Siamese revolution of 1688
Encyclopedia
The Siamese revolution of 1688 was a major popular upheaval in the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom
(modern Thailand
) which led to the overthrow of the pro-foreign Siamese king Narai
. The Mandarin Phetracha
, previously one of Narai's trusted military advisors, took advantage of the elderly Narai's illness, and killed Narai's Christian heirs, along with a number of missionaries and Narai's influential foreign minister the Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon
. Phetracha then married Narai's daughter, took the throne, and pursued a policy of ousting French influence
and military forces from Siam. One of the most prominent battles was 1688's Siege of Bangkok
, when tens of thousands of Siamese forces spent four months besieging a French fortress within the city. As a consequence of the revolution, Siam virtually severed all ties with the West, until some level of contacts were renewed in the 19th century.
King Narai's reign saw a major expansion of diplomatic missions to and from Western powers, most notably France
, England
, and the Vatican
. Missions were also sent and received from Persia, India
and China
, as well as other neighbouring states. Another notable feature of Narai's reign was the unprecedented influence of foreigners at the Siamese court, embodied in the meteoric rise of Constantine Phaulkon
, a Greek adventurer who would eventually hold the modern equivalent of the post of Prime Minister.
King Narai especially sought to expand relations with the French, as a counterweight to Portuguese
and Dutch
influence in his kingdom, and at the suggestion of his Greek councilor Phaulkon. Numerous embassies were exchanged in both directions.
and Bangkok
, in order to reaffirm the commercial treaty of 1685, provide a counterweight to Dutch influence in the region, and help to combat piracy. This disembarkment of French troops led to strong nationalist movements in Siam. By 1688, anti-foreign sentiments, mainly directed at the French and Phaulkon, were reaching their zenith. The Siamese courtiers resented the dominance of the Greek Phaulkon in state affairs, along with his Japanese wife and European lifestyle, whilst the Buddhist
clergy were uneasy with the increasing prominence of the French Jesuits. The courtiers eventually formed themselves into an anti-foreign faction. Other foreigners who had established themselves in Ayutthaya before the French, in particular the Protestant Dutch and English as well as the Persians, also resented the growing political and economic influence of the Catholic French. Other established Catholic factions, such as the Portuguese, also had reason to resent the French presence, seeing it as a violation of the Treaty of Tordesillas
. The increasing French influence not only increased competition but was also an unwelcome reminder of the declining fortunes of Portugal.
Matters were brought to a head when King Narai fell gravely ill in March 1688, and conspirators maneuvered to take power. In April, Phaulkon requested military help from the French in order to neutralize the plot. The French officer Desfarges responded by leading 80 troops and 10 officers out of Bangkok to the Palace in Lopburi
. However, he stopped on the way in Ayutthaya
and finally abandoned his plan and retreated to Bangkok, fearing that he could be attacked by Siamese rebels, and troubled by false rumors, some spread by Véret, the Director of the French East India Company
, including one that the king had already died.
On May 10, the dying King Narai, aware of the coming succession dispute, called together his closest councilors – the Greek councilor Phaulkon; the king's foster brother and Commander of the Royal Elephant Corps, Phra Phetracha
; and the King's adopted son Mom Pi. Narai nominated his daughter, Kromluang Yothathep, to succeed him. His three councilors were to act as regent
s until the princess took on a partner of her choice from one of the two Siamese councilors, Mom Pi or Phetracha.
Far from calming the situation, Narai's decision spurred Phetracha to act. With Narai essentially incapacitated by his illness, Phetracha staged a long-planned coup d'etat
with the support of a resentful court as well as the Buddhist clergy, initiating the 1688 Siamese revolution. On May 17-18, 1688, King Narai was arrested. On June 5, Phaulkon was arrested on accusations of treason, and later beheaded. Mom Pi was killed, and many members of Narai's family were assassinated. Both of the king's brothers, his successors by right, were killed on July 9, and King Narai himself died in detention on July 10-11, with his death possibly hastened by poisoning. Phra Phetracha was crowned king on August 1. Kosa Pan
, the 1686 former ambassador to France, and a strong supporter of Phetracha, became his Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Princess Kromluang Yothathep ultimately had to marry Phetracha and become his queen.
Large-scale attacks were launched on the two French fortresses in Siam, and on June 24, 1688, the French under du Bruant and the Chevalier de Beauregard
had to abandon their garrison at Mergui. Du Bruant managed to escape under fire and with many casualties by seizing a Siamese warship, the Mergui. He and his troops were stranded on a deserted island for four months before being captured by a British warship. They ultimately returned to Pondicherry by way of Madras.
In the Siege of Bangkok
, Phetracha besieged the French fortress in Bangkok with 40,000 men and over a hundred cannon, for a period of four months. The Siamese troops also apparently received Dutch support in their fight against the French. On September 9, the French warship Oriflamme, carrying 200 troops and commanded by de l'Estrilles, arrived at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River
, but was unable to dock at the Bangkok fortress as the entrance to the river was being blocked by the Siamese.
Phaulkon's Catholic Japanese-Portuguese wife, Maria Guyomar de Pinha
, who had been promised protection by being ennobled a countess of France, took refuge with the French troops in Bangkok, but Desfarges returned her to the Siamese under pressure from Phetracha on October 18. Despite the promises that had been made regarding her safety, she was condemned to perpetual slavery in the kitchens of Phetracha. Desfarges finally negotiated to return with his men to Pondicherry on November 13, onboard the Oriflamme and two Siamese ships, the Siam and the Louvo, provided by Phetracha.
Some of the French troops remained in Pondicherry to bolster the French presence there, but most left for France on February 16, 1689 aboard the French Navy
Normande and the French Company Coche, with the engineer Vollant des Verquains and the Jesuit Le Blanc aboard. The two ships were captured by the Dutch at The Cape
, however, because the War of the Augsburg League had started. After a month in the Cape, the prisoners were sent to Zeeland
where they were kept at the prison of Middelburg
. They were eventually able to return to France through a general exchange of prisoners.
On April 10, 1689, the French officer Desfarges – who had remained in Pondicherry – led an expedition to capture the island of Phuket
in an attempt to restore some sort of French control in Siam. The occupation of the island led nowhere, and Desfarges returned to Pondicherry in January 1690. Recalled to France, he left 108 troops in Pondicherry to bolster defenses, and left with his remaining troops on the Oriflamme and the Company ships Lonré and Saint-Nicholas on February 21, 1690. Desfarges died on his way back trying to reach Martinique
, and the Oriflamme sank shortly thereafter on February 27, 1691, with most of the remaining French troops, off the coast of Britanny.
A Siamese-formed rebellion led by Thammathian broke out in 1690 against Phetracha's rule, but was suppressed. The governors of several regional provinces likewise refused to accept Phetracha's rule, and stood in rebellion until 1691. Phetracha's reign lasted until 1703, when he died and was succeeded by his eldest son Sanphet VIII
.
A contemporary who participated in the events, the French engineer Jean Vollant des Verquains, wrote in 1691 about its historical significance: "The revolution which occurred in the Kingdom of Siam in the year 1688 is one of the most famous events of our times, whether it is considered from the point of view of politics or religion."
France was unable to stage a comeback or organize a retaliation due to its involvement in major European conflicts: the War of the League of Augsburg (1688-1697), and then the War of the Spanish Succession
(1701-1713/1714).
In Siam, Phetracha had managed to expel most of the French from the country, but after an initial confinement, missionaries were allowed to continue their work in Ayutthaya, albeit with some restrictions. The Bishop of Ayutthaya Monseigneur Louis Laneau
was only released from jail in April 1691. A few French employees of the king, such as René Charbonneau
, former governor of Phuket, were also allowed to remain.
Not all contacts with the West were severed however. On November 14, immediately after the French retreat, the 1644 Treaty and Alliance of Peace between Siam and the Dutch East India Company
was renewed, guaranteeing the Dutch their previously agreed deerskin export monopoly, and giving them freedom to trade freely in Siamese ports. They also obtained a renewal of their export monopoly on Ligor for tin
(originally granted by king Narai in 1671). Dutch factors (Opperhoofden) were also stationed at Ayutthaya, such as Pieter van den Hoorn (from 1688 to 1691), or Thomas van Son (from 1692 to 1697). Contact between Siam and the West remained sporadic, however, and would not return to the level seen in the reign of King Narai until the reign of King Mongkut
in the mid-19th century.
Western contacts aside, trade relations with Asian countries remained buoyant, with Siam remaining especially involved in the Sino
-Siamese-Japan
ese trade. During the reign of Phetracha, about 50 Chinese junks are recorded to have visited Ayutthaya
, and during the same period as many as 30 junks left Ayutthaya for Nagasaki
, Japan
.
The official resumption of contacts with the West started with the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United Kingdom
in 1826. Diplomatic exchanges with the United States
started in 1833. France did not resume official contacts until 1856, when Napoleon III sent an embassy to King Mongkut led by Charles de Montigny
. A Treaty was signed on August 15, 1856 to facilitate trade, guarantee religious freedom, and allow the access of French warships to Bangkok. In June 1861, French warships brought a Thai embassy to France, led by Phya Sripipat (Pae Bunnag
).
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
(modern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
) which led to the overthrow of the pro-foreign Siamese king Narai
Narai
Somdet Phra Narai or Somdet Phra Ramathibodi III was the king of Ayutthaya from 1656 to 1688 and arguably the most famous Ayutthayan king. His reign was the most prosperous during the Ayutthaya period and saw the great commercial and diplomatic activities with foreign nations including the...
. The Mandarin Phetracha
Phetracha
Phetracha was a king of the Ayutthaya kingdom in Thailand, usurping the throne from his predecessor King Narai and founding the Ban Phlu Luang dynasty, the final one of the Ayutthaya kingdom...
, previously one of Narai's trusted military advisors, took advantage of the elderly Narai's illness, and killed Narai's Christian heirs, along with a number of missionaries and Narai's influential foreign minister the Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon
Constantine Phaulkon
Constantine Phaulkon was a Greek adventurer, who became first counsellor to King Narai of Ayutthaya.Born on the Ionian island of...
. Phetracha then married Narai's daughter, took the throne, and pursued a policy of ousting French influence
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
and military forces from Siam. One of the most prominent battles was 1688's Siege of Bangkok
Siege of Bangkok
The Siege of Bangkok was a key event of the Siamese revolution of 1688, in which the Siamese people ousted the French from Siam. Following a coup d'état, in which the pro-Western king Narai was replaced by Phetracha, Siamese troops besieged the French fortress in Bangkok for four months...
, when tens of thousands of Siamese forces spent four months besieging a French fortress within the city. As a consequence of the revolution, Siam virtually severed all ties with the West, until some level of contacts were renewed in the 19th century.
Foreign policy focus of King Narai
King Narai's reign saw a major expansion of diplomatic missions to and from Western powers, most notably France
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
, England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
, and the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. Missions were also sent and received from Persia, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, as well as other neighbouring states. Another notable feature of Narai's reign was the unprecedented influence of foreigners at the Siamese court, embodied in the meteoric rise of Constantine Phaulkon
Constantine Phaulkon
Constantine Phaulkon was a Greek adventurer, who became first counsellor to King Narai of Ayutthaya.Born on the Ionian island of...
, a Greek adventurer who would eventually hold the modern equivalent of the post of Prime Minister.
King Narai especially sought to expand relations with the French, as a counterweight to Portuguese
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
and Dutch
Dutch Empire
The Dutch Empire consisted of the overseas territories controlled by the Dutch Republic and later, the modern Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century. The Dutch followed Portugal and Spain in establishing an overseas colonial empire, but based on military conquest of already-existing...
influence in his kingdom, and at the suggestion of his Greek councilor Phaulkon. Numerous embassies were exchanged in both directions.
Nationalistic upheaval
France sought to convert King Narai to Roman Catholicism, and also to establish troops in the area. With Narai's permission, fortresses with French troops and under French control were established at MerguiMergui
Myeik is a city in Tanintharyi Division in Myanmar , located in the extreme south of the country on the coast of an island on the Andaman Sea. the estimated population was over 209,000. The area inland from the city is a major smuggling corridor into Thailand.-History:Myeik was the southernmost...
and Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, in order to reaffirm the commercial treaty of 1685, provide a counterweight to Dutch influence in the region, and help to combat piracy. This disembarkment of French troops led to strong nationalist movements in Siam. By 1688, anti-foreign sentiments, mainly directed at the French and Phaulkon, were reaching their zenith. The Siamese courtiers resented the dominance of the Greek Phaulkon in state affairs, along with his Japanese wife and European lifestyle, whilst the Buddhist
Buddhism in Thailand
Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school. Nearly 95% of Thailand's population is Buddhist of the Theravada school, though Buddhism in this country has become integrated with folk beliefs as well as Chinese religions from the large Thai-Chinese population.Buddhist temples in Thailand...
clergy were uneasy with the increasing prominence of the French Jesuits. The courtiers eventually formed themselves into an anti-foreign faction. Other foreigners who had established themselves in Ayutthaya before the French, in particular the Protestant Dutch and English as well as the Persians, also resented the growing political and economic influence of the Catholic French. Other established Catholic factions, such as the Portuguese, also had reason to resent the French presence, seeing it as a violation of the Treaty of Tordesillas
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas , signed at Tordesillas , , divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal along a meridian 370 leagueswest of the Cape Verde islands...
. The increasing French influence not only increased competition but was also an unwelcome reminder of the declining fortunes of Portugal.
Matters were brought to a head when King Narai fell gravely ill in March 1688, and conspirators maneuvered to take power. In April, Phaulkon requested military help from the French in order to neutralize the plot. The French officer Desfarges responded by leading 80 troops and 10 officers out of Bangkok to the Palace in Lopburi
Lopburi
Lopburi ) is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Thailand. It is located about 150 km north-east of Bangkok. As of 2006 it has a population of 26,500...
. However, he stopped on the way in Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
and finally abandoned his plan and retreated to Bangkok, fearing that he could be attacked by Siamese rebels, and troubled by false rumors, some spread by Véret, the Director of the French East India Company
French East India Company
The French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India....
, including one that the king had already died.
Succession crisis
Phetracha
Phetracha was a king of the Ayutthaya kingdom in Thailand, usurping the throne from his predecessor King Narai and founding the Ban Phlu Luang dynasty, the final one of the Ayutthaya kingdom...
; and the King's adopted son Mom Pi. Narai nominated his daughter, Kromluang Yothathep, to succeed him. His three councilors were to act as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
s until the princess took on a partner of her choice from one of the two Siamese councilors, Mom Pi or Phetracha.
Far from calming the situation, Narai's decision spurred Phetracha to act. With Narai essentially incapacitated by his illness, Phetracha staged a long-planned coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
with the support of a resentful court as well as the Buddhist clergy, initiating the 1688 Siamese revolution. On May 17-18, 1688, King Narai was arrested. On June 5, Phaulkon was arrested on accusations of treason, and later beheaded. Mom Pi was killed, and many members of Narai's family were assassinated. Both of the king's brothers, his successors by right, were killed on July 9, and King Narai himself died in detention on July 10-11, with his death possibly hastened by poisoning. Phra Phetracha was crowned king on August 1. Kosa Pan
Kosa Pan
Pan , known by his rank Chao Phraya Kosathibodi or former rank Ok Phra Wisut Sunthon or by the nickname Kosa Pan , was a Siamese diplomat and minister who led the Second Siamese Embassy to France sent by king Narai in 1686...
, the 1686 former ambassador to France, and a strong supporter of Phetracha, became his Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Princess Kromluang Yothathep ultimately had to marry Phetracha and become his queen.
Ousting of French forces (1688)
Chevalier de Beauregard
The Chevalier de Beauregard was a 17th century French officer who was active in Siam . He became Governor of Bangkok and Mergui, but was eventually captured by the Siamese during the 1688 Siamese revolution....
had to abandon their garrison at Mergui. Du Bruant managed to escape under fire and with many casualties by seizing a Siamese warship, the Mergui. He and his troops were stranded on a deserted island for four months before being captured by a British warship. They ultimately returned to Pondicherry by way of Madras.
In the Siege of Bangkok
Siege of Bangkok
The Siege of Bangkok was a key event of the Siamese revolution of 1688, in which the Siamese people ousted the French from Siam. Following a coup d'état, in which the pro-Western king Narai was replaced by Phetracha, Siamese troops besieged the French fortress in Bangkok for four months...
, Phetracha besieged the French fortress in Bangkok with 40,000 men and over a hundred cannon, for a period of four months. The Siamese troops also apparently received Dutch support in their fight against the French. On September 9, the French warship Oriflamme, carrying 200 troops and commanded by de l'Estrilles, arrived at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It runs through Bangkok, the capital city, and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand.-Etymology:...
, but was unable to dock at the Bangkok fortress as the entrance to the river was being blocked by the Siamese.
Phaulkon's Catholic Japanese-Portuguese wife, Maria Guyomar de Pinha
Maria Guyomar de Pinha
Maria Guyomar de Pinha, also Maria Guiomar de Pina, Dona Maria del Pifia, Marie Guimar or Madame Constance in French or Thao Thong Kip Ma , was a Siamese woman of the 17th century who lived in Ayutthaya, Siam...
, who had been promised protection by being ennobled a countess of France, took refuge with the French troops in Bangkok, but Desfarges returned her to the Siamese under pressure from Phetracha on October 18. Despite the promises that had been made regarding her safety, she was condemned to perpetual slavery in the kitchens of Phetracha. Desfarges finally negotiated to return with his men to Pondicherry on November 13, onboard the Oriflamme and two Siamese ships, the Siam and the Louvo, provided by Phetracha.
Some of the French troops remained in Pondicherry to bolster the French presence there, but most left for France on February 16, 1689 aboard the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
Normande and the French Company Coche, with the engineer Vollant des Verquains and the Jesuit Le Blanc aboard. The two ships were captured by the Dutch at The Cape
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, however, because the War of the Augsburg League had started. After a month in the Cape, the prisoners were sent to Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
where they were kept at the prison of Middelburg
Middelburg
Middelburg is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated in the Midden-Zeeland region. It has a population of about 48,000.- History of Middelburg :...
. They were eventually able to return to France through a general exchange of prisoners.
On April 10, 1689, the French officer Desfarges – who had remained in Pondicherry – led an expedition to capture the island of Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
in an attempt to restore some sort of French control in Siam. The occupation of the island led nowhere, and Desfarges returned to Pondicherry in January 1690. Recalled to France, he left 108 troops in Pondicherry to bolster defenses, and left with his remaining troops on the Oriflamme and the Company ships Lonré and Saint-Nicholas on February 21, 1690. Desfarges died on his way back trying to reach Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, and the Oriflamme sank shortly thereafter on February 27, 1691, with most of the remaining French troops, off the coast of Britanny.
A Siamese-formed rebellion led by Thammathian broke out in 1690 against Phetracha's rule, but was suppressed. The governors of several regional provinces likewise refused to accept Phetracha's rule, and stood in rebellion until 1691. Phetracha's reign lasted until 1703, when he died and was succeeded by his eldest son Sanphet VIII
Sanphet VIII
Sanphet VIII or Suriyenthrathibodi was the King of Ayutthaya from 1703 to 1709 and the second ruler of the Ban Phlu Luang Dynasty. Suriyenthrathibodi was well known as Luang Sorasak or Phrachao Suea, the latter means the "Tiger King". He was the eldest son of the founder of the Ban Phlu Luang...
.
A contemporary who participated in the events, the French engineer Jean Vollant des Verquains, wrote in 1691 about its historical significance: "The revolution which occurred in the Kingdom of Siam in the year 1688 is one of the most famous events of our times, whether it is considered from the point of view of politics or religion."
Aftermath
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
(1701-1713/1714).
In Siam, Phetracha had managed to expel most of the French from the country, but after an initial confinement, missionaries were allowed to continue their work in Ayutthaya, albeit with some restrictions. The Bishop of Ayutthaya Monseigneur Louis Laneau
Louis Laneau
Louis Laneau was a French Bishop of the 17th century who was active in the kingdom of Siam . He was a member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society...
was only released from jail in April 1691. A few French employees of the king, such as René Charbonneau
René Charbonneau
René Charbonneau was 17th century French medical missionary Brother and a member of the Siam mission of the Société des Missions Etrangères. He was the first medical missionary to Siam and arrived in the country in 1677....
, former governor of Phuket, were also allowed to remain.
Not all contacts with the West were severed however. On November 14, immediately after the French retreat, the 1644 Treaty and Alliance of Peace between Siam and the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
was renewed, guaranteeing the Dutch their previously agreed deerskin export monopoly, and giving them freedom to trade freely in Siamese ports. They also obtained a renewal of their export monopoly on Ligor for tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
(originally granted by king Narai in 1671). Dutch factors (Opperhoofden) were also stationed at Ayutthaya, such as Pieter van den Hoorn (from 1688 to 1691), or Thomas van Son (from 1692 to 1697). Contact between Siam and the West remained sporadic, however, and would not return to the level seen in the reign of King Narai until the reign of King Mongkut
Mongkut
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama IV, known in foreign countries as King Mongkut , was the fourth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1851-1868...
in the mid-19th century.
Western contacts aside, trade relations with Asian countries remained buoyant, with Siam remaining especially involved in the Sino
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
-Siamese-Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese trade. During the reign of Phetracha, about 50 Chinese junks are recorded to have visited Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
, and during the same period as many as 30 junks left Ayutthaya for Nagasaki
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The official resumption of contacts with the West started with the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
in 1826. Diplomatic exchanges with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
started in 1833. France did not resume official contacts until 1856, when Napoleon III sent an embassy to King Mongkut led by Charles de Montigny
Charles de Montigny
Louis Charles de Montigny was a French diplomat who was active in Asia during the 19th century.He was the first French consul in Shanghai from January 23, 1848 to June 10, 1853. He founded the Shanghai French Concession in 1849....
. A Treaty was signed on August 15, 1856 to facilitate trade, guarantee religious freedom, and allow the access of French warships to Bangkok. In June 1861, French warships brought a Thai embassy to France, led by Phya Sripipat (Pae Bunnag
Bunnag
The House of Bunnag was a powerful Siamese noble family of the Persian descent of the early Rattanakosin. By the nineteenth century, its power and influence reached its zenith. The family was favored by Chakri monarchs and monopolized high-ranking titles. Three Somdet Chao Phrayas came from the...
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