| Worawongsathirat วรวงศาธิราช | |
|---|---|
| King of Ayutthaya | |
| King of Siam (disputed) | |
| Reign | before 10 June 1548[clarification needed] |
| Coronation | 11 November 1548[1] |
| Predecessor | Yotfa |
| Successor | Maha Chakkraphat |
| Born | c. 1503 |
| Died | 11 November 1548[citation needed] Plamo Canal, beside Sabua Canal,Ayutthaya Kingdom |
| Spouse | Si Suda Chan |
| House | Uthong Dynasty |
Worawongsathirat (Thai:วรวงศาธิราช,Varavaṅśādhirāja) was ausurper in theAyutthaya Kingdom, ruling for only 42 days in 1548 before beingassassinated. Siamese chronicles relate that Worawongsathiratattainted the crown — his kingship is not accepted by most traditional historians.
Hisbirth name was Bunsi (Thai:บุญศรี). Upon entering service to the crown as keeper of theRoyal Pantheon (หอพระเทพบิดร), acloister on the palace grounds (with duties such as organising various rites and ceremonies,) Bunsi wasstyledPhan Butsithep (พันบุตรศรีเทพ). He was later promoted to the rank ofKhun and styled Khun Chinnarat (ขุนชินราช); this was perhaps while he was having anadulterous affair withSi Sudachan (Thai:ศรีสุดาจันทร์), a first-classconcubine ofKing Chairachathirat. (Si Sudachan was a title rather than her personal name, as one of the four first-class concubines, namely Inthrasuren, Si Sudachan, Inthrathewi and Si Chulalak. Her personal name is not recorded in the historical sources.
King Chairachathirat died in 1546, possiblypoisoned by Si Sudachan's hand. Their young son, Prince Yotfa, ascended the throne as KingYotfa with his mother asregent. (Whether Si Sudachan and Khun Chinnarat had theiraffair before or after the ascension of Yotfa is subject to debate.Jeremias van Vliet's memories state that they met after thecoronation of Yotfa which contrasts to those ofFernão Mendes Pinto.[2])
In 1548, King Yotfa was killed and Si Sudachan, still acting as a regent, put Khun Chinnarat on the throne styled "Khun Worawongsathirat". Traditional historians criticise thisusurpation as a great violation ofmorality. Some modern historians, however, take an alternative view. In this interpretation, both Si Sudachan and Worawongsathirat, being of the deposed Lawo-Ayothaya clan, intended to restore it to the Ayutthayan throne.[3] Thus Worawongsathirat's reign could be called a restoration of the Lawo-Ayothaya clan to Ayutthayan authority, at the expense of theSuphannaphum clan and othernobleclans.
Those of the Suphannaphum clan responded by forming alliances with the Sukhothai clan led by KhunPhirenthorathep and Si Thammasok, and of theNakhon Si Thammarat clan led by Khun Intharathep.[2] Their plot to overthrow Worawongsathirat involved the discovery of awhite elephant (pachyderm) inLop Buri in 1548. White elephants are considered sacred and symbols of royal power; all those discovered are normally presented to the king. The king was told thatmahouts were unable to tame the elephant, so the king was invited to go tame it himself. On setting out byroyal barge along Plamo Canal (Thai:คลองปลาหมอ), beside Sabua Canal (Thai:คลองสระบัว) (historian Jeremias van Vliet says it was on the side nearer the Palace Gate), Worawongsathirat was killed by gunshot. His head and that of his paramour were thendisplayed on spikes, and their bodies left tovultures.
Those executing thecoup,Khun Phirenthorathep and his fellow retired officers gave the throne to Prince Thienracha, who was proclaimedKing Mahachakkraphat, meaning "Great Emperor".[4]: 37–39
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Worawongsathirat Born: ? Died: 1548 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | King of Ayutthaya (disputed) 1548 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
