Kosa Pan (, ; 1633 – 15 November 1699) was a Siamese

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

and minister who led the second Siamese embassy to France sent by King

Narai King Narai the Great (, , ) or Ramathibodi III ( ) was the 27th monarch of Ayutthaya Kingdom, the 4th and last monarch of the Prasat Thong dynasty. He was the king of Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1656 to 1688 and arguably the most famous king of the ...

in 1686.Rajanubhab, D., 2001, ''Our Wars With the Burmese,'' Bangkok: White Lotus Co. Ltd., He was preceded to France by the first Siamese embassy to France, which had been composed of two Siamese ambassadors and Father Bénigne Vachet, who had left Siam for France on January 5, 1684.

Family

According to historian Edward van Roy, Pan was the son of Phraya Kiat, a Mon noble who sided with

Naresuan Naresuan (1555/1556 – 25 April 1605), commonly known as Naresuan the Great, or Sanphet II was the 18th Monarchy of Thailand, king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and 2nd monarch of the List of monarchs of Thailand#Sukhothai dynasty (1569–1629), S ...

during the fourth Burmese-Siamese War, and Chao Mae Wat Dusit, daughter of King Ekathotsarot and wet nurse for Phetracha and Prince

, both future kings of Siam. Through his son Khunthong, Pan was a great-great-grandfather of King

Rama I Phutthayotfa Chulalok (born Thongduang; 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), also known by his regnal name Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (now Thailand) and the first King of Siam from the reigning Chakri dynasty. He asc ...

, the founder of the

Chakri dynasty The Chakri dynasty is the current reigning dynasty of the Thailand, Kingdom of Thailand. The head of the house is the Monarchy of Thailand, king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin era and ...

. His older brother, Lek (เหล็ก), held the post of foreign minister before him.

Early life

Pan was born in the

Ayutthaya Kingdom The Ayutthaya Kingdom or the Empire of Ayutthaya was a Thai people, Thai kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city), Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. Europe ...

around 1633. As his mother was a wet nurse for the young prince Narai, Pan was considered a foster brother to the future king. Chao's connection, if any, with the then-reigning Sukhothai dynasty of the

is unclear, with some speculating her to be a daughter King Ekathotsarot.

Names

''Pan'' (; ) was his given name. As foreign minister, he was styled ''Chaophraya Kosathibodi'' (; ). He is colloquially called ''Kosa Pan'' (; ). He is also known by his former style as a first-class diplomat: ''Ok-phra Wisut Sunthon'' (; ). Contemporary French documents recorded his name as ''Ooc, Pravisoutsonthoon Raatchathoud'' (ออกพระวิสุทธสุนทร ราชทูต). His success in diplomatic negotiations earned him the epithet ''golden-tongued diplomat'' ().

Embassy to France (1686)

SiameseEmbassyToLouisXIV1686NicolasLarmessin

To accompany the return of the 1685 French embassy to Siam of Chevalier de Chaumont and

François-Timoléon de Choisy François-Timoléon de Choisy (; 16 August 1644 – 2 October 1724) was a French abbé, writer, and member of the Académie Française. He is known for his memoirs, historical and religious writings, and travel accounts. His posthumously publish ...

, Pan was selected by Constantine Phaulkon, the Prime Counsellor to King Narai, to lead an embassy to France. Pan set out for France in 1686 on two French ships with two other Siamese ambassadors, Ok-luang Kanlaya Ratchamaitri and Ok-khun Si Wisan Wacha, and by the

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

Father Guy Tachard. The embassy was bringing a proposal for an eternal alliance between France and Siam. Pan's embassy was met with a rapturous reception and caused a sensation in the courts and society of Europe. The mission landed at

Brest, France Brest (; ) is a port, port city in the Finistère department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of a peninsula and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an impor ...

and journeyed to

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

, constantly surrounded by crowds of curious onlookers.Chakrabongse, C., 1960, ''Lords of Life,'' London: Alvin Redman Limited The embassy stayed in France from June 1686 to March 1687.

1688 Siamese revolution

Upon his return to Siam, Pan was pressured to become a supporter of Phetracha's anti-French faction of dissatisfied nobles, who resented the power that the French held in Siam. The following revolution toppled

and ousted the French forces. Pan was sent to negotiate with their officials. He was appointed by Phetracha as his Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Pan was met in Siam in 1690 by the German naturalist

Engelbert Kaempfer Engelbert Kaempfer (16 September 16512 November 1716) was a German natural history, naturalist, physician, exploration, explorer, and writer known for his tour of Russia, Iran, Persia, India, Southeast Asia, and Japan between 1683 and 1693. He ...

. The naturalist noted "pictures of the Royal family of France and European maps" hanging "in the hall of his an'shouse": In 1699, Pan and Phetracha received a visit from the Jesuit Father Guy Tachard. The meeting was formal and did not produce any closer relations.

Death

Pan was later accused of having affinity to the French and loyalty to his former King, Narai. He was disgraced, and King Phetracha ordered his nose cut off. He reportedly committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

on 15 November 1699, according to the Dutch. His duties were taken over by Okya Maha Amath, one of the King's favorites. Pan is said to be the direct ancestor of King

, founder of the present ruling dynasty of Thailand.Smithies (2002), p. 180

Notes

References

* Gunn, Geoffrey C. (2003) ''First Globalization: The Eurasian Exchange, 1500-1800'' Rowman & Littlefield * Smithies, Michael (1999), ''A Siamese embassy lost in Africa 1686'', Silkworm Books, Bangkok, * Smithies, Michael (2002), ''Three military accounts of the 1688 "Revolution" in Siam'', Itineria Asiatica, Orchid Press, Bangkok, * Suarez, Thomas (1999) ''Early Mapping of Southeast Asia'' Tuttle Publishing

External links

; E-books * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kosa Pan Ambassadors of Ayutthaya to France 17th-century diplomats 1633 births 1699 deaths Year of birth unknown Chaophraya Thai people of Mon descent Nobility of the Ayutthaya Kingdom