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Ayudhyā and the Rearward Part of the World

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Extract

The Thai kingdom of Ayudhyā endured several periods of crisis during its long history from 1350 to 1767, but the crisis which will concern us here happened in 1592. During that year the king, Nareśvara, was well aware that he lived in a hostile world of unusually wide dimensions. His behaviour will be discussed as a basis for a brief consideration of Ayudhyā's attitude towards the world, a subject of more than diplomatic interest.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1968

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References

1 Their loyalty to Ayudhyā is surely one of the momentous decisions in Thai history. The decision was made in spite of the rivalry between the Thai of the two regions, suggested by Prince Damrong and exploited by the Burmans in 1569: Prince Dhani's review of Damrong's, PrinceThe history of King Nareśvara the Great in J. Siam Soc. (JSS), XXXVIII, 2, 1951, 74.Google Scholar

2 1575 is the date given in the pên-chi section of the Ming-shih (Po-na edition), 20, 3a, and with more detail in the Shên-tsung shih-lu (photoprint of a MS copy in the Chiang-su kuo-hsüeh t‘u-shu-kuan), 39, 9b, and in the Kuo-ch‘üeh (Ku-chi ch'u-pan shê edition, Peking, 1958), vol. 5, 4269. But the Ming-shih, pên-chi, 20, 2a, and also the Kuo-ch‘üeh, vol. 5, 4221, refer to a mission as early as 1573. The latter text calls “the king of Siam” Hua-chao-sung; the last syllable of the transcription suggests “suen” in Naresuen, or Nareśvara. The Chinese evidence reveals the promptness with which Nareśvara sought to obtain Chinese recognition of Ayudhyā's independent status some years before Bayinnaung died.

3 The site of the battle according to Giles, F. H., Selected articles from the Siam Society Journal, VII, Bangkok, 1959, 138139Google Scholar. Giles noted that the Burmese account agreed with van Vliet's information.

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8 Kuno, op. cit., 308; Blair, E. H. and Robertson, J. A., The Philippine Islands … relating to China…, Cleveland, 1915, vol. 7, 35, 138, 221–2Google Scholar. In this period Thai, among other foreign invalids, were being cared for in the Franciscan convent in Manila: de la Costa, H. (ed.), Readings in Philippine history, Manila, 1965, 32.Google Scholar

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11 Kuo-ch‘üeh, vol. 5, 4662.

12 Shên-tsung shih-lu, 252, 10b.

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14 Kuno, op. cit., 157.

15 Kuo-ch‘üeh, vol. 4680. The Shên-tsung shih-lu, 251, 5b–6a, does not mention this.

16 Shên-tsung shih-lu, 250, 2b.

17 Ib., 255, 7b.

18 Ib., 256, 2b.

19 Hsia Hsieh, compiler of the Ming T‘ung-chien, notes discrepancies in the evidence for the date of the invasion of Korea and attributes Chinese awareness of the crisis to 23rd August, 1592; Ming T‘ung-chien, vol. 3, 2726 (Chung-hua shu-chü edition). Thus, in spite of inaccuracies attributed to the Shih-lu for this reign, there is general agreement that the Chinese government did not begin to react vigorously to the crisis before August. The forthcoming publication of the Hung-kê text of the Wan-li shih-lu may throw additional light on the events of 1592 and early 1593.

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33 Ming-shih, 322, 17.

34 Shên-tsung shih-lu, 79, 4ab. Perhaps this event explains why later that year the Thai king was given an imperial seal: ib., 80, 4b. The “black ravens” may refer to the haṃsa or garuḍa on the ships. An excellent contemporary Japanese illustration of a Thai ship can be seen in Spinks, C. N., “Siam and the pottery trade of Asia”, JSS, XLIV, 2, 1956, facing p. 82.Google Scholar

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41 Ib.

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44 Ib.

45 Ib., 303–4. An “assailable enemy” is defined as “a neighbouring foe of considerable power” who is “involved in calamities or has taken himself to evil ways”: ib., 290.

46 Ib., 304.

47 Ib., 329–30.

48 Pigeaud, T. G. T., Java in the 14th century … The Nagara-kĕrtagama, III, The Hague, 1960, 1618.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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65 Khoi, Le Thanh, Le Viet-nam…, Paris, 1955, 364365.Google Scholar

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68 Ghoshal, U. N., A history of Indian political ideas, Oxford U.P., 1959, 11.Google Scholar

69 Ib., 11; Arthaśāstra, 171.

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71 Cœdès, G., IC, IV, Paris, 1952, 253.Google Scholar

72 Quoted by Briggs, L. P., The ancient Khmer empire, Philadelphia, 1951, 113.Google Scholar

73 Cœdès, G., IC, I, 154.Google Scholar

74 Ib., 133.

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76 One instance of an open window has been suggested by Mr. Simmonds. Perhaps some of the stylized imagery in the dawn theme in Thai poetry during the 17th century may be an adaptation of Bengali poetry of the period of Govindadas and Chandidas: Simmonds, E. H. S., in Eos: An enquiry into the theme of lovers' meetings and partings at dawn in poetry, ed. Hatto, Arthur T., 1965, 189.Google Scholar