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83-601: His reign was the most prosperous during the Ayutthaya period and saw the great commercial and diplomatic activities with foreign nations including the Middle East and the West. During the later years of his reign, Narai gave his favorite – the Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon – so much power that Phaulkon technically became the chancellor of the state. Through the arrangements of Phaulkon,

166-471: A Catholic woman of mixed Japanese - Portuguese - Bengali descent named Maria Guyomar de Pinha . They lived a life of affluence as Phaulkon rose to become highly influential at the Siamese court of King Narai . Their marriage brought two sons, George "Jorge" Phaulkon and Constantin "João" Phaulkon. In 1683, Phaulkon suggested to King Narai to construct the fort of Mergui in the modern polygonal style, which

249-476: A commercial mission to Ayutthaya headed by Monsignor Pallu in 1682. Most controversially, King Narai allowed the rise of Constantine Phaulkon , a Greek adventurer who first arrived in Ayutthaya in 1675, formerly worked for the English East India Company . Phaulkon was introduced into the court by minister of foreign affairs and trade Kosa Lek in 1681 as a quick-witted interpreter and quickly gained

332-628: A few miles east inland in 1313, Thihathu's great-grandson Thado Minbya , who unified the Sagaing and Pinya kingdoms in September 1364, chose the site of Inwa as his new capital. Inwa was officially founded on 26 February 1365 (6th waxing of Tabaung 726 ME ) on a man-made island created by connecting the Irrawaddy on the north and the Myitnge on the east with a canal on the south and the west. The construction of

415-641: A merchant in 1675 after working for England's East India Company . Phaulkon became fluent in the Siamese language in just a few years (he was also fluent in English , French, Portuguese, and Malay ). In 1679, Burnaby pressed Phaulkon into the service of the Phra Khlang Kosa Lek to help facilitate trade relations. In 1681, Lek introduced him to the court of King Narai and Phaulkon began work as an interpreter, quickly gaining royal favor. Due to his experience with

498-659: A powerful nobleman. On the Day of Ashura , the Persians, Japanese and Dutch stormed the palace. The prince engaged in single combat with his uncle, until the king fled to the Rear Palace. Si Suthammaracha was captured and was executed at Wat Khok Phraya on 26 October 1656. Domestic policies in King Narai's reign were greatly affected by the interference of foreign powers most notably the Chinese to

581-421: A shallow grave in front of Wat Sak but later on that same day, the remains were dug up and eaten by scavenging dogs. When King Narai learned what had happened, he was furious, but was too weak to take any action. Narai died several days later on 11 July 1688, virtually a prisoner in his own palace. Phetracha then proclaimed himself the new king of Siam and began his regime which expelled almost all French troops from

664-468: Is John) and his mother's is still unknown. The Gerakis (Γεράκης) / Gerachi family was already established in the village of Plagia (Πλαγιά), since the 16th century. At age 13, Phaulkon left Cephalonia on an English ship and spent the next ten years of his life living in London . It was then, that his name “Gerachi” was anglicised into “Falcon”, before its re-Hellenization into “Phaulkon”. He may have served in

747-559: Is a popular tourist day-trip destination from Mandalay. Tourists can still observe a few remnants of the capital, including Nanmadaw Me Nu Ok Kyaung, the Nanmyin Tower, the inner and outer brick city walls, etc. Inwa is located 21 km (13 mi) south of Mandalay. It is on the way from the Mandalay International Airport to Mandalay. Cars can go up to the Myitnge river. It takes a 3-minute boat ride to cross over to

830-507: Is an ancient imperial capital of successive Burmese kingdoms from the 14th to 19th centuries. Throughout history, it was sacked and rebuilt numerous times. The capital city was finally abandoned after it was destroyed by a series of major earthquakes in March 1839 . Though only a few traces of its former grandeur remain today, the former capital is a popular day-trip tourist destination from Mandalay . The name Inwa (အင်းဝ) literally means "mouth of

913-606: Is posthumously remembered. During the reign of Swa Saw Ke , a council was convened at Ava which was attended by the King, members of the Sangha, Sinhalese monks, and Brahmins . In one inscription the city was said to be as pleasant as Tavatimsa , the most important of the Buddhist heavens which also served as the model for the earthly realm of Burmese kingdoms. Swa Saw Ke was known as an intellectual king who encouraged scholarly endeavours and

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996-750: The Ayutthaya Kingdom . Burnaby was made the governor of Mergui and White became its Harbourmaster. However the two Englishmen entrusted with the port of Mergui had old vendettas against the Kingdom of Golconda in a past trading dispute, and proceeded to use their newly acquired power to engage in piracy and warfare against Golconda and Indian shipping. This led to retaliation by the East India Company under President Elihu Yale in 1687, who subsequently sent Anthony Weltden with two warships to punish Burnaby and White, as well as demanding recompense from

1079-465: The Ayutthaya Kingdom . The company was also able to obtain an order from King James II forbidding Englishmen serving on foreign ships, due to the excess of Englishmen abandoning Company service for preferential treatment in the Ayutthaya Kingdom . Upon arrival of Weltden's ships, Burnaby and White were cowed into opening the gates and receiving the Company forces, who came ashore. During the negotiations,

1162-518: The Dutch , Phaulkon engineered a Franco-Siamese rapprochement leading to the exchange of numerous embassies between France and the Ayutthaya Kingdom , as well as the dispatch of an expeditionary force by the French by 1687. Phaulkon, called Monsieur Constance by the French and addressed cher ami by their king, was their main ally for several years. In recognition King Louis XIV of France awarded him with

1245-916: The Royal Navy and fought under the command of Prince Rupert of the Rhine against the Dutch during the Second Anglo-Dutch War . In 1669, Phaulkon sailed to Bantam on an English ship, the Hopewell as assistant gunner and enlisted as a clerk in the English East India Company . His time as assistant gunner within the company also coincided with the Third Anglo-Dutch War . He made friends with senior Company official Richard Burnaby and trader George White as well as his younger brother Samuel. While assistant gunner, Phaulkon came to Siam (present day Thailand ), as

1328-588: The complete destruction of the capital in 1767. Prince Narai was born on 16 February 1632 to King Prasat Thong and his consort, Princess Sirithida ( Thai : ศิริธิดา ), who was a daughter of Songtham . Prasat Thong had just usurped the throne from the ruling Ayutthaya dynasty in 1629 and founded a dynasty of his own. Narai had an siblings younger sister Princess Si Suphan (or Princess Ratcha Kanlayani ), elder half-brother Prince Chai, and an uncle Prince Si Suthammaracha. The Royal Chronicle of Ayutthaya: Royal Recension Version recorded that "In that year [1633],

1411-458: The Buddhist universe in miniature. The palace was constructed in the very centre of the citadel, which according to traditional principles of Burmese city design, corresponds to the location of the Buddha, therefore directly associating the King with the Buddha himself. This conferred upon the King a divine status and the palace as a religious centrepiece. The kingdom and its power emanated directly from

1494-476: The East India Company, he also worked within the royal treasury. There are many accounts telling of Phaulkon's rise to power and how his skills gained him the favour of King Narai. One of these skills were supposedly his efficiency in accounting, with which he investigated a claim by Persian traders that the treasury owed them debt. After inspecting the royal accounts, Phaulkon came to the conclusion that it

1577-570: The French guards and advisors, against the Thai mandarins. Even his ascension to the throne was orchestrated by Persian mercenaries. The French eventually enjoyed special favors from religious affairs to the military activities. One of the critical turning points was concerned with the construction of the French forts and military barracks in Bangkok , near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River . In dealing with

1660-512: The French had abandoned Phaulkon. On 5 June 1688, Desfarges departed Lopburi, leaving his two sons and few others there as hostages. Phaulkon was made to hang Phra Pi's head around his neck and Phetracha declared him guilty of high treason. Phaulkon was placed on the silver palanquin mounted on his elephant, and was led out by Phetracha's men to the area of Wat Sak temple in the evening, where Luang Sorasak decapitated and also disemboweled him as witnessed by Father de Bèze. His remains were buried in

1743-403: The French mission in 1685 to return the Siamese ambassadors and to convert Narai to Catholicism . The mission contained a large number of Jesuit priests and scientists. Colbert sent his letter to Phaulkon to instruct him to persuade the Siamese king to concede to French requests with the promises of granting him the rank of count. Though he did not convert to Christianity, Narai agreed to allow

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1826-505: The French troops led by General Desfarges at the start of the Siege of Bangkok . On the death of King Narai on 10/11 July, Phetracha proclaimed himself king. After withholding the siege for four months and later a negotiated settlement, the French soldiers were allowed to return to France. Only the Dutch were allowed to trade in the capital before the French and English finally ended their dispute with Siam. Although King Narai's reign witnessed

1909-607: The French troops to be stationed in Siamese ports. Chevalier de Forbin was made commander of the Bangkok fort and trained Siamese armies in Western warfare. Several Siamese forts including Mergui, Ligor , Singora ( Songkhla ), Lavo , and Ayutthaya itself were reconstructed in European style. Another Siamese mission to France was led by Phra Visutsundhorn ( Kosa Pan , younger brother of Kosa Lek) and Guy Tachard in 1686 with enthusiastic European reception. A fragmentary Siamese account of

1992-613: The Inwa–Amapura region. The largest earthquake struck at 05:00 on 23 March, being felt over a wide area, and many aftershocks followed for days. The entire region was left in shambles in their wake. The city was destroyed while many people and livestock perished. The city was not rebuilt. King Tharrawaddy chose instead to rebuild a new palace in Amarapura, and moved the seat of his government there in February 1842. The former capital city site

2075-563: The Lake", reflecting its geographical location at the mouth of lakes in the Kyaukse District . Another theory states that it is derived from Innawa ( အင်းနဝ ), meaning "nine lakes" in the area. The city's classical name in Pali is Ratanapura (ရတနပုရ; "City of Gems"). The modern standard Burmese pronunciation is Inwa ( IPA: [ʔɪ́ɰ̃wa̰] ), following the modern orthography . But

2158-510: The Malay noble Okya Wang, who had assumed the position. In 1686, Phaulkon was made a commander in the royal forces during the suppression of the Makassar Revolt . He personally led the troops during the fighting and was almost killed in combat. In the aftermath, Phaulkon oversaw the punishments of rebel prisoners as well as deserters from the royal army. Following troubles with the English and

2241-577: The Persian account of Muhammad Rabi' ibn Muhammad Ibrahim. Domestically, the relative stability during his reign also gave rise to the revival of Siamese literature during his reign. Further afield, one of the main streets of the city of Brest as well as another in Marseilles have been named " Rue de Siam " to commemorate Narai's missions, whilst an ancient street in Lopburi Province , where Narai dwelt at

2324-759: The Royal Furniture Repository in Paris since they were classed as gifts rather than weapons. After failing to find usable weapons at the Arsenal, rioting Parisians broke into the Repository and discovered some 20 cannons. However, the Siamese cannons were the only ones that still functioned, and so they were hauled to the Bastille . The date was 14 July 1789 . In King Narai's reign, Thai literature flourished, especially royal panegyrics. The " Eulogy of King Prasat Thong " about

2407-404: The Siamese kingdom came into close diplomatic relations with the court of Louis XIV and French soldiers and missionaries filled the Siamese aristocracy and defense. The dominance of French officials led to frictions between them and the native mandarins and led to the turbulent revolution of 1688 towards the end of his reign. Narai's reign was also known for the 1662–1664 invasion of Burma ,

2490-484: The Siamese retreated. Narai also handed over control of Mergui to French officer Chevalier de Beauregard and his small French garrison. At the same time, he also granted a concession of the strategic port of Bangkok to Beauregard, with the view of countering Dutch influence. King Narai also built a new palace at present-day Lopburi ("Louvo" in the French accounts) utilising the expertise of Jesuit architects and engineers. European influences are clearly evident in

2573-597: The Thai title Ok-Phrasaksongkram . Forbin would later become the subject of Phaulkon's bitter jealousy. During Tachard's presence in Siam, Phaulkon plotted to secure his power and influence; through secret diplomacy with the Jesuit. He drafted a letter requesting Frenchmen to be sent from France, whom he would to use his power to place in political and military offices, as his supporters, and under his patronage. Phaulkon also requested that King Louis XIV send troops and warships to secure

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2656-465: The activities, the French mostly depended on Constantine Phaulkon , the king's favorite. The threat of the French military presence reportedly was felt among the court nobles. All in all, factionalism , favoritism and nepotism became widespread. The native mandarins somehow managed to retain their powers, most notably Kosa Lek. Petracha , Commander of the Royal Regiment of Elephants, emerged as

2739-574: The architectural style, especially the use of wide windows. The move to Lopburi was arguably prompted by the Dutch naval blockade of Ayutthaya in 1664 to enforce a fur monopoly. Although Catholic missions had been present in Ayutthaya as early as 1567 under Portuguese Dominicans, King Narai's reign saw the first concerted attempt to convert the monarch to Catholicism under the auspices of French Jesuits who were given permission to settle in Ayutthaya in 1662. The conversion attempt ultimately failed and arguably backfired but Catholics were to remain in Siam up to

2822-400: The artificial island also involved filling in the swamplands and lakes (or Ins ): † † Other records also include Kyaukmaw In ( ကျောက်မော် အင်း ), Ngagyi In ( ငကျည်း အင်း ) and Inbu In ( အင်းဘူး အင်း ). The brick fortifications of Inwa do not follow the conventions of the earlier rectilinear city plans; Inwa's citadel is probably the only barrel shaped city in the world. Instead,

2905-686: The capital back to Ava from Pegu (Bago). The city was sacked on 21–23 March 1752, and subsequently burned down on 3 January 1753 by the forces of Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom . King Hsinbyushin began the reconstruction of the city in March 1764, and moved the capital back to a newly rebuilt Ava on 23 July 1765. King Bodawpaya moved the capital to Amarapura in May 1783 but his grandson King Bagyidaw moved it back to Ava in November 1821. Beginning on 22 March 1839 (7th waxing of Tagu 1201 ME), earthquakes began affecting

2988-528: The city as a mandala , encircling the entirety of the world (in theory) and therefore the city was a cosmological centre of a divinely ordained kingdom. The kingdom Thado Minbya founded with the capital at Inwa became known as the Ava Kingdom , the main polity of Upper Burma until 1555. During this period, the city was the center of a flourishing literary scene in which Burmese literature "grew more confident, popular, and stylistically diverse, chiefly through

3071-617: The city was said to be full of intelligent conversation. During this period, the capital city was the target of the kingdom's rivals. It came under siege in 1401–1402 during the Forty Years' War . Over a century later, on 25 March 1527, the city finally fell to the repeated attacks by the Confederation of Shan States and the Prome Kingdom . It then became the capital of the unruly and often disunited coalition until 22 January 1555 when it

3154-530: The destruction of the briefly independent port city of the Sultanate of Singgora (1605–1680), and the conflict he had with the English East India Company . The presence of numerous foreigners from the French Jesuits to the Persian delegates has left historians with rich sources of material on the city of Ayutthaya and its conflicts and courtly life in the seventeenth century that otherwise would not have survived

3237-481: The efforts of monks who chose to write in the vernacular rather than, or in addition to, in Pali." The period also saw the second generation of Burmese law codes ( dhammathats ), which critiqued earlier compilations, new poetic genres, and the perfection of older verse forms as well as the earliest pan-Burma Burmese language chronicles. The city got a new "exquisite golden palace" in February 1511 by which King Shwenankyawshin

3320-505: The embassy to France . Pan's audience was granted by King Louis XIV at Versailles and the embassy toured the French country. As a result of his meteoric rise to power and King Narai's trust in him, Phaulkon's old English colleagues from the East India Company such as Richard Burnaby and Samuel White were given positions of power. A substantial number of Englishmen and women also left the company's jurisdiction, instead pledging fealty to King Narai due to their favoured status and settled in

3403-476: The focus of xenophobic sentiments at court, with the future King Phetracha at their head. Narai responded the French by the dispatch of Siamese mission to France in January 1684 led by Khun Pijaivanit and Khun Pijitmaitri accompanied by missionary Benigne Vachet. They reached Calais by November and eventually had the French royal audience. Louis XIV sent de Chaumont as chief ambassador, and de Choisy to lead

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3486-538: The foster brother of Narai to stage a coup d'état , the 1688 Siamese revolution . In Lopburi on 31 March 1688, Phaulkon had a discussion with the French general Marshal Desfarges for the plans to put down Phetracha's plot before the latter moved to the fort in Bangkok , however a month later on 15 April, Desfarges was persuaded by Frenchmen Véret and Abbé de Lionne to abandon plans to go to Lopburi to help Phaulkon and remained in his fort instead. On 18 May, King Narai, Phra Pi, and their followers were arrested. Phaulkon

3569-572: The greatest extent of foreign influence at the Siamese court, his diplomatic achievements were to be reversed by his successor. It is debatable whether the new introspective attitude of his successors contributed to the weakening and eventual fall of Ayutthaya. On the other hand, the curtailing of foreign influences in the court may have prevented the colonisation of Ayutthaya. Nevertheless, his reign's diplomatic achievements contributed to him being posthumously styled "the Great," one of seven recognised as such in

3652-581: The history of Thailand. At the same time, the records of those involved in the diplomatic missions, particularly those from the west, have allowed historians to obtain a rare glimpse into the world of the Ayutthayan court as most original Ayutthaya records were destroyed with the city in 1767. These include the French accounts of the Chevalier de Chaumont, the Abbé de Choisy, Fr. Tachard, Claude de Forbin, de la Loubere and

3735-586: The house. The princess hid in a book chest and it was smuggled into the Front Palace, where she reunited with her brother. Enraged at his uncle's behavior, Narai decided to take action. He drew his support from the Persian and Japanese mercenaries that had been persecuted during his father's reign. He was also supported by the Dutch East India Company , as well as his brothers and the Okya Sukhothai,

3818-532: The king was about to convert to Catholicism. Although King Narai did display a degree of interest in Catholicism, he also displayed an equal interest in Islam and there is no concrete evidence that he wished to convert to either. However, both Catholic and Islamic missions were to come to the conclusion that Phaulkon was responsible for their failures. Siamese courtiers also resented Phaulkon's influence and he quickly became

3901-628: The king's father was probably composed early in the reign, and the " Eulogy of King Narai " around 1680. King Narai Hospital , the main hospital of Lopburi Province is named after him. Constantine Phaulkon Constantine Phaulkon ( Greek : Κωνσταντῖνος Γεράκης, Konstantinos Gerakis ; γεράκι is the Greek word for " falcon "; also known as Costantin Gerachi , Capitão Falcão in Portuguese and simply as Monsieur Constance in French ; 1647 – 5 June 1688)

3984-425: The kingdom. The different interpretations of Phetracha's motivation for ordering the arrest and execution of Phaulkon have made his position in Thai history somewhat controversial. Supporters of Phetracha's actions have depicted Phaulkon as an opportunistic Greek foreigner, who sought to use his influence to control of the kingdom on the behalf of Western interests. More skeptical historians have believed that Phaulkon

4067-596: The knighthood of the Order of Saint Michael , a hereditary title in the French nobility as well as French citizenship for him and his family. King Narai had hoped to use the French as a counterweight to Dutch influence. The embassy of Chevalier de Chaumont in 1685 further strengthened ties between the two Kingdoms, Chaumont also being accompanied by Jesuit Guy Tachard and French naval commander Claude de Forbin , who would remain to serve King Narai as Governor of Bangkok, as well as training Siamese troops in European tactics with

4150-403: The leading "nationalist". Petracha had familial connections to Narai, with his mother being the king's wet nurse and his sister being the king's concubine. Narai was said to fear fathering a son. He therefore ordered abortions to be carried out on any of his impregnated consorts. However he adopted the son of a minor mandarin with the name of Phra Pi and named him his successor. The young prince

4233-522: The local Siamese suspected White and Burnaby of treachery and rallied under the Governor of Tenasserim who led the massacre of many Englishmen and women in Mergui. Richard Burnaby was slain in the slaughter but Weltden and White escaped with their lives, retreating into the sea. The butchery by the Governor also involved an ugly scene in which innocent Englishmen and women were slain, including an Englishwoman who

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4316-531: The local Upper Burmese pronunciation is Awa ( [ʔəwa̰] ). Indeed, the spelling of the city in the royal records , all written prior to the modern Burmese spelling standardization drives, is အဝ (Awa), the phonetic spelling of the Upper Burmese usage. The most common Western transcription Ava comes from Awa via Portuguese . Inwa was the capital of Myanmar (Burma) for nearly 360 years, on five separate occasions, from 1365 to 1842. So identified as

4399-445: The mandarins. In 1687 the new French mission left Brest for Ayutthaya. The mission included Kosa Pan returning home, Guy Tachard again, Simon de La Loubère , Claude Céberet du Boullay , and General Desfarges . A French army regiment was sent with this mission to be stationed in Siamese forts with Desfarges as the military commander. Narai agreed to station French troops at Mergui and Bangkok, both with Western-style forts. Desfarges

4482-611: The mission compiled by Kosa Pan was re-discovered in Paris in the 1980s. In 1686, a revolt broke out in Ayutthaya , caused by the Makassars whom were seeking asylum in Siam after being expelled by the Dutch Empire . Constantine Phaulkon and Forbin mobilized the defence of the Kingdom, with the forces of Ayutthaya made up from a coalition of French, English and Siamese troops. The Makassars were subsequently defeated and Narai had many burnt at

4565-408: The most celebrated of these missions were those to Europe, in particular France. In 1673, a French ecclesiastical mission arrived at the Siamese court with letters from Pope Clement IX and King Louis XIV of France. King Narai reciprocated by sending a mission to France in 1680 led by Phya Pipatkosa . Although the mission was lost at sea near Madagascar, the French would respond positively by sending

4648-572: The north, the Dutch to the South, and the English who were making their first forays into India to the west. Policies revolved around either directly countering the influence, or creating a delicate balance of power between the different parties. In 1660, the Chinese invaded the Burmese capital at Ava to capture Zhu Youlang , the last Southern Ming emperor. Sensing a possible weakening of Burmese influence in

4731-683: The northern vassal states, King Narai began the Burmese–Siamese War of 1662–64 to bring Chiang Mai under the direct control of Ayutthaya. Although the expedition was successful in taking control of Lampang and other smaller cities, a second expedition had to be conducted to bring Chiang Mai under control in 1662. After stopping a Burmese army incursion in 1663 at Sai Yok , Narai led an army of 60,000 in an invasion of Burma, capturing Martaban , Syriam , Rangoon , Hongsawadi , and then in 1664 laid siege to Pagan . After "causing many casualties in dead and wounded and capturing many prisoners of war",

4814-525: The palace dungeon and brutally tortured. After questioning Phra Pi, he discovered Phra Pi had conspired with Phaulkon to assume the throne, and Phra Pi was executed on 20 May. Further questioning of Phaulkon revealed a plot to raise a rebellion, and he too was executed by Phetracha's adopted son Luang Sorasak on 5 June. Narai, on his deathbed, was unable to do anything, except curse Phetracha and his son. Luang Sorasak then had Prince Aphaithot and Prince Noi executed. Phetracha soon ordered his troops to attack

4897-481: The present day. The most remarkable aspect of King Narai's reign were the diplomatic missions that he sent and received during his reign. Missions were sent as far afield as France, England, and the Vatican, although at least two missions were lost at sea. Ties with states closer to Ayutthaya were not neglected as missions were also sent to Persia, Golconda (India), China, as well as other neighbouring states. Undoubtedly,

4980-441: The princess consort gave birth to a son. When the royal family glanced at the infant, they saw the baby had four arms before having two arms as normal. Upon learning this, the king thought it was a miracle. He therefore named his son Narai." The name Narai is from Sanskrit Narayana , a name of Hindu god Vishnu who has four arms. Upon Prasat Thong's death in 1656, Prince Chai succeeded his father as King Sanpet VI. However, it

5063-405: The princess took on a partner of her choice from one of the two Siamese councillors. When Narai was seriously ill with no hopes of recovery, on 18 May 1688 Phetracha had a successful coup and arrested Narai himself, Phra Pi, and his half-brothers Prince Aphaithot and Prince Noi. Phaulkon was summoned to the palace, there he and his French officers were surrounded and disarmed. Phaulkon was thrown to

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5146-409: The royal favor. In 1682 he served as the interpreter during the royal audience with François Pallu , who arrived with letters from Louis XIV. Within a few years, Phaulkon had managed to ingratiate himself with the king and became Narai's closest counselor. Phaulkon suggested a plan for the reconstruction of the fort of Mergui in polygonal European style, which was strongly opposed by Kosa Lek. Kosa Lek

5229-560: The seat of power in Burma that Inwa (as the Kingdom of Ava , or the Court of Ava) was the name by which Burma was known to Europeans down to the 19th century. Strategically located on the confluence of Irrawaddy , and Myitnge rivers , and in the main rice-growing Kyaukse District of Upper Burma, the location of Ava had been scouted as a possible capital site as early as 1310 by King Thihathu . Though Thihathu eventually built his new capital at Pinya

5312-439: The southern port city of Singora , which has been conceded to France by King Narai . The Greek favourite of King Narai also offered the concession of the port of Mergui, previously held by Phaulkon's English pirates- to French control, of which the King consented to eventually. Phaulkon became a prime counsellor to the king in 1685 and expresses a desire to designate a Catholic successor to King Narai, most likely, Phra Pi , who

5395-405: The stake. Samuel White , the English governor of Mergui fort, appointed by Narai and a close associate of Phaulkon, entered into conflict with the English fleets from India in 1687, leading to the English blockade of Mergui . The Siamese native mandarins massacred the local Englishmen out of frustration. With English fleets threatening his kingdom, Narai decided to placate the English and executed

5478-430: The time he received the Chevalier de Chaumont, has been named " Rue de France " by the Thai government in 1985 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the relations between the two countries. In addition, among the gifts that were exchanged between the Siamese and the French courts, two items from Siam were to have an unexpected impact on French history. The items were a pair of silver cannons that were eventually stored in

5561-410: The zigzagged outer walls are popularly thought to outline the figure of a seated lion – the Burmese Chinthe . The inner enclosure or citadel was laid out according to traditional cosmological principles and provided the requisite twelve gates. (The inner city was reconstructed on at least three occasions in 1597, 1763, and 1832.) The design of Inwa, or at least the inner citadel, is designed to replicate

5644-529: Was Narai's adopted son and a Catholic convert, as well as scheming to convert the Kingdom to Catholicism, albeit peacefully, by winning the masses over through charity and alms. Phaulkon wanted a successor who would uphold amiable relations with France and offer privileges to the French, which would guarantee his political standing and security in a court that has grown increasingly hostile to his influence and power. Phualkon selected Kosa Pan to led as an embassy diplomat and in response King Narai proceeded to send

5727-411: Was a Greek adventurer who became chief minister to King Narai of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and assumed the Thai noble title " Chao Phraya Wichayen" (เจ้าพระยาวิชาเยนทร์). Constantine Phaulkon was born to Greek parents within Assos Castle in the region of Erisso ( pertinenza di Erisso ) on northern Cephalonia (then under Venetian rule ). His father's name was Zuane ( Greek : Τζουγάνης that

5810-426: Was a Thai tradition to give brothers a higher priority over sons in succession. Prince Sudharmmaraja plotted with his nephew, Prince Narai, to bring Sanpet VI down. After nine months of ascension, Sanpet VI was executed following a coup. Narai and his uncle marched into the palace, and Si Suthammaracha crowned himself king. Si Suthammaracha appointed Narai as the Uparaja , or Viceroy of the Front Palace . However, Narai

5893-413: Was also an ambitious prince and had requested Dutch support against his uncle. Si Suthammaracha's rule was weak and he fell under the control of Chao Phraya Chakri, an ambitious mandarin who also wanted the throne. In 1656, Narai and his uncle finally alienated each other. Si Suthammaracha lusted after Narai's sister, Princess Ratcha Kanlayani. He ordered his soldiers to surround her residence and entered

5976-465: Was captured by King Bayinnaung . The city's 190-year run as the capital of Upper Burma came to an end. The city became the capital of all Burma during Toungoo and Konbaung periods (1599–1613, 1635–1752, 1765–1783, 1821–1842). The city was the base from which kings Nyaungyan and Anaukpetlun restored the kingdom which had temporarily disintegrated in December 1599. In January 1635, King Thalun moved

6059-486: Was depicted as a complex character and as cruel, abusive, cunning, and overly-ambitious but also capable of compassion, love, and remorse. Scott won a TVG Award for the best male supporting actor. Inwa Inwa ( Burmese : အင်းဝမြို့ ; MLCTS : ang:wa.mrui. , IPA: [ʔɪ́ɰ̃wa̰ mjo̰] or [ʔəwa̰ mjo̰] ; also spelled Innwa ; formerly known as Ava ), located in Mandalay Region , Myanmar ,

6142-445: Was embraced by the French, who managed to convert him to Catholicism. Matters were brought to a head when King Narai fell gravely ill in March 1688 while staying in his Lopburi palaces. Aware of the coming succession dispute, in May 1688, Narai called together his closest councillors: Phaulkon, Phra Phetracha, and Phra Pi, and nominated his daughter, Kromluang Yothathep, to succeed him. The three councillors were to act as regents until

6225-625: Was in actuality the Persian traders that owed the treasury; thus garnering much needed revenue for the royal treasury. Another account says that King Narai wanted to investigate the weight of a cannon. Phaulkon proceeded to place the cannon in the hold of a boat and then marked where waterline ended up. He then removed the cannon and filled the boat with rice until it reached the same mark. Thanks to Phaulkon's competence and administrative capabilities, as well as his knowledge of Europe, King Narai came to favour him greatly. In 1682, Phaulkon abandoned Anglicanism for Catholicism and soon after married

6308-442: Was later accused of receiving bribes from peasants who did not want to be drafted into the Mergui construction. He was flogged to death under royal orders. The second half of Narai's reign was a period of growing French influence as facilitated by Phaulkon. Under Phaulkon's guidance, King Narai balanced the influence of the Dutch by favouring the French. Phaulkon also encouraged French interest by initially leading them to believe that

6391-438: Was not involved." Phaulkon's closeness to the king earned him the envy of some Thai members of the royal court, which would eventually prove to be his undoing. When King Narai became terminally ill, a rumor spread that Phaulkon wanted to use the designated heir, Phra Pi , as a puppet and actually become ruler himself, according to Thai historical records this was in fact a credible claim. This provided credence for Pra Phetracha ,

6474-520: Was one of those in the world who have the most wit, liberality, magnificence, intrepidity, and was full of great projects, but perhaps he only wanted to have French troops in order to try and make himself king after the death of his master, which he saw as imminent. He was proud, cruel, pitiless, and with inordinate ambition. He supported the Christian religion because it could support him; but I would never have trusted him in things in which his own advancement

6557-565: Was popular in Europe, which was strongly opposed by Kosa Lek. Lek was later accused of receiving bribes from peasants who did not want to be drafted into the construction of the fort and was later flogged with rattan sticks on the King's orders. Lek died due to the injuries he sustained about a month later in July, and his properties were confiscated. King Narai offered Lek's former position to Phaulkon, which he declined and instead accepted an advisory role to

6640-523: Was simply a convenient scapegoat and a means for Phetracha to seize the throne from the rightful heir by capitalizing on the envy and the suspicion that Phaulkon had engendered. Phaulkon was the central character in the 2013 historical fiction book The Phaulkon Legacy by Walter J Strach III. Phaulkon was portrayed by the Thai-Scottish actor Louis Scott in the 2018 Thai drama Buppesunniwas and received critical acclaim for his performance. Phaulkon

6723-477: Was stationed at Bangkok. (The fort is now called the Vijaiprasit Fort Thai : ป้อมวิไชยประสิทธิ์ later the royal fort of King Taksin ). The last Siamese embassy was led by Ok-khun Chamnan in 1688 visiting Rome and Pope Innocent XI . Narai spent his whole reign reducing the power of native mandarins that had caused much bloodshed during his predecessors’ time. He firstly supported Persian, and later,

6806-471: Was summoned to the palace, where he and his 21 men were surrounded by the Siamese soldiers and disarmed. He was taken to the palace dungeon where he would be restrained and brutally tortured. Phra Pi was later decapitated on 20 May and his head was thrown at the feet of Phaulkon with the remark, "See, there is your king". On 25 May, Desfarges was summoned to Lopburi by Phetracha and arrived on 2 June. He said nothing about saving Phaulkon, and Phetracha assumed that

6889-441: Was tortured and killed with her children for refusing the Governor's advances. When King Narai had heard of the transgressions against innocent English civilians, he had the Governor of Tenasserim summoned to Lopburi and executed, at Phaulkon's behest. War was also declared on the East India Company . The Abbé de Choisy , who was a member of the first French embassy to Thailand in 1685, wrote about M. Phaulkon's character: "He

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