetthathirat accession to the throne Phra Sisin escaped into monkhood to save his life However he was lured into the palace with his monastic robes off and with princely attire He was arrested and then exiled to Phetchaburi where he was thrown into a well to be starved to death The prince was narrowly saved by the local monks who threw a body into the well as a substitute Phra Sisin then organized a rebellion in Petchaburi Prasatthong sent Okya Kamhaeng and Yamada Nagamasa to lead the Japanese troops to crush the rebels Phra Sisin was captured and executed in Ayutthaya With the Phra Sisin gone Prasat Thong was in full power In 1629 his father died A grand funeral was held and his father s ashes were cremated twice a practice reserved for royalty On that day King Chetthathirat called for an audience with all the nobles but all of them had gone to the funeral much to the king s great displeasure The king threatened to punish Prasat Thong but Okya Phraklang the Minister of Trade who was Prasatthong s ally managed to calm the king and convince him of Prasat Thong s innocence The king was unprepared when Prasat Thong led armies into the palace The king fled but was captured and executed Prasat Thong installed the king s brother the eleven year old Prince Athittayawong as the new puppet king with Prasat Thong as the regent who crowned himself as the second king Coup and rebellion EditPrasat Thong strived to eliminate his allies turned rivals the Okya Kamhaeng who contested for the throne and Yamada Nagamasa who objected to the takeover of the throne by Prasat Thong He quickly condemned Okya Kamhaeng for treason and execution followed And he sent Yamada Nagamasa to the south as the governor of Ligor away from Ayutthaya As soon as the Japanese mandarin left the city only about a month after his ascension the child king was deposed and subsequently executed Suriyawong or Okya Suriyawong crowned himself as the full fledged King of Siam Prasat Thong had acted as king maker before assuming the throne by performing the double regicide of King Songtham s sons Yamada Okya Seniphimok heard of the coup at Ayutthaya and rebelled Prasat Thong had him poisoned and then expelled the remaining Japanese 6 55 Reign EditAs a powerful and decisive leader he promulgated many criminal laws and sometimes according to Van Vliet he even executed prisoners by himself Siam was a major trading center attracting Europeans merchants Prasat Thong was interested in controlling the towns in the southern peninsula perhaps because of profits from overseas trade Ayutthaya lost northern subjugated principalities such as Chiang Mai Under Prasat Thong Cambodia became subject to Siam again He then built the capital city using Nakhon Thom as a model and built places of temporary rest on the way to the footprint of the Buddha 5 216 Succession EditUpon King Prasatthong s death in 1656 Chao Fa Chai his eldest son succeeded his father as King Sanpet VI Legacy EditConstructions under the reign of King Prasat Thong Wat Chaiwatthanaram Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province Prasat Nakhon Luang Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province Prasat Thong built the monastery Chumphon Nikayaram where his mother resided and a rest palace Bang Pa In Royal Palace at Bang Pa In 5 211 Multiple projects that was constructed by Prasat Thong still stands today such as Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province and the uncompleted Prasat Nakhon Luang in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province later finished by King Chulalongkorn over 200 years later 7 8 9 The Eulogy of King Prasat Thong probably composed early in the reign of King Narai is a major example of the Thai tradition of royal panegyrics It states that King Prasat Thong is a bodhisatta invited by Indra to be reborn as the king of Ayutthaya and destined to become the tenth in a sequence of ten future Buddhas beginning with Metteyya It recounts the major events of the reign including religious constructions amending the calendar almsgivings and festivals References Edit Baker Chris Phongpaichit Pasuk 2017 A History of Ayutthaya Siam in the Early Modern World Kindle Edition Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 1 316 64113 2 Wyatt David K 2003 Thailand A Short History 2nd ed Chiang Mai Silkworm Books ISBN 974957544X M L Manich Jumsai ekhiyn thitima phithksiphrwn aepl smedcphranarayn aelaoksapan krungethph khurusphaladphraw 2531 hna 17 in Thai The Royal Institute List of monarchs Ayutthaya Archived 2013 12 03 at the Wayback Machine in Thai dead link a b c d Rajanubhab D 2001 Our Wars With the Burmese Bangkok White Lotus Co Ltd ISBN 9747534584 Chakrabongse C 1960 Lords of Life London Alvin Redman Limited History of Ayutthaya Royal Residences Prasat Nakhon Luang www ayutthaya history com Retrieved 2 December 2021 Prasat Nakhon Luang Nakhon Luang Thailand Asian Architecture Retrieved 2 December 2021 Wat Chaiwatthanaram www tourismthailand org Retrieved 2 December 2021 Prasat ThongPrasat Thong DynastyBorn 1600 Died 1656Regnal titlesPreceded byAthittayawong King of Ayutthaya1629 1656 Succeeded byChai Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Prasat Thong amp oldid 1129817969, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
