Dara Rasmi of Chiang Mai
Encyclopedia
Princess Dara Rasmi (August 26, 1873 – December 9, 1933), was the Princess of Chiang Mai
and Siam (later Thailand
) and the daughter of King Inthawichayanon and Queen Thipkraisorn Rajadevi of Chang Mai descended from the Jedton Dynasty
. She was one of the princess consorts of Chulalongkorn, King Rama V of Siam
and gave birth to one daughter by King Chulalongkorn, Princess Vimolnaka Nabisi
.
, Northern Siam, the daughter of King Inthawichayanon and Queen Thipkraisorn Rajadevi of Chang Mai. Her mother was the daughter of King Kawilorot and Queen Usa. Princess Dara Rasami had one elder sister, Princess Chantra Sopha of Chiang Mai who died as a young child.
As a young girl, Dara Rasami was taught proficiency in the Thai
, Lan na, and English
languages as as well as the traditional royal customs of both Lan Na and Siam. Her favorite sport was horseriding, and later in her life she was said to be a skilled horsewoman.
wanted to adopt Princess Dara Rasami of Chiang Mai, which the Siamese saw as a British attempt to take over Lanna
. King Chulalongkorn
then sent his brother Prince Phicit Prichakorn to Chiang Mai to propose an engagement to Dara Rasami to become the king's concubine. In 1886, she left Chiang Mai to enter the Grand Palace in Bangkok
, where she was given the title Chao Chom Dara Rasami of the Chakri Dynasty.
She gave birth to King Chulalongkorn's daughter, Princess Vimolnaka Nabisi
, on 2 October 1889, whereupon the king promoted her to Chao Chom Manda Dara Rasami from Chao Chom. However, when her daughter was only two years, eight months old, she became ill and died on 21 February 1892. Her passing brought sadness to the King, and the royal families of both the Siamese and Chiang Mai kingdoms. Princess Dara Rasami was so distraught after her only daughter's death, that she destroyed all photos and portraits of her as well as those of her husband and daughter togther. The child's ashes were divided in half, with one part kept with her mother's ashes in the Chiang Mai Royal Cemetery at Wat Suan Dok, and the other in the Royal Women's Cemetery, Wat Ratchabophit
, Bangkok.
, Savang Vadhana
, Sukhumala Marasri and Saisavalibhirom.
However, King Chulalongkorn was concerned for her safety on the long journey. On 2 February 1908, the King along with the royal family, officials of the department and senior government officials, came to send her off by train at Samsen train station. The King ordered his brother, Prince Damrong Rajanubhab
and Prince Dilok Nopharat (son of King Chulalongkorn and Princess Thipkesorn of Chiang Mai) to meet Princess Dara Rasami at Nakorn Sawan from where she traveled to Chiang Mai by boat.
At that time, transportation was very slow and it took Dara Rasami two months and nine days to travel to Chiang Mai, where she arrived on 9 April 1909. Chao Phraya Surasri Wisitsak, the governor general of northwest territory, the royal family of Chiang Mai, soldiers and people from all over Lan Na came to celebrate her arrival.
While in Chiang Mai, Dara Rasami visited her relatives in Lamphun and Lampang as well as the people in Lan Na. She and King Chulalongkorn corresponded regularly via many affectionate letters throughout the time she was away from Bangkok.
Princess Dara Rasami returned to Bangkok after about six months. Upon her return , the King and the royal family, government officials and people came to receive her with 100 royal boats at Ang Thong. From there, she and the King went to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace
, where they stayed for two days before returning to Bangkok on 26 November 1909.
while she was away. Only a year later, however, her husband died on 23 October 1910 of kidney disease at Dusit Palace.
Following his death, Dara Rasami continued to live in Dusit Palace until 1914, when she asked for permission from King Vajiravudh
to return to Chiang Mai to retire. The King granted her permission, and she returned Chiang Mai on 22 January 1914.
moved her into his palace at Khum Rin Keaw for treatment, but on 9 December 1933, she died there peacefully at the age of 60.
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...
and Siam (later Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
) and the daughter of King Inthawichayanon and Queen Thipkraisorn Rajadevi of Chang Mai descended from the Jedton Dynasty
Jedton Dynasty
The Chet Ton Dynasty It was established towards the end of the reign of King Thai Sa of Ayutthaya by Thipchang of Nan, a mahout and woodsman who was appointed ruler of Lampang City for good military deeds...
. She was one of the princess consorts of Chulalongkorn, King Rama V of Siam
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
and gave birth to one daughter by King Chulalongkorn, Princess Vimolnaka Nabisi
Vimolnaka Nabisi
Her Royal Highness Princess Vimolnaka Nabisi or Phra Chao Boromwongse Ther Phra Ong Chao Vimolnaka Nabisi , was the Princess of Siam Her Royal Highness Princess Vimolnaka Nabisi or Phra Chao Boromwongse Ther Phra Ong Chao Vimolnaka Nabisi (RTGS: Vimonnak Naphisi) (2 October 1889 – 21...
.
Early life
Princess Dara Rasami of Chiang Mai was born on 26 August 1873 at Khum Luang in Chiang MaiChiang 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...
, Northern Siam, the daughter of King Inthawichayanon and Queen Thipkraisorn Rajadevi of Chang Mai. Her mother was the daughter of King Kawilorot and Queen Usa. Princess Dara Rasami had one elder sister, Princess Chantra Sopha of Chiang Mai who died as a young child.
As a young girl, Dara Rasami was taught proficiency in the Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
, Lan na, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
languages as as well as the traditional royal customs of both Lan Na and Siam. Her favorite sport was horseriding, and later in her life she was said to be a skilled horsewoman.
To the royal palace
As the British encroached further and further into Burma in the 1860s and '70s, Siam became concerned that England wanted to annex the Kingdom of Chiang Mai (later northern Thailand). In 1883 a rumor spread that Queen VictoriaVictoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
wanted to adopt Princess Dara Rasami of Chiang Mai, which the Siamese saw as a British attempt to take over Lanna
Lanna
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...
. King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
then sent his brother Prince Phicit Prichakorn to Chiang Mai to propose an engagement to Dara Rasami to become the king's concubine. In 1886, she left Chiang Mai to enter the Grand Palace in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, where she was given the title Chao Chom Dara Rasami of the Chakri Dynasty.
Life in the Grand Palace
When Dara Rasami arrived at the Grand Palace her father sent money from Chiang Mai to King Chulalongkorn to build a new house for her. While she lived in the Grand Palace, Dara Rasami and the ladies in her entourage were ribbed and called "Lao ladies," as well as teased that they "smelled of fermented fish." Despite these difficulties, Dara Rasami and her entourage always wore Chiang Mai style textiles for their skirts (known as pha sin) with their long hair pulled up into a bun on the back of the head, in contrast to the clothing and hairstyles of the Siamese women.She gave birth to King Chulalongkorn's daughter, Princess Vimolnaka Nabisi
Vimolnaka Nabisi
Her Royal Highness Princess Vimolnaka Nabisi or Phra Chao Boromwongse Ther Phra Ong Chao Vimolnaka Nabisi , was the Princess of Siam Her Royal Highness Princess Vimolnaka Nabisi or Phra Chao Boromwongse Ther Phra Ong Chao Vimolnaka Nabisi (RTGS: Vimonnak Naphisi) (2 October 1889 – 21...
, on 2 October 1889, whereupon the king promoted her to Chao Chom Manda Dara Rasami from Chao Chom. However, when her daughter was only two years, eight months old, she became ill and died on 21 February 1892. Her passing brought sadness to the King, and the royal families of both the Siamese and Chiang Mai kingdoms. Princess Dara Rasami was so distraught after her only daughter's death, that she destroyed all photos and portraits of her as well as those of her husband and daughter togther. The child's ashes were divided in half, with one part kept with her mother's ashes in the Chiang Mai Royal Cemetery at Wat Suan Dok, and the other in the Royal Women's Cemetery, Wat Ratchabophit
Wat Ratchabophit
Wat Ratchabophit or Wat Ratchabophit Sahthit Mahasimaram Racha Wora Maha Viharn is a Buddhist temple located in on Atsadang Road, Bangkok, along Khlong Lot, not far from Wat Pho and the Grand Palace...
, Bangkok.
Promotion to Princess Consort
On 12 February 1908, King Chulalongkorn promoted Chao Chom Manda Dara Rasmi to Princess Consort Dara Rasmi or Phra Rajchaya Chao Dara Rasmi, in the first such promotion ever. Her title as fifth consort equated to those of the other four Thai consorts SaovabhaSaovabha
Queen Saovabha Bongsri was a half-sister and queen of King Chulalongkorn of Thailand, and mother of both King Vajiravudh and King Prajadhipok...
, Savang Vadhana
Savang Vadhana
Queen Savang Vadhana of Siam was a consort of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V. Her full name and title was Queen Sri Savarindira - thus she was not the Rajini , but just was a highest consort...
, Sukhumala Marasri and Saisavalibhirom.
Return to Chiang Mai
From the time she became Princess Consort in 1886, Dara Rasami never returned to Chiang Mai, even after her father, King Inthawichayanon of Chiang Mai died in 1897. In 1908, King Intavaroros Suriyavongse of Chiang Mai, who was her half brother, came to Bangkok and visited King Chulalongkorn. At that time, Princess Dara Rasami asked for permission from King Chulalongkorn to visit her relatives in Chiang Mai, which he granted.However, King Chulalongkorn was concerned for her safety on the long journey. On 2 February 1908, the King along with the royal family, officials of the department and senior government officials, came to send her off by train at Samsen train station. The King ordered his brother, Prince Damrong Rajanubhab
Damrong Rajanubhab
Ditsawarakuman Damrong Rajanubhab was the founder of the modern Thai education system as well as the modern provincial administration...
and Prince Dilok Nopharat (son of King Chulalongkorn and Princess Thipkesorn of Chiang Mai) to meet Princess Dara Rasami at Nakorn Sawan from where she traveled to Chiang Mai by boat.
At that time, transportation was very slow and it took Dara Rasami two months and nine days to travel to Chiang Mai, where she arrived on 9 April 1909. Chao Phraya Surasri Wisitsak, the governor general of northwest territory, the royal family of Chiang Mai, soldiers and people from all over Lan Na came to celebrate her arrival.
While in Chiang Mai, Dara Rasami visited her relatives in Lamphun and Lampang as well as the people in Lan Na. She and King Chulalongkorn corresponded regularly via many affectionate letters throughout the time she was away from Bangkok.
Princess Dara Rasami returned to Bangkok after about six months. Upon her return , the King and the royal family, government officials and people came to receive her with 100 royal boats at Ang Thong. From there, she and the King went to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace
Bang Pa-In Royal Palace
Bang Pa-In Royal Palace , also known as the Summer Palace, is a palace complex formerly used by the Thai kings. The palace is located on the Chao Phraya River bank in Bang Pa-In district, Ayutthaya Province...
, where they stayed for two days before returning to Bangkok on 26 November 1909.
Death of King Chulalongkorn
After Dara Rasami came back to Bangkok, she moved into a new house, Suan Farang Kangsai, which the King had built for her next to Vimanmek PalaceVimanmek Palace
The Vimanmek Palace officially named Vimanmek Mansion, is a former royal palace in Bangkok, Thailand. It is also known as the Vimanmek Teak Mansion or Vimanmek Mansion...
while she was away. Only a year later, however, her husband died on 23 October 1910 of kidney disease at Dusit Palace.
Following his death, Dara Rasami continued to live in Dusit Palace until 1914, when she asked for permission from King Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VI was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death...
to return to Chiang Mai to retire. The King granted her permission, and she returned Chiang Mai on 22 January 1914.
Later life and death
Princess Dara Rasami continued with her royal duties for the people of Lanna. In later life, she lived in Daraphirom Palace that King Vajiravudh built for her and her official attendants. On 30 June 1933, an old lung ailment recurred. Both western and Thai doctors tried to cure her, but no one succeeded. Her half brother, King Chao Keo NaovaratChao Keo Naovarat
Major General Prince Kaew Naovarat was the 36th and last King of Lanna and Prince of Chiang Mai, reigning from 1909 to 1939 . He succeeded Intavaroros Suriyavongse . His seat was within Lanna's capital Chiang Mai, but he never held any true administrative power...
moved her into his palace at Khum Rin Keaw for treatment, but on 9 December 1933, she died there peacefully at the age of 60.
Royal decorations
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Dame Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao (First class)Order of Chula Chom KlaoThe Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao was established in 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty, and bears his Name... -
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Dame Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand -
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King Rama VII Royal Cypher Medal, First Class