Prayurawongse | |
|---|---|
| สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาบรมมหาประยูรวงศ์ | |
.png) | |
| Regent of Siam | |
| In office 1851–1855 | |
| Monarch | Mongkut (Rama IV) |
| Samuha Kalahom (Chief Minister of Southern Siam) | |
| In office 1830–1855 | |
| Monarchs | Nangklao (Rama III) Mongkut (Rama IV) |
| Preceded by | Chao Phraya Mahasena (Noi) |
| Succeeded by | Si Suriyawongse |
| Phra klang (Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs) | |
| In office 1821–1855 | |
| Monarchs | Phutthaloetla Naphalai (Rama II) Nangklao (Rama III) Mongkut (Rama IV) |
| Preceded by | Chao Phraya Phra klang (Sang) |
| Succeeded by | Thipakornwongse |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1788 |
| Died | 26 April 1855 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | Siamese |
| Parents |
|
Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawongse (Thai:สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาบรมมหาประยูรวงศ์;RTGS: Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawong; 1788 - 26 April 1855) orDitBunnag (Thai:ดิศ บุนนาค;RTGS: Dit Bunnak) was a prominent political figure of Siam during the mid-19th century as a regent for KingMongkut kingdom-wide. He became aSomdet Chao Phraya — the highest rank a Siamese noble had attained during theRattanakosin Era, with honor equal to that of royalty.[1] He was known colloquially asSomdet Chao Phraya Ong Yai[2] (Thai:สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาองค์ใหญ่). He was also known asChao Phraya Phraklang (Thai:เจ้าพระยาพระคลัง), or Minister of Trade, and dominated Western affairs of Siam during the reign ofKing Rama III. He held the post ofSamuha Kalahom (Thai:สมุหกลาโหม), the Prime Minister of Southern Siam, from 1830 to 1855.
Dit Bunnag was born in 1788 to Bunnag andChao Kun Nuan (who was QueenAmarindra's sister) at his father's residence off the southern side of theGrand Palace Wall near modernWat Pho. His father, Bunnag, orChao Phraya Akkamahasena (Thai:เจ้าพระยาอรรคมหาเสนา), had served asSamuha Kalahom the Prime Minister of Southern Siam during the reign of KingPhutthayotfa Chulalok.[3] Dit had an younger brother That who later becameSomdet Chao Phraya Phichaiyat. Prayurawongse was a member ofBunnag family who descended fromSheikh Ahmad, a Persian minister during the reign of KingPrasat Thong (His lineage had converted toTheravada Buddhism in mid-eighteenth century.).
Dit entered the palace as one of the royal pages - the traditional way to Siamese bureaucracy. He rose through ranks as one of the royal pages of KingPhutthaloetla Naphalai. In 1818, the Grand Palace expanded south and the Bunnags moved to new residence on the West bank ofChao Phraya River in theKudi Chin district. In 1819, Carlos Manoel de Silveira, Portuguese delegate from Macau, arrived in Bangkok and established first Western contact of Rattakosin period. Dit was in charge of the receiving Portuguese envoys.
Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II ofKedah turned against Siamese domination culminating inSiamese invasion of Kedah in 1821.[4] Siamese forces tookAlor Setar and Siam took direct control over Kedah. The British on the island ofPenang, which had been leased by Kedah to the British in 1786, suspected the Siamese invasion of Penang.Marquess of Hastings, theGovernor-General of India, sentJohn Crawfurd to Bangkok in April 1821. Dit was assigned to deal with Crawfurd mission. Dit gave a place near his home in Thonburi for Crawfurd to reside. After the Crawfurd mission, Dit was made Chao Phraya Phraklang the Minister of Trade.
In November 1825,Henry Burney arrived in Bangkok. Phraklang was one of three Siamese delegates who took part in the conclusion ofBurney Treaty in June 1826.[5]
In 1828, Phraklang commissioned the construction of Wat Prayurawongse in the Kudi Chin district. In 1830, King Rama III proposed to elevate Phraklang to the post ofSamuha Kalahom. Phraklang refused, saying that the holder of the title of Chao Phraya Mahasena usually "passed away prematurely". King Rama III then assigned the post ofSamuha Kalahom to Phraklang without officially investing him with the title. Phraklang then became responsible in bothKalahom (Southern Siam) and theKromma Tha Ministry of Trade.
In 1831, Tunku Kudin,[6] nephew of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II, staged a revolt in Kedah, took control of Alor Setar and was joined byPatani. King Rama III assigned Phraklang to put down rebellions in Kedah and Patani. Both sultans ofKelantan andTerengganu sent forces to support Patani. Phraklang arrived atSongkhla in March 1832 and Chao PhrayaNakhon Noi the governor ofLigor had already taken Alor Setar so Phraklang went on to take Patani. Tuan Sulung the governor of Pattani fled to Kelantan. When Phraklang had pursued Tuan Sulung to Kelantan, SultanMuhammad I of Kelantan,[7] who was a relative of Tuan Sulung, surrendered and gave Tuan Sulung to Siamese authority.
Edmund Roberts led an American mission to Bangkok in March 1833. Roberts handed the letters of PresidentAndrew Jackson to Phraklang and took residence in Phraklang's estate in Thonburi. This led to the conclusion ofSiamese–American Treaty of Amity and Commerce in April.
During theSiamese-Vietnamese Wars, in 1833, Phraklang led the Siamese fleet with the aim to attackSaigon. Phraklang quickly tookHà Tiên and proceeded throughVĩnh Tế Canal to takeChâu Đốc. Phraklang was joined at Châu Đốc by Chao PhrayaBodindecha[8] who led land armies. Both Phraklang and Bodindecha marched along theBassac River towards Saigon and met Vietnamese fleet at Vàm Nao. During the battle of Vàm Nao, the Siamese fleet refused to engage with Vietnamese vessels, even though Phraklang himself had personally boarded a small boat to urge his fleet to attack. Phraklang and the Siamese fleet retreated to Châu Đốc, Hà Tiên and eventually toChantaburi.
In March 1847, theTeochew societies, known asTōa Hia, ofSamut Sakhon rose in rebellion and kill one of the royal guards. Phraklang and his son Kham marched royal guard regiment to subjugate the Chinese at Samut Sakhon. Next month in April, another Teochew insurrection occurred atChachoengsao and the governor of Chachoengsao was killed. Phraklang then had his son Kham guarded Samut Sakhon and himself led another force to put down the Chinese rebellion in Chachoengsao with his another son Chuang. Phraklang met Bodindecha, who had been returning from Cambodia, again at Chachoengsao. After the rebellions had been over, they both returned to Bangkok.
With the demise of Chao Phraya Bodindecha in 1849, Phraklang became the most powerful political figure in court. Phraklang had played a great role in the ascension of KingMongkut. In 1851, King Mongkut bestowed Phraklang with the title ofSomdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawongse and became Mongkut's regent kingdom-wide along with his brotherPhraya Sripipat (That Bunnag) who becameSomdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Phichaiyat and Mongkut's regent in Bangkok. Prayurawongse's honor was equal to that of a prince. Prayurawongse was granted the right to use theSolar-charioteer Seal (Thai:ตราสุริยมณฑลเทพบุตรชักรถ) To distinguish him from his brother, Prayurawongse was known colloquially as "Somdet Chao Phraya Ong Yai" (Thai:สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาองค์ใหญ่ "The ElderSomdet Chao Phraya") while his brother was called the "Somdet Chao Phraya Ong Noi" (Thai:สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาองค์น้อย "The YoungerSomdet Chao Phraya").
During the reign of King Mongkut, Prayurawongse officially held the post of bothSamuha Kalahom andKromma Tha. However, thede facto duties were already distributed to his sons. His son Chuang, who was made Chao Phraya Sri Suriyawongse (laterSomdet Chao Phraya Sri Suriyawongse), was the deputy ofKalahom. His another son Kham was deputy ofKromma Tha (he was later madeChao Phraya Thipakornwongse) the Ministry of Trade. Prayurawongse was one of theplenipotentiaries during the negotiation of theBowring Treaty in April 1855. Bowring had demandedfree trade and to end the monopoly of Siamese royal court in Western trade. The Bowring Treaty was concluded and free trade was established.
A month after the Bowring Treaty, Prayurawongse died at his residence near Wat Prayurawongse in modern Thonburi District on 26 April 1855, aged 67. His funeral and cremation were held in the manner and ceremonies of royalty at Wat Prayurawongse in October 1855. His sons and descendants continued to dominate Siamese politics in the later part of nineteenth century.
Prayurawongse had many wives, in accordance to contemporary social practices. His main wife was Lady Chan who was a daughter ofPhraya Pollathep Thongin. Princess Praphaiwadi (daughter of King Rama I and sister to King Rama II) had given two of her ladies-in-waitings Lady Rod and Lady Inyai to be Prayurawongse's wives. QueenSri Suriyendra had given Lady Peung to be his wife. He had total of twenty-four wives and forty-four children. His notable sons included;