In recent years, Thailand has become one of the favorite holiday destinations of many Russians. They are attracted by the magnificent beaches of this country, its rich cultural heritage and the abundance of exotic fruits. At the same time, only a few are familiar with the history of the state of Thailand. This article will help fill this gap.
Origins
Thanks to the latest archaeological discoveries, it was possible to prove that an ancient civilization flourished in the northeast of Thailand more than 5,500 years ago. Scientists believe that the archaeological settlement discovered near the village of Bang Chiang is the earliest of the Bronze Age cultures discovered so far on our planet.
What happened on these lands in the next few millennia, no one knows, since the following archaeological finds date back to the 4th c. BC e., when rather large rural settlements appeared in the valley of the Chaupya River, and the cities of Nakhon Pathom and Lopburi appeared only in the 7th-8th centuries AD. e.
Later, in the 11th and 12th centuries, the territory of modern Thailand was part of the Khmer state.
Formationstatehood
The turning point in the history of Thailand was the 12th century. Already at the beginning of this century, several city-states appeared in the north of the country. In 1238, two of their princes rebelled against the Khmers. As a result of the victory, they were able to establish their first independent Thai state. Its capital was the city of Sukhothai, whose name translates as "Dawn of Happiness".
For 2 centuries this kingdom has expanded its territory. Southern Buddhism became the state religion of Sukhothai. The first Thai alphabet was invented and various areas of art and literature began to develop.
Ayutthaya
However, the golden age did not last long. Already by the beginning of the 14th century, the state of Sukhothai was forced to recognize the supremacy of the kingdom of Ayutthaya and become its vassal.
The young state was located in the Menam Valley, where the Thais were not natives. Nevertheless, they managed to enslave the local inhabitants of the Mons and establish their power over the neighboring principalities.
The rulers of Ayutthaya created quite progressive laws for that time. In particular, all land was considered the property of the king, and farmers paid a tax in the form of a tenth of the harvest only to the state treasury.
Thanks to the wise rulers, the country, which began to be called Siam, began to turn into one of the most developed and powerful in all of Asia.
Relations with Europeans
In the 16th century, an important event took place inhistory of Thailand - King Ramathibodi the Second signed an agreement with Portugal, according to which he granted merchants from this country the right to duty-free trade on the shores of the Bay of Bengal.
Thais have always been extremely tolerant of other religions, so European merchants were allowed to establish a Christian mission and church in the capital Ayutthaya. In addition, the Portuguese were attracted as military consultants and cannon casting specialists.
In the 17th century, the population of the capital Ayutthaya reached 1 million inhabitants, and the city itself amazed travelers with luxurious temples and magnificent architecture.
Over time, the French, Portuguese, British and Dutch began to compete among themselves for influence in Siam. However, the country's government pursued a flexible policy, not allowing any of the European countries to feel privileged in Thailand.
Moreover, when in 1688 the "guests" began to attempt to interfere in the internal politics of the authorities, they were simply asked to leave the state.
Loss and restoration of independence
For centuries, the kings of neighboring Burma sought to enslave Ayutthaya. However, until 1767 their attempts failed. But under King Prachai, they managed to take the capital by storm. The Burmese sacked the city and then set it on fire. It was not possible to restore the capital, and its inhabitants founded the new city of Thonburi, located on the opposite bank of the Menam Chao Phraya River from modern Bangkok. In the next 15 years, Thonburiremained the place where the remnants of the Thai troops who fought with the Burmese were quartered.
Only in 1780 did a turning point occur in the history of Thailand, and the future King Rama the First managed to finally drive the invaders out of his territory.
This monarch became the founder of a dynasty that rules the country to this day.
Thailand under the reign of Rama I
The new king, one of his first decrees, moved the capital to the small village of Bangkok and built a magnificent temple of the Emerald Buddha there. Under his reign, known as the beginning of the Rattanakosin era, the city was renamed Krungthep and soon became the center of the country's cultural life.
In 1792, the Thais captured Cambodia and Laos. By the time of the death of Rama the First in 1809, the state he created occupied twice the area of modern Thailand.
History of the country from 1809 to 1868
After the death of Rama the First, his son inherited the throne. He allowed the Europeans to return to Thailand, but placed various restrictions on their activities. The king had to pursue a flexible policy in the context of the increasing expansion of European colonialists in the region.
In 1821, a diplomatic mission from British India demanded that the king remove restrictions on trade with English merchants.
After the death of the monarch, his son did not want to submit to the British. However, he was given to understand that otherwise his country would share the fate of Burma and become a British colony.
Rama III had to acceptand he concluded the first trade treaty in the history of the Kingdom of Thailand with the West. This agreement created the prerequisites for the economic prosperity of the country in the second half of the 19th century.
Rama Fourth
This monarch did a lot for the prosperity of Thailand. He entered the history of the country under the name of Rama the Great. Before ascending the throne in 1851, he spent 27 years in a Buddhist monastery. In his youth, he had the opportunity to communicate with European missionaries, thoroughly studied English, and was also imbued with the ideas of progress popular in the Old World.
Rama the Great decided to reform Thailand (a brief history of the state in antiquity is described above) and began by laying the first paved road, which became a catalyst for the development of trade. In addition, under his rule, Siam turned into a kind of buffer between the French and British colonial possessions, which allowed the country to maintain its independence.
Reign of Chulalongkorn and Rama Six
Rama the Fifth ruled Siam for 42 years. He continued his father's reforms: he laid a railway, founded universities and developed the economy in every possible way. Under him, young Thai aristocrats were sent to study in the UK, France, Germany and Russia. Thanks to his wise foreign policy, Siam was never colonized by Europeans.
Chulalongkorn's successor Rama the Sixth declared war on Germany during the First World War and received the right to participate in the Versailles Conference, at which his country demanded the abolition ofconventions limiting Siamese sovereignty.
Constitutional Monarchy
After the death of the king, who had no heirs, his younger brother ascended the throne. He tried to restore with the help of reforms the economic power of the state, which had been undermined by the mistakes of the former monarch. They did not lead to anything, and in 1932 an uprising broke out in the country. As a result, the absolute monarchy was replaced by a constitutional monarchy, which is still in effect today.
Thailand in the 20th century
From 1932 to 1973, a military dictatorship operated in the country in one form or another. Berzin's "History of Thailand" details the main events that took place during this period.
During the Second World War, the country was actually under Japanese occupation and in 1942 declared war on Great Britain and the United States. However, she did not take much part in hostilities, and in August 1945 Thailand asked for peace from the members of the anti-Hitler coalition.
After 2 years, the local military elite made a coup and brought Field Marshal Pibusongram to power. The latter banned trade with the countries of the socialist bloc and the Communist Party.
Followed by a series of military coups. In 1962, the first American military bases appeared in Thailand, which were used, among other things, to organize attacks on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
In October 1973, mass protests began in the country, forcing the government to adopt a new constitution and revise foreign policy.
Recent history
Thailand, where the traditions of democracy began to emerge only at the beginning of the 20th century, by 1980 became one of the main tourist centers of the region, but lagged far behind, for example, South Korea in other areas of the economy.
In 2004, the coast of the country was "attacked" by the tsunami. This natural disaster claimed the lives of 5,000 people, mostly tourists.
Two years later another military coup shook the country, continuing the traditions of its predecessors.
After that, an unstable political situation was established in Thailand.
In 2016, King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away. His son Maha Vajiralongkorn is due to be crowned in 2018.
Culture
The cultural traditions and history of Thailand (Pattaya is the most famous resort city in the southeast of the state) point to the strong ties that bind the country with India and Sri Lanka. Along with religious traditions, the Ramayana epic, or, as the Thais call it, Ramakien, also penetrated into Siam. It formed the basis of the plots of traditional theater of masks, shadows, etc.
Along with this, the country celebrates many traditional Siamese festivals, which, however, ritually retain a connection with Buddhism.
