Ms. Chatbongkoch Sriwattanasarn
1. This exhibition aims to encourage present day visitors to ponder how people have coexisted in Thai society despite cultural diversity beliefs, traditions, or ways of life.
Looking back to the time when His Majesty King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) made an official visit to the North in 1927 is one way we can together seek answers to the aforementioned question to the benefit of the present.
The exhibition focuses on how King Rama VII carried on the royal tradition of going to faraway regions to visit his subjects in their localities and how the people, from the Northern royals to the various ethnic groups, as well as Chinese and Western merchants, welcomed him according to the custom of each locality and group. Data from documents, photographs, and movies taken by His Majesty make evident the cultural diversity in architecture, clothing, rituals, performing arts, and also cultural interaction which took place and have helped Siam retain her unity to the present.
Current photographs included in the exhibition for comparison, cultural performances reminititcscent of bygone days, and panel discussions are conducive to learn about the past for the benefit of the present.
2. The tradition of paying royal visits
A monarch visiting his subjects out of concern for their wellbeing is a traditional royal activity aimed at boosting the spirit and morale of everyone under the king’s bounty. It also that enables him to learn of the life and welfare of the people, as well as the actual conditions of the country so that he may form a part of the royal policy to bring about improvement in the country.
Making an official visit to a region is different from taking a pleasure trip since it is a journey to formally perform significant activities in the areas of politics, and government, as well as those to foster religion, art and culture.
3. The North and Northwest Circles
The North was divided into two monthon or administrative circles, the North and the Northwest..
The North Circle, from Nakhon Sawan Province to the town of Si Satchanalai, was once under the Sukhothai Kingdom. Since the seat of the territory was situated north of Ayutthaya, it was called “North Circle.” The Northwest Circle, from Phrae Province to the border of Burma (Myanmar), used to be part of the Lan Na Kingdom.. Access the North Circle was by water only. To reach the Northwest Circle, could only be reached by land. Prior to the reign of King Rama VII no kings from Bangkok had ever traveled to the Northwest Circle even though King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) visited Chiang Mai in 1905 when he was Crown Prince.
The North Circle was the country’s large-scale producer of rice. The Northwest Circle had abundant forest resources earning significant income for the country. However, at the end of King Vajiravudh’s reign the paddy fields were damaged by floods and the following year drought set in, causing the farmers to be fall more deeply into debt and the rice mills to go out of business. The government therefore expanded the irrigation program, initiated cooperatives program, and established the Ministry of Commerce to promote trade.
Chiang Mai was the principal city of the Northwest Circle and had traded with and caravans of pack-horses and donkeys conducting trades between South China, Burma, and Laos, using cart bands since ancient time. It was also teeming with teak forests, a source of significant income. Thus many British, French, Chinese, and Burmese wealthy men and merchants carried out their large-scale businesses in the city. The intera ctions among these people in the areas of culture, traditions, and art gave rise to beautiful and diverse styles of art and architecture, evident in ancient sites, temples, and stupas housing the Buddha relics.
4. King Prajadhipok’s reasons in making an official visit to the North.
King Prajadhipok made a definite resolution to perform royal activities following the precedents set by King Mongkut (Rama IV), his grandfather, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), his father, and King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), his brother, to eliminate the miseries and foster the happiness of the people, and to promote national progress.
“…The North Circle has been in existence since ancient time. Some cities used to be capital cities of Siam. As no kings of the Rattanakosin Period had ever visited the Northwest Circle, if I were to go there I would be the first king to set foot on the soil of the Northwest Circle…”
“…taking an inspection trip to the regions would be an opportunity for me to see the scenery and the land, to learn of the happiness and sorrow of the people in my kingdom and how they earn their living…in order that I may incorporate this knowledge in my initiative to improve the outmoded items, maintain the good points and try to make them better to befit my position as king.”
The railway railway linking the northernmost part of the country with the center was completed in 1921, King Prajadhipok resolved to go there after only about a year and a half on the throne to carry on the administrative policy set by his father to render benefits to the country through the acknowledgment that cultural differences existed in the areas of races, languages, religions, customs and traditions. Significant royal activities such as the presentation of The royal sword of office the celebrations of major shrines housing Buddha’s relics, and visits to the people in the North and Northwest Circles were carried out to create stability and harmony of the country. It was the first time such activities were performed by a king and his queen in the Rattanakosin Period.
5. Preparations for a stately but economical trip
5.1 Cooperation between members of the Royal House of Chakri and the Northwest royals to welcome Their Majesties
When King Prajadhipok made up his mind to take an inspection trip to the North and Northwest Circles, he sent a letter dated 24 May 1926 to HRH Prince Damrongrajanuphab with the following message:
“I leave it to you to set the duration of my sojourn and to see to all the arrangements…”
Since no reigning monarch had ever taken an inspection trip to the Northwest Circle, HRH Prince Damrongrajanuphab wrote a letter to consult the Royal Consort of King Chulalongkorn, HRH Princess Dara Rasmi, who was the daughter of Chao Indavijayanonda, the 7th ruler of Chiang Mai and Princess Dhepkraison. A part of the letter reads:
“I would like to consult someone who is an expert on old customs of Chiang Mai and I can find no one else but you. So I am thinking of going up to Chiang Mai to discuss with you about the matter…”
Subsequently HRH Prince Damrongrajanuphab went up to Chiang Mai and received amiable cooperation from HRH Princess Dara Rasmi and the royals of the Northwest Region. When he returned to Bangkok the prince arranged several meetings at Woradis Palace, attended by HRH Prince Paribatra Sukhumbandhu, Minister of Defense, HRH the Prince of Lopburi, Minister of Interior, HRH the Prince of Kambaengbejr, Minister of Commerce and Transport, HH Prince Supphayokkasem, Minister of the Royal Treasury, and Phraya Woraphongphiphat, acting Minister of Palace.
5.2 Economy
On account of the economic depression, King Prajadhpok specified that the cost of the inspection trip should not exceed 100,000 baht. The committee then cut the duration of the trip down from 40 days to 32 days by leaving out Sawankhalok and Sukhothai, the ancient capital of the North Circle, the name of which corresponded with the king’s name when he was Prince of Sukhodaya (Sukhothai), from the original agenda. The number of His Majesty’s entourage, the budget for the construction of pavilions, expenses for the ceremonies and the catering on the train, and the daily allowance of the officials in the entourage were also reduced. Boiled rainwater was to be used in preparing royal meals instead of water from Phetchaburi to cut down on expenses.
No matter how hard the committee tried, the final result was that the expense would come to 164,063 baht, 64,063 baht higher than His Majesty had specified. Since there was no way to reduce it, the ministers agreed that the difference would be advanced by the Ministry of Royal the Treasury and then deducted from the budget for the royal trips the following year.
Upon further investigation, it was found that an amount of 25,120 baht budget for royal meals and food for the entourage already existed in the Minister of Interior. So it was resolved that this amount was to be withdrawn from the Department of the King’s Treasury (the King’s private fund), thereby leaving the amount of 138,943 baht to be obtained from the Ministry of the Royal Treasury (national budget), 38,943 baht exceeding His Majesty’s specification. This reflected an attempt to prepare a stately but economical trip.
5.3 The royal itinerary
Their Majesties King Prajadhipok and Queen Rambhai Barni made the official visit to the North from 5 January to 6 February 1927 for the duration of 32 days.It was the first of such a trip in the reign.
6. Cultural diversity evident in the welcoming ceremonies
There were two separate parts in the ceremonies to welcome Their Majesties on their inspection trip as follows. The first part, the North Circle or Phitsanulok Circle was considered an inner circle and the welcoming ceremonies were arranged according to the regulations and customs of an inner circle. The Northwest Circle used to be a satellite state; therefore, when Their Majesties approached a city there would be a procession leading them into the city. After their entrance, there would be a blessing ceremony. Since the two ceremonies were majestic, His Majesty suggested that they be performed together at Chiang Mai. As for the other provinces in the Northwest Circle, their welcoming ceremonies were to follow the regulations and customs of an inner circle.
Cultural diversities were evident in the welcoming ceremonies consisting of processions of elephants leading Their Majesties into the cities and the benediction processions which featured costumes, rituals associated with beliefs, activities involved in the trip, and languages, reflecting the fact that various ethnic groups from Lan Na people to hill tribes, Laotian, Khmer, Mon, Moslem, Chinese, and other foreign people had settled under the Siamese kings’ bounty in the North and Northwest Circles since the early Rattanakosin Period.
“…The ruler of Nan referred to the time when King Rama I had fought to quell the enemy forces until Lan Na was back under Thai dominion once again. Thai territories from North to South were then united and have remained safe and sound from enemy aggression in the Realm of Siam for almost 150 years, protected by the sovereigns’ virtues…”
King Prajadhipok delivered a complimentary speech in return.
“…I must also praise the leaders of the Northwest Circle at that time, the Seven Princes who were the ancestors of the Northern royals of Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lamphun, and also the ruler of Nan, who had proffered their loyalty to the Crown and become a major force in fighting the enemies. Their descendants have always been loyal to all the monarchs of the Royal House of Chakri and thus the offspring of the Seven Princes and the ruler of Nan have had the hereditary rank of royalty bestowed on them. It is very fitting for the families have been congenial to the Royal House of Chakri since the First Reign…”
At Lampang, a part of the well-wishing speech was,
“His Majesty has organized the system of government so that the people are given justice, wealth, and liberty, and has also supported all foreigners who have come to make a living in this city to gain equal benefit and happiness…”
In His Majesty’s reply he stated his resolution and asked for cooperation from the local people of all statuses, nationalities, and languages.
“…I intend to uphold the benefit and happiness of the people in Siam in order that they may receive justice and be governed in a manner suitable to the present age on an equal par all over the kingdom. I ask all of you to help me attain my objective by doing each one’s duty with the benefit and happiness of the country and the people as first priority. Assist one another and extend your goodwill towards others even though they may belong to other race or creed. Foreigners living in this city may rest assured of my benevolence and cooperate to make Lampang continue to prosper…”
7. The Royal Sword of office and the White Elephant: symbols of a monarch’s power and of loyalty to him
The Royal Sword of cffice was symbolic of the power of a monarch in the days of the absolute monarchy. Whenever it is bestowed on anyone it means that that person has absolute authority over the territory the sword is present..
At the end of King Chulalongkorn’s reign, His Majesty would present the royal swords to the cities and the circles where he visited as symbols representing his presence and to be used for striking the water in the ceremony of taking the oath of allegiance. The circle’s royal sword has gold hilt with colored enamel inlay and the city’s royal sword has gold hilt and scabbard. Moreover, King Chulalongkorn had set up a principle that whenever he revisited a city and stayed over the governor would present him with the city’s royal sword to keep until the time of his departure when the sword would be returned to the city.
As he had always followed royal traditions, when he took an inspection trip to the North and Northwest Circles King Prajadhipok presented Royal Swords to the provinces he visited The Ministry of Palace coordinatied with the provinces to rehearse the ceremonies of presenting each city’s royal sword. Only Phitsanulok which had already been presented with a Royal Sword since the reign of King Chulalongkorn would performed the ceremony of returning the sword.
Before the scheduled trip, a baby white elephant was born of a cow elephant belonging to the Borneo Company which had been granted concession over the forests in Chiang Mai. As white elephants are symbol of a monarch’s grandeur, His Majesty had allowed the ceremonies of presenting and celebrating the baby elephant to be arranged at Chiang Mai, with a procession leading the illustrious elephant and an albino monkey, presented to His Majesty earlier at Phitsanulok by a convict, to the ceremonial hall. Monks chanted while His Majesty performed a libation with lustral water and put a garland of flowers around the baby elephant’s neck. Brahmins passed lighted candles clockwise around the elephant. At night there were performances of Lan Na folk songs organized by HRH Princess Dara Rasmi, candle dance, strewing popped rice dance accompanied by a song blessing His Majesty, singing and dancing around the elephant, and lantern dance.
A part of the lyrics of the song composed by HRH Princess Dara Rasmi reads:
“His Majesty King Prajadhipok,
Offspring of King Chulalongkorn,
Were he not of royal lineage with great merit,
The white elephant would not have come to him.”
The following year King Prajadhipok had the elephant transported to Bangkok and on November 16, 1927 a royal celebration ceremony was held for him. By royal command he was bestowed the rank of “Phra Sawet Gajadejanadilok,” He was the only white elephant of the reign.
8. Patron of religion at major religious sites
His Majesty King Prajadhipok took a great interest in religious affairs and devoutly performed activities in his role as patron of religion. He presented royal decorations, tasseled gold shoulder wrap, and a pair of European-style with carved marble pedestal for vases as offerings to Phra Buddha Chinnarat, the revered Buddha image at Phitsanulok, and held celebrations for the Buddha relics of the major provinces in the Northwest Circle such as Phra That Hariphunchai, Lamphun, Phra That Doi Suthep and Phra Chedi Chet Yot, Chiang Mai, and Phra That Chom Kitti, Chiang Rai.
9. Royal grace reflecting concern for the people
King Prajadhipok was a monarch with graceful manners and disposition, inducing heartfelt loyalty in those who encountered him. He was never arrogant in his demeanor towards people regardless of nationality or status, as can be seen in his address thanking the Lawa who presented him with rare wild orchids and other items according to their tradition.
"...One of my purposes in coming to the Northwest Region is to see with my own eyes how you, the people of the Northwest, fare regarding occupations and wellbeing in order that I may find ways to promote your progress and prosperity…”
He also delivered the following address to members of the Chiang Mai Chinese Merchant Association.
“…The Chinese settling in Thailand differ from the Thai people only in nationality. As for the legitimate rights they should have, the Chinese are no different from the Thais. I and my officials have tried our best to make the Chinese receive security and happiness, justice, protection, and equality on the par with the Thais who are in owners of the country…”
10. Cultural Diversity in Unitary Siam
The North and Northwest Circles were the first places where His Majesty King Prajadhipok paid on official visit, done in a economically way at a time of economic depression for the purpose of carrying on the royal traditions. He acquainted himself with all groups of people who had come to live under the bounty of the Siamese kings and learned of diverse ways of living, customs and traditions. The knowledge he gained were to be used in setting up a royal state policy. At the same time His Majesty was seeking cooperation to foster for the country security, peace, and progress in line with the ways of the world. How much King Prajadhipok had succeeded in his purposes remains for us to study with an open mind and adapt the constructive points for use today.
Translated by Associate Professor Malithat Promathatavedi
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