King
Taksin : [ 1767-1782 ]
After
the shattering defeat which had culminated in 's
destruction, the death and capture of thousands of Thais by the
victorious Burmese, and the dispersal of several potential Thai
leaders, the situation seemed hopeless. It was a time of
darkness and of troubles for the Thai nation. Members of the old
royal family of Ayutthaya had died, escaped, or been captured by
the Burmese and many rival claimants for the throne emerged,
based in different areas of the country. But out of this
national catastrophe emerged yet another saviour of the Thai
state : the half-Chinese general Phraya Taksin, former governor
of Tak. Within a few years this determined warrior had defeated
not only all his rivals but also the Burmese invaders and had
set himself up as king,
Since
Ayutthaya had been so completely devastated. King Taksin chose
to establish his capital at [ across the river from Bangkok ]. Although a small
town, Thon Buri was strategically situated near the mouth of the
Chao Phraya River and therefore suitable as a seaport. The Thais
needed weapons, and one way of acquiring them was through trade.
Besides, foreign trade was also needed to bolster the Thai
economy, which had suffered extensively during the war with
Burma(now Myanmar). Chinese and Chinese-Thai traders helped
revive the economy by engaging in maritime trade with
neighbouring states, with China, and with some European nations.
King
Taksin's prowess as a general and as an inspirational leader
meant that all attempts by the Burmese to reconquer Siam failed.
The rallying of the Thai nation during a time of crisis was King
Taksin's greatest achievement. However, he was also interested
in cultural revival, in literature and the arts. He was deeply
religious and studied meditation to an advanced level. The
stress and strain of such much fighting and the responsibility
of rebuilding a centralized Thai state took their toll on the
king. Following an internal political conflict in 1782. King
Taksin's fellow general Chao Phraya Chakri was chosen king. King
Taksin's achievements have caused posperity to bestow on him the
epithet "the Great"., |
