B. Local Administration - basic unit of social organization
Tributary rulers (Community Hierarchy)
(a nai/moon-nai – นาย/มูลนาย)
gradually became courtiers (อำมาตย์)
Kamnan/sub-district headman
Pu-yai-ban/Village Headman
family households
Labour force
farming
The village community – Tributary Head (holding land on behalf of the villagers/peasant proprietors )
King Naresuan- the 21st King: CENTRALISATION OF POWER (for better military reasons)
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King Naresuan unified the country's administration directly under the royal court at Ayutthaya.
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Royal princes were confined to the capital, under the king's watchful eyes!
But what the 9th King: Phra Boromtrilokkanart introduced:
FOUR PROVISION DIVISION (JATUSADOM) has remained until early Rattanakosin/Bangkok period.
As for TRIBUARY RULERS (OR Community Hierarchy) has remained until now with some modifications of details
A system set up by King Borommatrailokkanat (the 9th King of Ayutthaya) for distinguishing between different levels of social hierarchy/level.
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“Sakdina” literally means “the amount of rice fields or land indicating one’s prestige” (Wealth, Status, and Political Power)
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Under this system, people could own rice fields/land in proportion to their rank (by measurement of “rai”; 22 rais = 1 acre)
For example;
The ordinary peasant freeman [Phrai] were entitled to a sakdina of 25 rais.
Slaves – 5 rais
Craftsmen under government service – 50 rais
Noble men began a sakdina level of 400 rais
Highest ministers – 10,00 rais
Royal members, princess, and heir-apparent (รัชทายาท) could hold “sakdina” up to 100,000 rais
Introduced the corvée system
villagers/peasant proprietors )
registered
phrai (servant) with Tributary Rulers (a nai/moon-nai – นาย/มูลนาย)
Phrai (servants) worked for their Tributary rulers on:
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public works
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the land of the official which their rulers (these lands were given by the King under the sakdina system.)
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(If war) Undergoing military service Phrai did not receive payment, but they obtained accommodation, food, and necessary protection from their tributary rulers.
Commoners - not obliged to register for corvée duty:
A.
The Sangha (Buddhist monastic community)
*All classes of men could join the Sangha
** Members of the Sangha = MONKS
*** Monks reside in “Wats” - centres of Thai education and culture
B. The Chinese they were free to move about the kingdom, and engage in commerce.
* By the 16th century, the Chinese:
Controlled Ayutthaya's internal trade, and establish control over the country's economic life
Held important places in the civil and military service
Very important historical anecdote in this phase
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The first fall of Ayutthaya Kingdom – lost to Burma in B.E.2112 – dependent with Burma for 15 yrs – until B.E. 2127: King Naresuan declaired the Thai independence from Burma. (@Kraeng, then a mon town, now in Myanmar)
The Burmese king:
Bayinnaung Kyawhtin Nawrahta
made his attempt for 11 months in defeating
The Kingdom (October 2111 – August 2112)
Why, though the kingdom was very strong
and withstood/resisted for nearly a year? …
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Disunity
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Being credulous (เชื่อง่ายเกินไป)
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Treason of a Thai aristocrat