Phaya Tani
Encyclopedia
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
) is a historical siege cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
from Patani
Pattani Province
Pattani is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Narathiwat, Yala and Songkhla.-Geography:...
in southern 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...
. It is the largest cannon ever cast in what is now Thailand, measuring 9 feet and made of brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
. It is now on display in front of the Ministry of Defence, opposite the Grand Palace
Grand Palace, Bangkok
The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of King Rama I, when he moved the capital across the river from Thonburi to Bangkok...
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...
. The cannon is still the symbol of the Pattani Province
Pattani Province
Pattani is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Narathiwat, Yala and Songkhla.-Geography:...
.
The cannon was cast in the early 17th century by a craftsman of Chinese descent named Tok Kayan. The ruler of Sultanate of Pattani
Pattani kingdom
Pattani or Sultanate of Pattani was a Malay sultanate that covered approximately the area of the modern Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and much of the northern part of modern Malaysia. The King of Patani is believed to have converted to Islam some time during the 11th century...
at that time, Raja Biru
Raja Biru
Ratu Biru ruled the Sultanate of Patani , succeeding her sister Ratu Hijau. She was the second of three daughters of Sultan Manzur Shah who ruled the country. She was succeeded by her sister Ratu Ungu. In Malay, her name means "Blue" or "Blue Queen."- References :* A. Teeuw & D. K. Wyatt....
, ordered the construction of firearms in response to rumors of a forthcoming attack from Siam. Three cannons were cast, two large ones named Seri Patani and Seri Negara, and a smaller one named Mahalela.
After the fall of Ayutthaya
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...
in 1767, Patani tried to liberate itself from the tributary status to Siam. However, in 1785 the army of Siam under leadership of the vice-king Boworn Maha Surasinghanat defeated Patani. The two large cannon were taken as booty, however Seri Negara fell into the sea while being loaded to the ship.
In 1787 King Rama I ordered the casting of a similar-sized cannon named Narai Sanghan ' onMouseout='HidePop("70685")' href="/topics/Narayana">Narayana
Narayana
Narayana or Narayan or Naraina is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...
Slays"), to be a pair with the captured Phraya Tani.
See also
- Queens of LangkasukaQueens of LangkasukaQueens of Langkasuka is a 2008 Thai historical fantasy adventure film directed by Nonzee Nimibutr, and written by two-time S.E.A. Write Award winner Win Lyovarin.Known as "Pirates Of Langkasuka" in the UK.-Plot:...
- a 2008 Thai historical fantasy adventure film set in the Pattani KingdomPattani kingdomPattani or Sultanate of Pattani was a Malay sultanate that covered approximately the area of the modern Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and much of the northern part of modern Malaysia. The King of Patani is believed to have converted to Islam some time during the 11th century...
about the quest for a sunken cannon.