Thai Aristocracy
Of the categories or strata discernible in modern Thai society, only one -- the royal family and the hereditary nobility -- constitute a self-conscious group. When reference is made to a Thai "aristocracy", a distinction must be drawn between two very different elements : on the one hand the members of the royal family, the close relatives of the king and princes of royal blood. On the other is the privileged social class whose members possess disproportionately large shares of wealth, social prestige, educational attainment, and political influence. The advantages have been acquired mainly through inheritance from a long line of similarly privileged and cultivated ancestors.
Thai ranks of nobility were hereditary only to a certain extent. Typically, each following generation descended by one rank. Palace matters are regulated by the palace law known as Gotmontienboan. It dates back to King Rama Tibodi I, the founder of the Ayutthaya kingdom in 1358. The palace law which was modified over the course of history, and today defines Thai nobility, especially the ranks and titles of the king's children and relatives, according to the status of their mothers. While many kings, especially in the 19th century had several wives, only one was elevated to the rank of queen, and only the king's children with her were in line to ascend the throne.
There was no such thing as an hereditary nobility in the land, even the descendants of Majesty becoming merged in the people at the fifth generation, but those about the Court and officials of the Government, from the highest to the lowest grades, held titles by virtue of their offices and constituted a sort of aristocracy, from which, however, they could at any moment be expelled at the royal pleasure. Any person could aspire to the highest official dignity but it was usual for the sons of those who had held high rank to be selected for preferment. The members of this society, while tendering the utmost respect and obedience to those above them, exacted an equal consideration from all those below, and there thus existed a sort of social pyramid round the base of which knelt a submissive populace while upon ifs slippery sides a throng of anxious courtiers precariously maintained itself, each individual engaged in rendering homage to those above him and to the king at the apex of all.
The feudalism in Siam was personal. It was very different from the territorial feudalism of mediaeval Europe, where a powerful hereditary nobility lived on their landed estates, and formed an imperium in imperio. In Siam there never had been hereditary nobles. The institution of nobility first seems to have been regularly systematised for the first time in the fifteenth century. A title was conferred on a man for life, and always in connexion with some office, every one of note remaining in the Government service till the end of his days. Naturally there had always been influential families, and the son of a powerful noble, though born a plain commoner, was and is sure to have the chance of rising to distinction. Nevertheless theoretically one man is as good as another.
King's children are called Chao Fah or Chao. If male, he is called Chao Fah Chai, if female, Chao Fah Ying. Chao's children have the lower rank of Phra Ong Chao or Phra, while the Phra's child has the rank of Mom Chao. They are all addressed in Rachasap, the royal language, which was borrowed from the Khmer in the early Ayutthaya period and is still in use today. For example, "I" when used by a commoner in talking about himself in Rachasap to members of the royal family is Tai Far La Ong Tuli Prabat, which literally translates into "I who am but dust under your feet". From the Mom Chao rank, all that follow are no longer addressed in royal language. The child of a Mom Chao is a Mom Rachawangse. A Mom Luang is the child of a Mom Rachawangse.
There were many sayings current among foreigners illustrative of the large number of princes in Siam, and in the early 20th Century the royal family was certainly a very large one. The title 'Prince,' applying collectively to all its members, had no parallel in Siamese except perhaps in the term Chao Nai meaning 'Chief,' and only employed to express colloquially a 'Royalty.' The titles of the individuals were many, and by them the actual rank of the holders was at once distinguishable. The sons and daughters of the king and of the queens were born with the title Sonidet Chao Fa while those of the king and of ladies who were not queens are Phra Ong Chao. The children of Chao Fa and Phra Ong Chaome Mom Chao, their children being Mom Racha Wongs, the next generation Mom Luang and the next were without title of any sort.
King Boromaraja II died in the year 1448, and the Prince of Phitsanulok, Ramesuan, became king of Ayutthaya, assuming the reign name Trailok [Borommatrailokkanat]. King Borommatrailokkanat (1448-1488) the eighth king of Ayutthaya, established the authentic Royal Kingdom. The king ceased sending high-ranking members of the royal family to rule the provinces and instead appointed aristocrats from the central government to rule under the supervision of officials in Ayutthaya, to whom they reported. During his long rule of four decades, King Trailok reformed the administrative system with a more strict hierarchical structure.
The system of nobility in Siam was founded by King Trailok, who created seven grades of nobles. From the highest to the lowest Siam's grades of nobility [with their British equivalents in brackets], were: 1. Phaya (Marquis), 2. Phra (Earl), 3. Luang (Viscount), 4. Khun (Baron), 5. Muen, 6 Pun, 7. Tanai. Later an additional grade - the rank of Chao Phaya - was created topping Phaya. Chao Phraya [the greatest river of Thailand] was the highest title in ancient Thai nobility, similar to the Grand Duke in European nobility. The title is no longer in use.
These ranks of nobility are not hereditary. The only hereditary ranks were prince or princess for the offspring of kings and princes. Ranks of nobility were given by the King, who could also revoke them. The king had a free hand to bestow ranks of nobility on those who served him well. In the 17th century, a Greek immigrant to Siam, Constantine Phaulkon became the counsel of King Narai and rose through all ranks of Thai nobility, starting as Luang Wijayen and becoming Phra Wijayen, Phaya Wijayen and finally Chao Phaya Wijayen. Under King Narai's successor, he was executed.
Princes of the rank of Chao Fa and Phra Ong Chao, on attaining manhood might be given official rank as Krom Phaya, Krom Phra, Krom Luang, Krom Khun and Krom Mun, of which the first is the highest. Formerly there was very seldom a holder of the titles Krom Phaya and Krom Phra, while of the other three there were not more than four of each in existence at any one time, the twelve princes so distinguished, and no others occupying official positions in the king's service. By the early 20th Century, however, things were different, there being two Krom Phaya, four Krom Phra, seven Ki'om Luang, eight Krom Khun, twelve Krom Mun and only four Phra Ong Chao, the junior sons of the late king, who held no other title, while moreover many other members of the royal family occupied positions under Government in the military and civil services which by reason of their superior education, they usually fillled with distinction and success. Those who were born Mom Chao did not as a rule receive any other title but very occasionally an individual from among these may be created Phra Ong Chao. The lower grades hardly counted as royalties and frequently dropped their titles or exchange them for those attached to ordinary official positions usually filled by persons who were not royal. Many of the princes and princesses had more than one title, and alterations can be made, not only to their rank but also to the terms describing their relationship to the reigning monarch, which change from reign to reign. These ranks and titles are finely graded, revealing nuances which explain the exact rank and relationship to the king of the individual prince or princess. This hierarchy of rank and title is unique to Thailand [although a similar, but less complex system exists within the royal family of Cambodia] and is the most elaborate system of royal rank to be found in any country in the world. There are three distinct ranks of prince and princess, but even within each rank there are finer distinctions which divide the members into different sub-groups. The three main ranks are as follows:-
- Chao Fa - This title is usually restricted to the children of a king or queen. There are at present only five Chao Fa living , one prince and four princesses; they include the present Crown Prince, two daughters of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, his sister, and the daughter of His late Majesty King Vajiravudh [Rama VI]. Another daughter of His present Majesty, the former Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya, who relinquished her royal title in 1972, was also of this rank.
- Phra Ong Chao -- there are two specific grades within this rank, those Phra Ong Chao who have the additional word Chao within the preamble to their title, and those who do not : [Phra Chao Vorawongse Ther] Phra Ong Chao--Prince or Princess and Royal Highness. [Phra Vorawongse Ther] Phra Ong Chao--Prince or Princess and Highness. The Phra Ong Chao nowadays are always the grandchildren of a king -- three of the present King's grandchilden are of this rank, and the other 10 living Phra Ong Chao are all grandchildren of King Chulalongkorn [ Rama V ], from senior lines of descent.
- Mom Chao - the lowest of the royal ranks and the usual title of a grandchildren of a king [except where raised to be a Phra Ong Chao]; in the case of a great-grandchild of a king who is a Mom Chao then he or she is the child of a Phra Ong Chao prince, who is himself of a grandchild of a king. The Mom Chao are known in English as Prince or Princess and Serene Highness. There are at present some 150 Mom Chao living -- 53 are grandchildren or great-grandchildren of King Chulalongkorn [Rama V], 82 are grandchildren or great-grandchildren of King Mongkut [Rama IV], 14 are grandchildren of the last Maha Uparaja [or Deputy King] and one, the last surviving grandchild of Second King Pinklao, who died in 1866.
The great-grandchildren of a king do not bear royal rank but are entitled to use the title of Mom Rajawongse, which is not translated into English. The great- great-grandchildren bear the title of Mom Luang. Subsequent generations in the male line of decent from a king have no titles, but may add the dynastic surname of "na Ayudhya" to the surname of the branch of the Royal Family from which they descend.
The Royal Family is divided into 131 different branches. Each son of a king, or Maha Uparaja, who founded a family, was granted a surname by King Vajiravudh [Rama VI] - several more were granted during the reign of his successor, King Prajadhipok [Rama VII]. As part of the 60th birthday celebrations of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, representatives of each branch gathered at the Chitralada Villa of Dusit Palace in a ceremony that had not been performed for many years. They were received in audience by the King in the Dusidalai Hall and were grouped strictly according to the seniority of their descent from the previous kings of the Chakri Dynasty. The task of deciding the order of precedence is not an easy one and assistance is given by the chairman of the family association of the Chakri Dynasty, who keeps careful track of the whereabouts of each branch and its members, ensuring that they are informed of the gathering and at the same time checking that no imposters lay claim to an unverified descent. This is rare, though from time to time "pretenders" do emerge and assume the name of some remote line of descent of the Royal Family.
One of the fascinations of the Thai system of royal rank and title is the subtlety with which the title of a member of the Royal House reveals an exact degree of rank. Apart from the three distinct princely ranks, there are other features of royal titles which further define the holder's precise position in the royal hierarchy. In the titles of all princes and princesses of Phra Ong Chao and Chao Fa rank are to be found certain words which also indicate their relationship to the reigning King. These form part of the preamble to the title and in the case of the closest royal relatives indicate the exact relationship. More distant relatives have a word indicating to which group of princes and princesses they belong. Thus the son of the reigning king will be Somdetch Phra Chao Lukya Ther Chao Fa, the daughter Somdetch Phra Chao Luk Ther Chao Fa, the elder brother Somdetch Phra Chao Piya Ther Chao Fa, the younger brother Somdetch Phra Chao Nongya Ther Chao Fa, and so on. These relationship terms change from reign to reign, with the children of one king becoming, perhaps the elder and younger brothers and sisters of the next king. The system applies equally to deceased members of the Royal Family and the late younger brother of a reigning king will become the late uncle of his successor and his title will be altered accordingly. There is thus a gradual and evolving pattern of change within the system of royal titles.
Another feature of the precise definition of rank can be found among the regalia of the most senior members of the Royal Family. When they receive their titles they are presented with a set of regalia, which, should their title be high enough, will include a multi-tiered royal umbrellas, or parasol. These royal umbrella are of different levels, usually of five, seven or nine tiers. Only a crowned king possesses a nine-tiered umbrella [prior to his coronation he is entitled to one of seven tiers]. The holders of seven tier umbrellas form a special group within the Royal Family, those whose titles contain the words "Somdetch Phra Baromma" and at the present time these include only four people, Her Majesty the Queen, H.R.H. the Crown Prince, H.R.H. the Princess Mother and princesses of Cho Fa rank are entitled to royal umbrellas of five tiers. These royal umbrellas reveal the rank of the holder and as such can form part of their insignia or coats-of-arms and at their cremations are to be found suspended above the crematorium, or above their urns at their lyings-in-state.
As the Thai system of rank is so very much more complex than those systems to be found in European countries it is often difficult to ascribe adequate titles in English and the other European languages. A system has evolved gradually, beginning as early as the reign of King Mongkut. He and his successors took particular care in choosing the correct English words to be used as a translation for various Thai royal titles, and in the cases of King Chulalongkorn and King Vajiravudh discussions took place between themselves and members of European royal families on choosing suitable equivalents. However, the European languages cannot convey the degree of subtlety apparent in the Thai system and anomalies occur. Although the Queen is Her Majesty, the Princess Mother, according to European custom is only Her Royal Highness, a rank equal to those of certain princes and princesses. In Europe the mother of a reigning king whose father has never been king cannot be a queen mother, as she was herself never a queen consort and is therefore known as the princess mother. That the present Princess Mother of Thailand was raised to the rank of Somdetch Phra Baromma with the right to seven levels of royal umbrellas during the reign of her son cannot be adequately conveyed in the English rendering of her title.
Aristocrats (cao) were blood-related to the kings and the kings' wives. They were usually given important offices and/or a prebendal right over some land, wives, animals, slaves, and other privileges. Generally, aristocrats who were more closely related to the kings held higher positions in the military and civilian offices. However, it was also a function of their abilities, and the favors they did for the kings. A few aristocrats might not have high official administrative or military positions but they were important to the king because they looked after the cultivation and collection of harvests in the royal fields.
In older days, the preference, the norm, and the majority of practices were that the aristocrats were sent to rule towns and small regions. But when the Chiangmai kingdom expanded during the reign of King Ti10k (1442-1487), an increasing number of non-aristocratic officials were sent to rule towns and small regions.
The aristocrats were appointed by the king, who, in theory, could dismiss them at will. In fact, the aristocracy had become heriditary. In the reign of King Rama II, one family of the nobility, Bunnag family, rose to such high power that it became a kingmaker. When King Rama V ascended the throne at the age of 15, the head of the Bunnag family, who was appointed as the regent, effectively challenged the king’s power during the early years of his reign. Between 1882 and 1888, the king slowly replaced these conservative hereditary aristocrats in the administration with his young brothers and sons as well as a new group of modern-educated civil servants.
The assignment of aristocrats to administer rural areas during the second half of the 19th Century was partly to support the ever increasing number of aristocrats [an inevitable result of Royal polygamy]. The proliferating aristocracy was anxious to expand and resettle old secondary towns for defense and especially for support for some of their number appointed as administrators. Some commoners had their rice fields seized on charges of witchcraft or phi ka (evil spirits in human form). During the 1870s and early 1880s and confiscation not only benefitted the aristocrats economically, but was also used as a means of forced migration for the resettlement of remote old towns. During the l890s, the ruling aristocrats' appropriation of land increased.
In Thailand, which was never formally colonized, the Thai aristocracy westernized in the mid-nineteenth century after Chulalongkorn centralized his administration in response to Western pressure. Siamese aristocrats’ conception of civilization ["siwilai" - a transliterated form of English term "civilized"] gradually evolved from the mid-nineteenth century to the turn of the twentieth century. During the reign of Rama V, Siamese aristocrats took Europe and their colonies in South and Southeast Asia as the new paradigm of “civilization,” even though the kingdom of Siam was not formally colonized. The construction of siwilai was transcultural since ideas were transferred and localized in the Siamese setting. Siamese aristocrats fabricated the public image of not only themselves, but also the kingdom – an independent Oriental nation that was steeped in history yet engaged with enlightened modern internationalism.
Because control over the military was crucial to the endurance of the throne, during the absolute monarchy, princes and the kings’ brothers were often appointed to top positions in the military. In 1910, 9 of the 16 most senior positions in the army were occupied by members of royal families. Thai politics after 1932 was a matter of competition between bureaucratic cliques, and the army — the powerful branch of the bureaucracy — came out on top. One factor in the 1932 Coup was resentment among the young aristocrats, especially those who had been educated in Europe, over the royal monopoly of power because a large number of the nobility and royalty occupied most of the top positions in the aristocracy. The coup was only the replacement of princes and nobles with aristocrats who used their authority for individual or collective causes.
Army Commander General Chawalit Yongchaiyut's family was firmly linked to the ruling Chakri dynasty for at least the last 100 years. No member of the Yongchaiyut family could ever be less than totally loyal to a Thai monarch due to such strong links to the royal family since time immemorial.
Like the military, the civil service after 1932 was still an aristocratic institution. The civil service continued to be an elite system. Approximately 74% of the special-grade officers, the top seventh through eleventh grades, were from official and business families that accounted for only 10% of the national population. Politics in Thailand after World War II was a matter of the struggle for dominance among three groups: the military, the parliament and elite aristocracy group, and the smaller but more prestigious traditionalists and royalists.
Thailand is somewhat unusual in that it is one of the few modern states to have escaped colonial domination. Although in Southeast Asia colonialism was the primary agent of the Western impact in Thailand the Western impact came largely under the auspices of the traditional elite. The traditional aristocracy came to assume new roles and responsibilities as officials in the departments of government set up advisors from numerous Western countries. The effect of the Western impact on Thailand was less drastic than in the colonial regions and large numbers of people were not violently jarred out of their traditional modes of life.
The Thai aristocracy of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries held a virtual monopoly on government affairs, avoiding domination by the European colonial powers and maintaining the existing social order domestically. The ethnic Thai aristocracy, the traditional elite of the country, gravitate toward military, government, and religious occupations. The traditional ruling clique comprised mainly memhers of the Royal family, the upper crust of Thai aristocracy, selected nonveau nohlemen who had earned their royal master's favor. The bureaucracy (which was peopled largely by members of the ethnically Thai aristocracy), was an independent entity that could claim for itself the virtually sacred role of protecting the Thai state and its subject-citizens. The echelon of the Civil Service and Army used to be limited to members of the Thai aristocracy, but by the mid-20th Century, they have opened their doors to the non-aristocrats as well.
The effect, rather, was to change the character of the elite; the monarchy in time lost its autocratic powers and authority gravitated into the hands of three groups of the transformed elite; the military, the bureaucrats, and the students who had returned from studying abroad. These three groups were all the products of the changes that the monarchy introduced; they were the most Westernized elements of Thai society. However, since the rest of the society had not changed as drastically, they came to occupy a somewhat autonomous postion, in that they did not have strong roots in the larger society and thus relations among themselves came to dominate the politics of the country. Under these circumstances, the military became the key group because of their command of the means of violence, and the coup d'etat became the main device for testing changes in relative power.
Today, the Royal Decorations are symbols of honor, bestowed onto those having rendered devotional services to the Kingdom, by the Royal Decree of His Majesty. They are rewards of distinguished ranks. A careful consideration must be taken to ensure that the devotional services rendered to the Kingdom are worth of the Royal Decorations, because of the merit, not of the ranks of persons or the completion of time. Hence, the persons conferred will be really proud of themselves and the Royal Decorations will be symbols of high rank of honor. The Order of the Precedence starts at the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand and ends at the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant.
In modern Thailand, the award of a certain rank within one of the higher royal orders entitles a woman to be addressed as "Khunying", generally translated as "Lady", while one higher rank, "Thanpuying" is analogous to the British "Dame", a rank rarely given to an individual of common birth. In a society still deeply attached to stratified patron-client patrimonies rooted in the social lite of the old royal Thai aristocracy, and still attached to a widely revered monarchy, these titles are highly prized — and coveted. The hankering after such titles is widely lampooned in contemporary Thai popular culture.
Since not all princes and princesses enjoy the same status, different sets of pronouns as well as nouns and verbs are used according to their royal ranks and titles. This is also true, though to a lesser extent, for those with ecclesiastic, civil and military ranks and titles. Common people have a pseudo honorific system also. Speech style is reflected in the lexical choice of a speaker.
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