Mongkut

• 1. Monastic Origins And Reform

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  In 1824, Prince Mongkut entered the Buddhist order as a monk with the ordination name Vajirayan. He spent twenty-seven years in this state before ascending to the throne in 1851 at age forty-seven. During his time as a monk, he traveled across Siam and observed that many monks relaxed their adherence to the vinaya rules of discipline. In 1829, he met a monk named Buddhawangso at Phetchaburi who strictly followed these monastic laws. This encounter inspired Mongkut to begin a reform movement in 1835 that would eventually create the Dhammayuttika Nikaya sect. The movement emphasized that true Buddhism should refrain from worldly matters and focus on spiritual affairs. By 1836, Vajirayan had become the first abbot of Wat Bowonniwet in Bangkok. There he studied Latin, English, and astronomy with missionaries and sailors living nearby. Vicar Pallegoix of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangkok lived close by and preached Christian sermons at the temple. Mongkut admired Christian morals but rejected Christian doctrine, stating later that what Christians taught people to do was admirable while what they taught them to believe was foolish.

• 2. Modernization And Western Engagement

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  King Mongkut embraced Western geography and astronomy during his reign starting in 1851. He claimed to have abandoned traditional Thai cosmology known as the Traiphum before 1836. This ancient map described the earth as flat with stars passing between mountain ranges. Religious scholars argued that such scriptures applied only to spiritual truth rather than natural science. Mongkut insisted he knew about the round shape of the earth fifteen years before American missionaries arrived. In 1852, he hired English and American missionaries to teach princes modern subjects like geography and astronomy. Six years after his death, J.W. Van Dyke published Phumanithet, the first Thai-language geography book in 1874. Geography education remained limited to select schools run by American missionaries offering English programs for upper secondary students. Thongchai Winichakul argues these efforts helped bring educational reform to Siam. The king also ordered nobles to wear shirts when attending court to show Siam as a modern nation from a Western perspective. Previously, Siamese nobles were forbidden from wearing any upper garments to prevent hiding weapons. This change ended a practice criticized by Westerners who viewed bare-chested courts as uncivilized.

• 3. The Bowring Treaty And Trade

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  In 1854, John Bowring, governor of Hong Kong representing Queen Victoria, arrived in Siam to negotiate a treaty. Prayurawongse negotiated on behalf of the Siamese government. The resulting agreement became known as the Bowring Treaty signed on the 18th of April 1855. Its main principle abolished the Royal Storage monopoly that had controlled foreign trade since Ayutthaya times. This system collected immense taxation based on galleon width and included various tithe fees. European powers had long tried to undo this monopoly without success until now. For ordinary Siamese people, trading with foreigners previously subjected them to severe punishment by the government. The treaty reduced import taxation to just three percent collectible only once per transaction. This reduction caused dramatic growth in commercial sectors as common citizens gained access to international markets. People rushed to acquire vast empty fields for rice cultivation leading to competition that eventually placed lands in noble hands. The Bowring Treaty also granted extraterritoriality allowing British subjects to be judged under British law rather than Siamese judicial systems. More treaties followed with other powers further undermining national revenue and legal rights. Mongkut's reign saw immense commercial activities introducing coinage in 1860 and establishing early industries like rice milling and sugar production.

• 4. Diplomatic Relations And The Elephant Myth

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  Contrary to popular belief, King Mongkut never offered war elephants to US President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. He did offer domesticated elephants to President James Buchanan via a royal letter dated the 14th of February 1861. These animals were intended as beasts of burden and means of transportation rather than military assets. The letter took time to reach Washington DC arriving after Buchanan left office. When Lincoln received the proposal he reportedly asked what use they could serve unless stamping out rebellion. In his reply dated the 3rd of February 1862, Lincoln politely declined explaining that American climate might not suit elephants while steam engines could handle similar tasks. A century later King Bhumibol Adulyadej referenced this event during his state visit to the United States on the 29th of June 1960. He stated his great-grandfather offered elephants to provide friends with what they lacked without any hidden objectives. The asteroid 151834 Mongkut bears his name honoring contributions to astronomy and modernization efforts. This celestial body serves as a permanent reminder of scientific achievement across generations.

• 5. The Wakor Solar Eclipse Prediction

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  During his monkhood, Mongkut studied both indigenous astrology and English texts on Western astronomy and mathematics. He developed skills in astronomical measurement by changing the official Buddhist calendar which had been seriously miscalculated regarding auspicious moments. On the 18th of August 1868, he predicted a total solar eclipse occurring at East Greenwich longitude 99 degrees 42 minutes and latitude North 11 degrees 39 minutes. He invited high-ranking European and Siamese officials including Sir Harry Ord from Singapore to view it from Wakor village in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province south of Hua Hin. His calculations proved accurate using Thai time measurements alongside Western longitude and latitude methods. Upon returning from the expedition, he condemned court astrologers for their negligence and failure to use modern instruments. During this journey both King Mongkut and Prince Chulalongkorn contracted malaria. The king died six weeks later in the capital while his son survived the illness. This event demonstrated that Siam equaled Western knowledge levels making imperialist claims about colonization unreasonable. Some argue assimilation of Western geography and astronomy saved Siam from actual colonial rule.