HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF SIAM
AND
OF THE REVOLUTIONS THAT
HAVE CAUSED THE OVERTHROW
OF THE EMPIRE,
UP TO A. D. 1770.
Compiled by M. TURPIN from manuscripts
received from M. the Bishop of TABRACA
Vicar Apostolic of Siam and from other
Missionaries in the Kingdom.
PUBLISHED ORIGINALLY AT
PARIS A. D. 1771.
_Translated from the original French by_
B. O. CARTWRIGHT, B.A.
EXHIBITIONER KING'S COLLEGE (CAMB).
BANGKOK 1908.
Printed under the auspices of the
Committee of the Vajirañàna
National Library.
BANGKOK:
Printed at the "American Presby. Mission Press."
1908.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Translator's Preface IV.
CHAPTER I.
The First Kings of Siam 1
CHAPTER II.
The Reign of Chao Narai 31
CHAPTER III.
The Revolt of the Macassars 53
CHAPTER IV.
The Revolution that brought about the downfall of Faulcon
and the French 65
CHAPTER V.
The Breach between the French and the Usurper 89
CHAPTER VI.
The Persecution of the Christians after the departure
of Des Farges 99
CHAPTER VII.
Events leading up to the Revolution of 1760 109
CHAPTER VIII.
The Revolution of 1760 115
CHAPTER IX.
The Revolution of 1767 137
CHAPTER X.
The Misfortunes of the Europeans after the Revolution 169
CHAPTER XI.
After the Revolution of 1767 176
CHAPTER XII.
Advantages that might accrue from commercial neighbouring
relations with Siam and the Kingdoms 185
CHAPTER XIII.
Tonkin 220
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.
Turpin's History of Siam, published at Paris in the year 1771 consists
of two volumes, the first of which deals merely with the natural
History of Siam.--
The present book is a translation of the second volume only, and is of
considerable interest owing to the fact that it is the only extant
European work dealing with the events leading up to and succeeding the
fall of the old capital, Ayuthia.--
We have no accounts of the compiler M. Turpin himself and therefore
are unable to give any account of his life or position.--
The present volume falls into the following parts:--
a. A short resumé of the early history of Siam. Few names are given,
and the accounts are somewhat vague. _Chapter 1_.
b. An account of the reign of Phra Narai and his immediate successors
_Chapter 2-6_. This portion has been compiled from the earlier
accounts of Forbin and La Loubère; but Tachard's remarks are not
treated as serious history.
c. A short chapter _(Chapter 7)_ giving a somewhat vague account of
the period intervening between the above and the next.--
d. The events leading up to the fall of Ayuthia.
A description of the Burmese attack on the capital and of the early
years of the reign of Phya Tak _(Chapter 8-11.)_ This forms the part
of greatest interest.
e. A description of the Kingdoms bordering on Siam _(Chapter 12-13)_.
Taken on the whole, the book gives a very fair and impartial account,
but as the bulk of the information was derived from the Catholic
Missionaries, a somewhat biassed view is taken of the religion of the
countries treated of.--
The original has been carefully followed in the translation; here and
there a few sentences have been omitted for the reason that such
sentences are merely remarks of a moralizing nature on the part of M.
Turpin himself, and have no connection whatever with the relation of
the historical events.--
B. O. CARTWRIGHT.
BANGKOK:
_November, 1908._
HISTORY OF SIAM.
CHAPTER I.
THE FIRST KINGS OF SIAM.
Eastern despotism, which casts a blight on the soul and quenches
public spirit, is the primary cause of all revolutions by which the
people seek to ameliorate their condition by the overthrow of their
tyrants.
Every State in which there is One against All, has a defective
constitution, which causes it to pass in succession from greatness to
humiliation, from strength to weakness, and which, in its suicidal
policy, awaits but a foreign invasion which will restore to the
People, the enjoyment of their Rights.
The unstable and tottering thrones of Asia at last crumble away, and
the ambitious, arrogating to themselves the privileges of attempting
all things, are overwhelmed by their fall, and, reduce the weak to
violate everything in their despair.
The right of the strong is that of a footpad who plunders unarmed
travellers, and who, having enjoyed a period of immunity, dies under
the axe of the headsman. The Ruler who has the greater share in the
benefits of the Law does not recognise his advantages, and when
unwilling to extend them prefers to see himself surrounded by
trembling slaves who murmur in secret, and only await a leader to
become rebels. The crude legislation of Siam has been the cause of all
the public ills of the nation. It knows neither the extent of
authority nor the limits of obedience. This nation, indifferent
regarding the choice of its masters, has received fetters from the
hands of ambitious men who spurned the nation while coercing it.
Invariably unfortunate, the people have no hope save in a future
revolution, which will enslave them to a new tyrant insolently
bedecked with the imposing title of "Deliverer".
What can be the motive that prompts a despot to retain the privilege
of laying violent hands on the liberty and welfare of his subjects? A
despot who replaces natural rights by arbitrary power! He passes away
like a torrent which leaves but the remembrance of its devastation
behind it. The Kings of Siam, invisible to their subjects made
themselves known merely by acts of authority. Thus they could never
instil those tender feelings which are inspired by the presence of a
King who is both Father and Citizen.
I will not attempt to lift the veil which conceals the beginnings of
this Kingdom. This people has never known the art of printing which
alone enshrines the virtues and shortcomings of those who preside over
the public destinies. Their historical records are founded only on
vulgar fables, or on tradition sanctioned by priestly imposture, which
gives credence rather to the marvellous than to the simple truth. The
Siamese were unknown to us until the discovery of the Indies by the
Portuguese, and it is from that period that we ought to reckon their
history.
Their first King, according to their vague records began to reign in
B.C. 1444. He had forty successors up to the King who was reigning in
A.D. 1546. All these Kings were of different families, who were in
turn driven from the throne which they had seized, because, having
become despots, they were punished for the abuse of their power.
The proud and jealous spirits of a limited dependency ought, in the
degradation to which they have been reduced, to console themselves
with the hope that their degradation is but transitory, and that their
posterity shall be delivered from the chains which have weighed them
down. Rarely does tyranny transmit the fruits of its crimes to its
descendants.
History has not given us the name of the King who reigned in 1550
A.D., although the chief events of his reign have been chronicled. It
was in this reign that the Kingdom of Siam was laid waste by the
incursions of several neighbouring nations who carried fire and sword
throughout the towns and the country side. Thirty thousand innocent
victims were sacrificed to their ruthless vengeance, and this swarm of
warriors seemed to prefer to lay waste the crops and to destroy the
towns rather than to conquer and govern them.
The King of Siam, alarmed at their progress, arose at the murmurings
of his people. He raised a large army. All those capable of bearing
arms were summoned to the flag and those who were so cowardly as to
excuse themselves from fighting for their country, were threatened
with the punishment of being burnt alive. Foreigners were bound by
this law.
At that time there were 130 Portuguese in the Kingdom, of whom 120
were obliged to take up arms. The King believed himself to be
invincible, when he saw this handful of Europeans whom he regarded as
so many heroes at his disposal.
A powerful army of 400,000 men including 70,000 non Siamese took the
field with the King at the head. The army was further reinforced on
the way by 100,000 men and 4000 elephants. We must regard these
numbers as a gross exaggeration. It is true that the temperate nature
of Eastern races renders the question of the food-supply an easy
matter for the largest armies; but how could so great an army have
been collected together in a country which boasts but few inhabitants.
However we will set forth the facts as they have been handed down to
us, and we can only question them by the light of their probability.
The army, under the command of four leaders (of whom two were Turks
and the other two Portuguese) advanced to put a stop to the
devastation of the country side. As soon as the armies confronted each
other, the enemy commenced a furious attack on the Siamese rear, which
would have been destroyed, had not the King altered his tactics. The
new disposition of his forces gave him the advantage, and helped by
the Portuguese who fought side by side, he was enabled to rally his
troops. A general action was then commenced in which his elephants and
artillery scattered death and destruction in the opposing ranks of the
enemy, who retired under the cover of darkness leaving 130,000 dead on
the battle field. This battle cost the Siamese 50,000 men, and flushed
with victory, a force of 400,000 Siamese invaded the Kingdom of
_Quibem_ which was governed by a Queen who had favoured the enemy. The
towns which they conquered were looted and the inhabitants, always the
victims of the quarrels of rulers, were put to the sword. The capital
would have suffered the same fate, had not the Queen, putting aside
her natural hauteur, submitted to the conqueror and to the conditions
of peace which were imposed. This princess, cognizant of her weakness,
consented to pay an annual tribute of 60,000 Portuguese ducats, and
her nine year old son paid homage as a vassal to the conqueror who
carried him off to Siam to grace his triumph.
The victorious monarch did not enjoy his glory for long; his days of
prosperity were changed to days of mourning. The Queen, in his
absence, had indulged in a criminal liaison with palpable results. The
fear of being punished for her adultery led her to commit another
crime, and, to secure her position, she administered poison to her
husband in a cup of milk. The King remained alive for five days,
during which time he engaged in affairs of State.
Benefits were conferred upon the Portuguese allies; their nation was
declared exempt from taxation of every description for a period of
three years, and their priests were permitted to preach the gospel in
every part of the Kingdom. His son was proclaimed King, and the joy of
seeing his successor in power rendered him indifferent to the pangs of
death. As soon as the monarch was dead the chief officers of State
handed over the reins of government to the Queen of whose misdeeds
they were unaware. Her liaisons which could no longer be kept secret,
revealed her unchastity, but hardened to crime and with a conscience
untouched by remorse, she acted her part with perfect calmness, and,
to make matters worse, she openly lived with her guilty paramour.
After this act which was the cause of a certain amount of
dissatisfaction, but did not create any actual rebellion, she
determined to elevate her lover to the throne, and to dispose of the
young King by the same method employed in the case of his father. The
disaffection both of the nobility and of the common people, checked
her in her career of crime, and the national outcry was favourable to
her designs. She pretended to fear that attempts would be made against
her son's life, whereas in reality she was his sole enemy; and, to
frustrate such attempts, she desired to have a body-guard to protect
his august head from the wicked plots of which she said she had had
information.
She was granted 12,000 foot soldiers and 500 mounted men for his safe
keeping.
It was an innovation, that there should be a permanent guard in a
State which hitherto, had called up soldiers only in time of external
danger, but, it is the means usually employed in all ages to
intimidate the lives and liberties of citizens who support their
oppressors. No sooner had she found herself in power, but she used it
to wreak vengeance on all those who had opposed her, or, who had
grumbled at her ill-regulated life. The most distinguished citizens
were the first victims. Two of the leading nobles perished by torture
on frivolous charges. This Princess, headstrong in her loves and
hatreds, imagined that she could retain her position by force, but the
shedding of so much blood was a seed from which new opposition to her
tyrannical rule sprang up. The confiscation of the property of those
innocent victims enabled her to maintain a certain number of
partisans, but those whose friendship it was expedient to purchase
gave their allegiance only on condition of being supplied with
whatever appealed to their greed. She soon found out that instead of
friends, she had but traitors pledged to serve their own interests. It
was then that she placed her paramour on the throne and declared him
to be her consort, considering that a man, rather than a woman who had
given so many examples of the frailty of her sex, would be more
capable of overawing the disaffected.
The young King, a mere puppet on the throne, was deposed by his
hard-hearted mother, and the fatal draught which she personally
administered to him anticipated the vengeance which was about to
overtake her; but she did not enjoy the fruits of her crime for long.
At the moment of self congratulation on having acquired an ascendency
over her subjects, she found by experience that crime engenders
nothing but enmity.
The nobles, emboldened by their hatred, and encouraged by the King of
_Cambaye_, made a conspiracy to deliver the kingdom from a creature
who could not even satiate herself with the blood of her victims. They
invited her and her consort to a feast at which both were slain. The
throne which they had disgraced was taken by a brother of the late
king's father, who, during these tumultuous times had passed his life
in the seclusion of a monastery. This new king, during his retirement,
had become morose and savage and he neglected the importance of making
himself beloved. His barbarous policy had made him believe that
obedience depended on fear, and that punishment was a better
instrument of government than clemency. The debauchery into which he
plunged could not soften his natural harshness, and, from voluptuous
surroundings, he dictated bloodthirsty commands which filled the state
with trouble and discontent. His unfitness aroused the ambition of a
powerful neighbour. The king of Burma saw that the conquest of the
kingdom would be no difficult matter. This nation has had so great an
influence on the fortunes of Siam that it cannot be passed over
without a few remarks.
People are apt to confuse the kingdoms of Pegu, Ava and of Burma
because they are now under the rule of the same king. This country
united and open has mountains on its frontiers only. The air is pure
and the soil produces all kinds of corn and fruits. The plains and
forests abound with game, elephants, buffaloes, goats, deer, and
poultry is fine and plentiful. There are mines of iron and lead, which
metals are used as a medium of barter, and it is this country that
produces the finest rubies and the best sapphires. The diamonds which
are very small are found only in the crops of fowls and especially of
pheasants. The right of selling diamonds is a monopoly of a single
family, and it is a grave offence to dig the ground in hopes of
finding them.
The natives of the country differ from the Burmese their conquerors
both in dress and in appearance. The Peguans although somewhat stout,
are well made and have regular features. Their complexion is of an
olive tint. They wear no beard, but carefully pull it out as they
consider it to be troublesome growth. Their teeth are naturally white,
but they blacken them so that they may have no resemblance to those of
a dog. The women who are lighter in colour than the men, are small
with plump cheeks and well proportioned limbs. Generally speaking,
they are gentle in their way, but very voluptuous. Lewd and
licentious, they have quite abandoned all sense of shame. When they
appear in public they wear a piece of white cotton stuff draped round
their heads which bear no further ornamentation than their raven
tresses. The rest of the body is practically naked, they wear but a
piece of thin cloth at the waist which allows that to be seen which
modesty prefers to hide. This scanty attire was not introduced by
reasons of sensuality; it is said that it was the work of a sagacious
Queen in order to attract the men who in their transports of passion
were addicted to unnatural desires.
The dress of the Burmese is different. They wear a robe of transparent
muslin through which the skin tattoed with charcoal dust, can be seen.
This ornamentation which is peculiar to them distinguishes them from
the Peguans. Their feasts are loathsome and disgusting, as soon as the
viands are produced hunger is satisfied. They flavour everything they
eat with rotten fish which they use as a substitute for oil or butter
just as Europeans use garlic, a plant whose odour is no less
unpleasant.
Having no corn, they supply its lack by cakes of rice. Their usual
beverage is pure water or a liquid of agreeable flavour which they
extract from a certain species of tree.
Whoever takes a wife is obliged to purchase her like other cattle, and
if disgust follows possession, the husband has a means of disposing of
her. The woman has the same privilege, by the repayment of her
purchase price. The rights of hospitality allow fathers to prostitute
their daughters to their guests, who take a woman on hire in the same
way as they would a house. The majority of persons whose business
takes them to Pegu contract temporary alliances of this nature which
have nothing of the stigma of concubinage. The Law has provided for
such inconveniences as might arise. The King is the heir of all his
subjects, but when there are children he has a third share only.
The purity of the air makes up for the lack of medical skill. When
anyone falls sick they set a table on which a choice repast is spread,
to propitiate the demon, that they consider has been the author of the
illnesses that afflict mankind.
The ceremony is conducted by some venerable impostor to whom they give
the title of the father of the demon, and although the state of the
invalid ought to induce a feeling of sympathy, the whole house
resounds with music and song in order to assuage the wrath of the evil
minded being.
Gold, silver, rubies and musk are the chief articles of export, and,
under the general term "rubies" topazes, sapphires, amethysts and
other precious stones should be included. Europeans give in exchange
beaver-hats, and the gold and silver brocaded ribbons with which the
nobles adorn their heads. All trade is carried on by court officials
who hold themselves responsible for payment and if they are convicted
of breach of trust, the creditor is allowed by law to seize their
wives, children and slaves and to expose them to the glare of the sun
at his door.
The Peguans, like all Indian peoples grant the existence of a creator
god, whom the people have the exclusive privilege of worshipping.
There are lesser deities to whom the people pray in time of need, and
the Devil is one of their chief objects of adoration. At early dawn
the people are to be seen carrying some rice for his delectation in
order that he may be gracious to them during the day time: others
throw titbits over their shoulders for him during meal times. This
puerile religion is based upon ghost worship. They grant an eternal
succession of worlds each of which has a special deity as its ruler.
The doctrine of transmigration has many adherents who believe that
souls having passed through the bodies of birds, beasts and fishes,
are cast into a place of punishment which they leave to enter a
paradise of pleasure where everything awakes and appeals to the
senses, and finally that after several transmigrations they will be
united with the Supreme Being of whose happiness they will be
partakers. They have great respect for monkeys and envy the blessed
fate of those who are eaten by crocodiles.
On ceremonial occasions, the assembled people hire women and
hermaphrodites who perform dances in honour of the gods of the Earth.
The dancers bestir themselves so violently that they fall down in a
swoon. It is after this fit that they prophesy the future which has
been revealed to them by their gods.
The Priests vowed to celibacy, set a good example of abstemiousness to
the populace. They eat but once a day and sobriety is their most
prominent virtue. When the soil of the district to which they are
assigned is insufficient to furnish to their needs, they send out
young novices in search of alms and the credulous mob encourages
idleness by liberal donations. The poorest citizens are always those
who waste their property in pious offerings. Their morals are simple
and it is by their studied mortifications that they impose on the
populace whose ideal of the Sublime is the Extraordinary and the
Peculiar.
They live far from the haunts of men, in the depths of forests in a
sort of cage built in the upper parts of trees, so as to escape the
dangers of wild beasts. The obscurity of their lives increases the
veneration of superstitious folk who from the earliest times have
believed that the deity prefers the silence of the forests or the
fearsome solitude of a mountain peak. There are certain days on which
they exhort the people to practise virtue. Simple as their preaching
is they never argue on knotty points of doctrine. They believe that
every religion is acceptable to God and that the observance of the
laws of nature will always be worthy of a heavenly reward.
The nobility is noticeable in many ways. Though being in great honour,
it nevertheless presents an example of the most abject servility and
trembles before a despot who can either raise or degrade it. It
consents to cringe in the most servile manner, but often it awakes
from its slumber and cuts off the hand that strikes it. A proud race
is always ready to take up arms for liberty and for the enjoyment of
its rights. Thus it is the noble or the servile inclinations of his
subjects, that a wise King ought to study so that he can extend or
limit his authority.
The King never appears in public without great pomp and ceremony.
Everything inspires a respect which would seem to exclude devotion.
Seated on a car drawn by 16 horses, he never travels unless preceded
by either the army or a crowd of nobles. Four of his favourites in
gorgeous apparel are seated with him in this car. His ordinary
progress is more magnificent than a Roman triumph. Although the Law,
or rather custom only grants him a single wife, he has the right to
keep 300 concubines.
The arms used by the Peguans in warfare consist of the lance, sword,
and shield, their firearms, finer than those of Europe yield nothing
to them in point of excellence. Their arsenals are equipped with many
pieces of artillery which are however of not much practical use owing
to the lack of skill on the part of their gunners. Although they
possess harbours and an abundance of good timber, they do not build
fleets as they have neither carpenters nor experienced sailors. The
forces of the Kingdom are strong. The armies more numerous than those
of Darius, are usually composed of from 100,000 to 1,500,000 men who
receive pay from the King.
In time of war he supplies them with arms and accoutrements and in time
of peace, he gave grants lands and towns to the nobility for their
support. This number of troops is without doubt an exaggeration, but it
becomes more easy of comprehension if the natural frugality of the
Peguans be taken into account. They require but a little salt and water
to season the roots and herbs which they find on the march. The most
loathsome creatures, cats, rats and the humblest reptiles excite their
appetite and their fertile country furnishes them with an abundant
supply of all that is necessary to life.
This kingdom, founded by a fisherman about 1,100 years ago was
governed by hereditary Kings until 1539 A.D. About that period it was
conquered by the Burmese who prior to this had been confined to a
narrow strip of territory but they founded an Empire extending some
800 miles from North to South and 250 miles from East to West.
These people, though of a warlike disposition had been obliged to
yield to the numerical superiority of the Peguans. The Peguan
conquerors had exacted a toll of 30,000 Burmese to be employed on
various works of public utility. Such toilsome slavery provoked their
proud spirit, and unwilling to see themselves working in the mines,
formed a general scheme for their deliverance.
The Monarch was accustomed to go in company with all his train to
visit the works, and to reward industry and to punish idleness. The
Burmese captives took this opportunity to compass his assassination,
and, having robbed the Queen and the concubines of their valuables
fled to their own land with a great booty. The successor of the
murdered Prince was unable to avenge his death. The nobles fomented
discords in the state from motives of self-aggrandizement, and passed
directly from slavery to independence. They declared for the rivals of
their master by whom they had been reduced to servitude.
_Mandara_, King of Burma took advantage of their internal dissensions
to attempt the conquest of Pegu. He invaded the Kingdom at the head of
an army of 1,000,000 men and 5,000 elephants. His fleet was commanded
by _Cayero_, a daring Portuguese adventurer who had 1,000 of his
compatriots under him. The Peguans were unable to oppose a barrier to
the swarms of the invaders.
Mandara, conqueror of Pegu then turned his arms against the vassal
states of the Empire which he had just conquered. Martaban, the
capital of a Kingdom of the same name was taken, but the brilliancy of
the action was tarnished by acts of cruelty. Mandara had promised to
spare the lives of the King and his wife and children who were ordered
to spend the rest of their days in exile; but the savage conqueror was
faithless to his word. The captured Queen was conducted to his
pavilion together with her two sons and forty young girls who charmed
all by their beauty and still more so by their misfortunes. Priests
recited prayers to appease the wrath of heaven. The King her husband
at last appeared, mounted on an elephant and dressed in black velvet.
He had a rope round his neck and seemed to be more concerned at the
misfortunes of his family than with his own.
The next day the Queen and her children with the ladies of the court
were led to a mound in the midst of the soldiery who forgetting their
natural savagery, appeared to be moved by pity.
The Princess and her children were suspended by the feet to gallows
destined for criminals of the deepest dye. The unfortunate King was
allowed to survive his family for a few days to brood over the sadness
of their fate. He was afterwards hung in a similar fashion and a stone
being tied round his neck he was cast into the sea together with fifty
of his chief officials who had committed no crime further than their
devotion to King and country. This gross act of barbarity aroused the
indignation of all the Burmans, and a revolt was imminent had it not
been crushed by the diplomacy of the conqueror who held out the
prospect of unlimited plunder. The capital was given over to pillage,
a hundred million gold pieces were taken from the public treasury and
distributed to the army. Everything that did not excite the greed of
the conquerors was given over to the flames. Seventeen hundred temples
and 140,000 houses were destroyed 60,000 of the inhabitants perished
by fire and sword. The survivors of their country's downfall were
condemned to drag out the rest of their days in slavery. The
neighbouring Kings, jealous of Mandara's rapid success leagued
themselves together to check his victorious progress. In great alarm
he strengthened his out-posts and put himself at the head of 900,000
men. The rapidity of his movements anticipated the designs of his foes
to whom he gave no time to collect their scattered forces. He laid
siege to Prome the capital of a Kingdom of the same name which at that
time was governed by a Queen acting as regent for her son aged 13
years. A stubborn defence was offered and the Princess's spirit so
animated the courage of the troops, that the efforts of the besieging
force would have been rendered futile, had it not been for traitors
who opened the gates. As soon as the Burmans had proved victorious,
the King ordered that the bodies of 2,000 children who had been killed
in the general carnage should be dismembered and given to the
elephants. The Queen, in a state of nudity, was given over to lust of
the brutal soldiery, after which, executioners armed with whips, tore
her in pieces. When, amid fearful tortures, she had breathed her last
they tied her corpse to that of the King her son and cast them into
the water. It is said that Mandara indulged in this cruel excess,
because of his hatred towards, her father the King of Ava, who had
refused her in marriage. Three hundred of the chief officials of the
State were impaled and their corpses had no burial other than in the
water.
The King of Ava, learning of the tragic end of his daughter, raised a
large army, the command of which he entrusted to his son, who had no
thoughts but those of vengeance for the death of his beloved sister.
Mandara sent a force of 200,000 men to oppose his progress under the
command of his foster-brother, a leader of proved courage and ability.
The Burmans made a furious onslaught on the rear guard of the foe. The
battle was hard fought, but the victory was gained by the Burmans who
lost 115,000 men, although the army of the Prince of Ava numbered
about 30,000 men of whom at least 800 deserted to the conqueror.
Mandara, who knew both how to conquer and how to turn his victories to
account, sought enemies everywhere in order to increase the number of
his vassals. No sooner was he informed of the troubled condition of
Siam than he made preparations to annex so rich a prey, but before
making a start, he wished to consult with his subjects, not so much as
for taking their advice as for assuring himself of their support. The
scheme, which, if successful would open a way to China, met with
universal approbation. Martaban was the rallying point of his army
which consisted of 800,000 infantry 40,000 cavalry, 5,000 elephants,
and 1,000 pieces of artillery drawn by buffaloes and rhinoceros. The
commissariat and the baggage was carried by oxen. This brave, but
undisciplined array was far more suitable for a marauding expedition
than for one of conquest. A force of ten thousand Europeans skilled in
military tactics could have easily dispersed this motley rabble, which
had to deal with a people quite as undisciplined, and less brave than
themselves.
The chief strength of the Burmans consisted in a force of 2,000 brave
Portuguese commanded by one Diego Suarèz, who, by favour of the King,
had been raised to one of the chief dignitaries of the State. We must
remark that in this century the Portuguese scattered over the Indies
sold their lives to the service of any King who would pay them well
enough. These adventurous heroes decided the issue of wars by their
bravery, and the Monarch who had the greatest number in his pay,
marched confidently to victory.
The first blow fell on the fortified post of _Taparan_ whose garrison
of 6,000 Siamese were put to the sword. This slaughter was
insufficient to satisfy the fury of the pitiless conqueror who was so
cruel as to sacrifice women and children to the memory of the soldiers
killed in the operations.
After this carnage, he determined to make himself master of the
capital, and without halting at unimportant places, which might have
weakened his army, he advanced directly on the royal city, headed by a
force of 60,000 pioneers who levelled the difficult tracks through a
country covered with forests.
The Siamese, having no sound knowledge of the methods of attack and
defence, remained apathetic whilst a numerous army surrounded their
ramparts. Terrified, and unskilled in combat, they put their whole
trust in their lofty walls which they regarded as being impregnable to
attack. At last they were roused from their lethargy by the sounds of
an onset. The love of life, rather than that of liberty aroused their
courage and they offered a stubborn resistance to the foe who were
repulsed with great loss. The besieging force adopted new tactics,
which though deadly were not successful. Suarèz, seeing the repulse
of the soldiers and that the elephants were terrified by the fire,
thought it best to beat a retreat. But the King inflexible in his
resolution to capture the city, ordered a fresh assault in the course
of which he displayed the greatest bravery, but was wounded by an
arrow which confined him to his bed for the space of a week. His wound
relaxed the vigour of the siege operations. During the time of
inaction he caused wooden towers 65 feet high, mounted on 25 iron
wheels and filled with combustible materials to be built. These
engines, which demonstrated his skill in mechanics were intended for
use against the ramparts. A dark and stormy night was chosen for the
attempt and the glare of the lightning and the rumble of the thunder
added to the terror they were to inspire. It was in the midst of this
blinding storm that the towers were run up to the walls.
The Siamese putting aside their wonted timidity, sustained the attack
with great bravery. They set fire to the engines which became fatal to
their owners. So stout a resistance only served to increase the
courage of the Burmans, but while the King was consulting with Suarèz
on the best course that should be adopted, news was brought that the
Peguans had risen in revolt to gain the rights of their ancient
independence. He raised the siege and instead of attempting the
conquest of new territory, he considered it more prudent to take
measures for the protection of His own Kingdom.
Having put down the rebellion, he made fresh preparations against
Siam, but was assassinated by a gang of conspirators who could not
conceal the fact that they had had everything to fear from his
vengeance.
Chaumagrin, the foster brother of the murdered King, and to whose
instrumentality the late victories were due, succeeded to the throne.
He adopted the warlike policy of his predecessor without delay. This
Burman would have held a high position amongst heroes if he had had
chroniclers to immortalize his deeds which, as it is, have only come
down to us by vague tradition. It is said that his mighty army of
1,600,000 men overwhelmed the neighbouring Kingdoms that he extended
his conquests to China and Tartary and that he was sovereign ruler of
24 Kingdoms.
The possession of a white elephant of which the King of Siam was very
fond was the pretext for a sanguinary war between the rival monarchs.
The King of Burma offered large sums of money for the animal which was
considered to be remarkably intelligent; but, on being refused,
resolved to capture it by force. In reality the sight of two nations
in mortal combat for the possession of an elephant is no more to be
marvelled at, than the spectacle of European rulers causing the
slaughter of thousands of men for the possession of some useless
fortress.
The Burmans invaded Siam with a large force, and laid siege to the
capital where they expected to meet a long and stubborn resistance. In
order to spare the lives of his soldiers, the leader bribed certain
traitors who rendered him master of a town by purchase rather than by
conquest. The King of Siam became the vassal of Burma. The Queen and
her children were exiled to Pegu from which event the rulers of Pegu
have taken the title of "Prince of the white elephant" since one of
these creatures had been the occasion of a war leading to such
glorious results.
After the death of the conqueror his son named _Prunginiko_ succeeded
to the throne. His first act was to demand the tribute which the King
of Siam had agreed to pay. But the latter said, that he acknowledged
no master. On this refusal, the Burmans sent a punitive expedition,
under the command of a subordinate officer, to take vengeance on the
faithlessness of his vassal.
The Siamese Monarch, terrified by this invasion, gave him to
understand that if the King had come in person, there would have been
no difficulty in rendering his dues, but that under the circumstance
he was unable to comply without compromising his dignity in receiving
orders from a subordinate. The haughty Burman replied that his vassal
Kings as well as the meanest slaves were expected to obey his behests.
The Siamese army commanded by the son of the King, (who was known as
the Black Prince to distinguish him from his brother) took the field
and gained a brilliant victory, Prunginiko annoyed, rather than
dispirited, raised an army of 1,700,000 men under the leadership of
his eldest son, who self confident in numerical superiority assumed
the title of King of Siam. The reports of his march caused general
consternation, but the Black Prince, calm amid the stress, did not
lose hope of dispersing them. His soldiers fired by his example, were
eager for the fray. A battle was fought on which the fate of the
Empire hung in the balance. With equal ferocity, the two leaders
mounted on elephants sought each other out and careless of danger,
engaged in single combat, appearing to fear death less than the shame
of being vanquished by a hated rival. At last the Burmese Prince fell
in the dust and died with every symptom of rage and despair. His
soldiers, panic stricken, turned and fled and the Siamese harassed
them in the rear for a month as they pursued them like wild beasts,
and, slaughtered them without mercy. After a glorious reign, the Black
Prince who succeeded his father left the Kingdom in a settled
condition to his brother the White Prince who had no skill in the art
of government. This new King, a prey to greed and suspicion, allowed
himself to be ruled by one of the chief nobles at the Court who in
order to render the King more odious, encouraged his vices and
follies. This faithless favourite with a large retinue of slaves
including 280 Japanese, plotted to gain possession of the throne. The
King enfeebled by debauchery was in danger of death, but his son, the
heir-apparent, was an obstacle to the ambitious ideas of the
favourite. The King misled by the representations of his favourite
pronounced sentence of death on his innocent son, but the successor to
the throne avenged the crime by the death of the favourite to whom it
was due. The blood of the guilty was the cause of new troubles. The
slaves of the ambitious favourite and especially his Japanese
retainers took upon themselves to avenge the death of their master.
These bandits, nurtured on crime and rebellion, obliged the King to
deliver over to them four of the chief nobles whom they massacred
without pity. Their fury extended even to the King who was obliged to
sign in his own blood the conditions which they had the audacity to
impose. They furthermore demanded that the chief priests should be
given up to them as hostages for the promises they had extorted.
This first attempt was followed by the sack of the town and after
having despoiled the citizens, they took their departure unmolested
with a great booty. The tyranny of the late King had prepared the way
for all these outrages. Whoever calls in foreign defensive assistance
is no more than an oppressor who has more trust in the mercenaries he
pays, than in the subjects he plunders, but he has the sad experience
that his paid defenders often turn out to be only traitors. All
countries in whose armies foreigners have predominated have only had
transitory periods of prosperity, for the reason that those who have
brought about their success, have also been the cause of their
downfall.
The neighbouring tribes wishing to profit by the troubles in the
Kingdom, made an invasion. Their army came within three day's march of
the capital, but peace had then been restored as the Japanese had
taken their departure. The King of Siam collected his troops, and
struck such terror into them that, they retreated precipitately
without risking the issue of a battle.
This Prince, with the assistance of the Portuguese, recaptured several
provinces which had previously been seized by the Kings of Ava and
Pegu, and, full of gratitude towards his brave auxiliaries, he offered
the Port of Martaban to the King of Portugal as a base for his fleet.
The ambassadors who made this offer to the Viceroy of Goa returned
loaded with gifts. They were accompanied by a Dominican friar to whom
the negociation was entrusted. They were received with every mark of
distinction and concluded a treaty the terms of which were extremely
advantageous to the Portuguese. This first success was the cause of a
new embassy in 1621 which assisted the progress of the Faith. Some
Franciscans were demanded by the King to preach the Gospel in his
realm. He built them a church at his own expense and wished to make
them wealthy, to which latter proposal they turned a deaf ear. Their
disinterested motives of which the country furnished so few examples,
increased the admiration which their other virtues had evoked.
This Prince was a curious mixture of strength and weakness, of vice
and of virtue. Brave to the point of foolhardiness, he was cruel and
savage, and the cowardly and timorous side of his character sacrificed
both innocent and guilty to his suspicions. An absolute despot, he was
not over-scrupulous in financial transactions. He was tyrannical, but
not miserly. Having a strict eye for justice he cast robbers and
dacoits to crocodiles and to tigers and even found a savage pleasure
in attending such functions. Ingenious in his methods of reprisal, he
imprisoned a vassal King, who had made a rebellion, in a cage and gave
him no other food than the flesh which he caused him to tear from his
own body. He took delight in the torture of his subjects; he himself
cut off the legs of seven of the Court ladies as a punishment for
walking too quickly; and performed the same operation on three others
who had been too slow to obey his orders. Thus it was an equally
heinous offence to walk either to too fast or too slowly. His
brutality was extended even to birds and animals. He caused the head
of a horse to be struck off because the animal had been disobedient,
and the same fate overtook a tiger which had spared the life of a
criminal that it ought to have devoured.
This crowned monster of iniquity, died in his bed with all the
complacency of a benevolent monarch. Perhaps the horror inspired by
his crimes was modified by his brilliant talents and the other virtues
he possessed. Faithful to his promises and lavish of rewards for
services rendered, liberal and magnificent, he had many supporters who
having become his accomplices guaranteed his immunity from revenge for
his crimes.
He entrusted a large sum of money to a Portuguese to purchase certain
articles from Malacca. This madman gambled away the money and then had
the hardihood to return to Siam where he expected to meet with severe
punishment. The King welcomed him graciously and said, "I think more
highly of your confidence in my mercy than of all the rare articles
that you ought to have brought me." Like all tyrants, this prince had
a favourite who introduced five or six hundred Japanese, disguised as
merchants, into the Kingdom as tools for his own aggrandisement. As
soon as the King had closed his eyes; he made use of them to ensure
possession of the crown. But the son of the late King rallied his
forces and snatched the sceptre from the hand of the usurper. He was
more fortunate in recovering it than in retaining it as he was shortly
afterwards assassinated.
He left the throne to his younger brother who conceived a violent
dislike to the Japanese as he considered them a dangerous gang,
watching for an opportunity to take his life. Many of these Japanese
were killed and the rest were compelled to leave the country. Peace
having been restored, it was imperilled by the murder of the King's
brother who had been suspected of aspirations to supreme power. A
prince of the blood taking advantage of the feeling inspired by this
crime, proclaimed himself King. This new usurper, under pretence of
safeguarding the interests of the state maintained an armed force in
time of peace, and this force was more vexatious to the citizens, than
it was dangerous to foreign foes. However by keeping up a standing
army he was able to dispose of the partisans of the legitimate heir to
the throne. The Dutch to whom he gave trading facilities were his most
zealous upholders.
It has been presumed that this usurper was the celebrated _Chao Pasa
Thong_ whom some maintain was of royal birth, but to whom others
assign a lowly origin. For a long time he had held the office of
Chacri or Chancellor during the tenure of which he deceived his
master, oppressed the people, and made use of his ill gotten gains to
consolidate his position. His wealth was lavished on his fellow
conspirators. As soon as he was on the throne, he desired to marry the
daughter of his predecessor, but the princess unwilling to bedeck
herself with the spoils of his brothers who were the proper heirs to
the throne, looked upon this criminal union with disgust. The tyrant
enraged at their love for their sister ordered them to execution.
Having disposed of his rivals, he showed all the ferocity of his
nature. The death of his daughter furnished an excuse for his harsh
policy of removing all those who might have checked him in the path of
crime. Having celebrated her funeral rites with the utmost pomp; he
himself gathered up her ashes, and on seeing a morsel of flesh
unconsumed by the fire, made up his mind that his daughter had been
poisoned. Mad in his suspicions, he had all the women who had been in
attendance on the poisoned Princess, put under guard, and tried to
extort by torture an avowal from them of an imaginary crime. The whole
court was a scene of punishments. Even so large a number of victims
could not appear the cruelty of the tyrant. All the nobles of the
Kingdom were summoned before him, and he caused trenches to be dug and
filled with glowing charcoal so as to put them to the ordeal by fire.
They began by scraping the soles of their feet with a sharp piece of
iron and then made them pass over the burning matter. Those whose feet
were injured by the fire were held to be guilty.
This tyrant, a cunning inventor of punishments, devised new methods.
Some victims were crushed under the feet of elephants, others, buried
up to the shoulders, begged for death which alone could terminate
their sufferings. It was a heinous offence to give them the least
assistance or to hasten their death. He employed fearsome tortures.
The bodies of victims were squeezed so tightly by cloths that the
cloth appeared to be part and parcel of the body of the sufferer. Some
were pierced with needles of various shapes and then were cut in half,
the upper portion being placed on a copperplate so as to stop the
bleeding and to prolong the agony.
Three thousand persons were sacrificed to the barbarity of the tyrant,
who under the pretext of avenging the death of his daughter, found a
means of removing the enemies of his usurped power.
There still remained other important victims namely the two sons and
the daughter of the late King. As he could only revile them for their
misfortune and degradation, he brought a false charge against the
eldest daughter whom he accused of having given an exhibition of
unholy glee at the cremation of the Princess. She was condemned to the
ordeal by fire together with all the ladies of her suite and the pain
extorted from her the avowal of a crime of which she was innocent. The
executioner at once received the order to cut off a piece of her flesh
and to make her eat it. When she was offered this disgusting repast,
she cried out. "Vile tyrant! you can rend my body, but remember that
my spirit is not under your command. You will observe that the fixity
of my purpose renders me superior to your tortures. Learn also that
your crimes will not go unpunished and that my blood shall be a seed
from which shall arise the avengers of my family and country."
At this, the tyrant highly enraged, ordered her to be cut in pieces
and to be cast into the river. The brother of the Princess who at that
time was twenty years of age met with the same fate. He had previously
pretended to be insane but as soon as he was mounted on the scaffold,
he made it known that it was the love of life that had caused him to
act in a cowardly manner. The beauty of his countenance which his sad
position rendered more touching, caused tears to come into the eyes of
the most hardened. When he saw the executioner approaching, he cursed
the author of his misfortune. "Although innocent," he said, "I am
about to suffer the death of the guilty. The tyrant wishes that I
should die, and I shall not demean myself to beg his clemency, a
virtue of which he is quite ignorant. I prefer to arouse the feelings
of the people and to encourage them to thoughts of vengeance." This
usurper, who was notorious only for his cruelties, died after a reign
of 30 years. He left a son whom the devotion of the people called to
the throne, but he was supplanted by his uncle who based his claim to
the throne on the custom which placed the crown on the head of the
late King to the exclusion of his children.
The young Prince cleverly dissembled his resentment and waited for a
favourable opportunity to show it. His uncle, a man of unbridled
passions, wished to take his sister as a concubine. The opposition
which her brother made to the match caused his uncle to resolve in his
death, which he only escaped by flight. The Portuguese sympathised
with him and in hopes of his protection offered him their help to
reclaim his brother's heritage. This prince, supported by 1000 of
these brave Europeans forced his way into the palace, of which he made
himself master before any one suspected his designs. The usurper
hoping to flee in disguise mixed with a crowd of slaves, but a
Portuguese seeing him escape, seized him and stabbed him to the heart
with a dagger. The Prince punished only those who had been concerned
in the tyrant's misdemeanours and his liberal policy secured him many
adherents.