Chairacha
Encyclopedia
Phrabat Somdet Phra Chairachathirat reigned 1534–1546 as King of the Ayutthaya kingdom
of Siam. His reign was remarkable for the influx of Portuguese
traders
, mercenaries
, and early Modern warfare technology.
. In 1533, following the death of his brother Borommaracha IV, his nephew Prince Ratsadathirat (Borommaracha IV's son) succeeded the Ayutthayan throne. Chairachathirat was then appointed the Uparaja of Pitsanulok.
was overthrown. Chairacha took this opportunity to invade Lanna, where he was greeted peacefully by Queen Chiraprapa – daughter of King Kaew Kesa. He sacked Lampang
and Lampoon
and he ordered Uparaja Tianracha
to invade Chiang Mai
. Queen Chiraprapa then sued for peace and made her kingdom a tributary state
of Ayutthaya for the first time.
) as the Uparaja but did not granted him the title of King of Sukhothai as Chairacha tried to unite the two kingdoms by reducing the power of Sukhothai nobles. He also called the Sukhothai nobles to Ayutthaya to move them from their base at Pitsanulok and made Ayutthaya the sole center of authority.
. The king takes a new consort, Si Suda Chan, and has another son by her. Si Suda Chan was not the real name of the new consort, it was the title of one of the four first-class concubines, which were Insuren, Si Suda Chan, Inthrathewi and Si Chula Lak. The name of the new consort was not mentioned in the history.
After several years of peace, Chairacha left the capital Ayutthaya for a military campaign in the north. Soon after, Si Suda Chan, descended from the deposed U-Tong dynasty, took Bun Si (later Worawongsathirat
), another U-Tong descendant, as her lover and started plotting to take over the throne.
The king was wounded in battle and came back to the capital to recuperate, where Si Suda Chan poisoned him and attempted to blame the deed on Tienracha. Tienracha saved his own life by becoming a Buddhist monk. Monkhood gave rise to legal sanctuary at that time. Si Suda Chan proceeded by naming Worawongsathirat as regent and promptly poisoning young Yodfa, thereby assuming power. Sri Suriyothai then summoned her old friend Piren, who was Chai Raja's troop commander, to help set things right. His troops ambushed and killed Worawongsathirat and Si Suda Chan, and Tien accepted the throne despite his monkhood.
The sources conflicts about the nature of Chairacha's death. The Portuguese chronicles of Fernão Mendes Pinto
said he was poisoned by his concubine Si Suda Chan from Uthong clan in 1546. This can be inferred from the later power struggles involving Si Suda Chan and her lover Khun Worawongsathirat. However, some Siamese chronicles said Chairacha died of an illness after going to war.
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...
of Siam. His reign was remarkable for the influx of Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
traders
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
, and early Modern warfare technology.
Uparaja
Prince Chairachathirat was a son of King Ramathibodi IIRamathibodi II
Somdet Phra Chettathiraj or Somdet Phra Ramathibodi II was the King of Sukhothai from 1485 and King of Ayutthaya from 1491 to 1529. His reign was marked by the first Western Contact with the Portuguese.-King of Sukhothai:Prince Chettathiraj was the youngest of Trailokanat's three sons...
. In 1533, following the death of his brother Borommaracha IV, his nephew Prince Ratsadathirat (Borommaracha IV's son) succeeded the Ayutthayan throne. Chairachathirat was then appointed the Uparaja of Pitsanulok.
Coup
Government authority under five-year-old Ratsadathirat proved to be weak. In 1534, only five months after his nephew's ascension, Chairacha marched to Ayutthaya to stage a coup, killed his nephew, and took the throne of Ayutthaya.Invasion of Lanna
In 1545, King Kaew Kesa of LannaLanna
The Kingdom of Lanna was a kingdom centered in present-day northern Thailand from the 13th to 18th centuries. The cultural development of the people of Lanna, the Tai Yuan people, had begun long before as successive Tai Yuan kingdoms preceded Lanna...
was overthrown. Chairacha took this opportunity to invade Lanna, where he was greeted peacefully by Queen Chiraprapa – daughter of King Kaew Kesa. He sacked Lampang
Lampang
Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang to differentiate from Lampang Province, is the third largest town in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang Province and the Lampang district. Traditional names for Lampang include Wiang Lakon and Khelang Nakhon. The city is still growing rapidly as trading...
and Lampoon
Lampoon
Lampoon may refer to one of the following:*Parody*The Thai actor and singer Amphol Lampoon*Harvard Lampoon, a noted humor magazine**National Lampoon , a defunct offshoot of Harvard Lampoon***National Lampoon, Inc., a 2002 company...
and he ordered Uparaja Tianracha
Maha Chakkrapat
Somdet Phra Maha Chakkraphat was king of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1548 to 1568. Originally called Prince Thianracha, he was put on the throne by Phiren Thorathep and his supporters, who had staged a coup by killing King Vorawongsathirat and Sri Sudachan.-An Ayutthayan Prince:Prince Thianracha ...
to invade Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
. Queen Chiraprapa then sued for peace and made her kingdom a tributary state
Tributary state
The term tributary state refers to one of the two main ways in which a pre-modern state might be subordinate to a more powerful neighbour. The heart of the relationship was that the tributary would send a regular token of submission to the superior power...
of Ayutthaya for the first time.
Sukhothai nobles
Chairacha appointed his brother Prince Tianracha (later Maha ChakkrapatMaha Chakkrapat
Somdet Phra Maha Chakkraphat was king of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1548 to 1568. Originally called Prince Thianracha, he was put on the throne by Phiren Thorathep and his supporters, who had staged a coup by killing King Vorawongsathirat and Sri Sudachan.-An Ayutthayan Prince:Prince Thianracha ...
) as the Uparaja but did not granted him the title of King of Sukhothai as Chairacha tried to unite the two kingdoms by reducing the power of Sukhothai nobles. He also called the Sukhothai nobles to Ayutthaya to move them from their base at Pitsanulok and made Ayutthaya the sole center of authority.
Mysterious death
Chairacha's wife, Queen Jitravadee, dies shortly after giving birth to the heir YodfaYodfa
Phrabat Somdet Phra Yodfa or Phra Kaewfa was the short-reigning king of Ayutthaya from 1546 to his execution in 1548. Yodfa was the son of Chairacha and his concubine Sri Sudachan from the Uthong clan. In 1546, Chairacha aprubtly died maybe due to the poison by his concubine Sri Sudachan...
. The king takes a new consort, Si Suda Chan, and has another son by her. Si Suda Chan was not the real name of the new consort, it was the title of one of the four first-class concubines, which were Insuren, Si Suda Chan, Inthrathewi and Si Chula Lak. The name of the new consort was not mentioned in the history.
After several years of peace, Chairacha left the capital Ayutthaya for a military campaign in the north. Soon after, Si Suda Chan, descended from the deposed U-Tong dynasty, took Bun Si (later Worawongsathirat
Worawongsathirat
Khun Worawongsathirat was a usurper in the Ayutthaya Kingdom, ruling for only 42 days in 1548 before being assassinated. Siamese chronicles relate that Worawongsathirat attainted the crown — his kingship is not accepted by most traditional historians....
), another U-Tong descendant, as her lover and started plotting to take over the throne.
The king was wounded in battle and came back to the capital to recuperate, where Si Suda Chan poisoned him and attempted to blame the deed on Tienracha. Tienracha saved his own life by becoming a Buddhist monk. Monkhood gave rise to legal sanctuary at that time. Si Suda Chan proceeded by naming Worawongsathirat as regent and promptly poisoning young Yodfa, thereby assuming power. Sri Suriyothai then summoned her old friend Piren, who was Chai Raja's troop commander, to help set things right. His troops ambushed and killed Worawongsathirat and Si Suda Chan, and Tien accepted the throne despite his monkhood.
The sources conflicts about the nature of Chairacha's death. The Portuguese chronicles of Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto was a Portuguese explorer and writer. His exploits are known through the posthumous publication of his memoir Pilgrimage in 1614, an autobiographical work whose truthfulness is nearly impossible to assess...
said he was poisoned by his concubine Si Suda Chan from Uthong clan in 1546. This can be inferred from the later power struggles involving Si Suda Chan and her lover Khun Worawongsathirat. However, some Siamese chronicles said Chairacha died of an illness after going to war.