Pinklao ( th, ปิ่นเกล้า) (September 4, 1808 – January 7, 1866) was the
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
of
Siam
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. He was the younger brother of
Mongkut, King Rama IV, who crowned him as a monarch with equal honor to himself.
Early life
Prince Chutamani was born on September 4, 1808, as a son of Prince Isarasundhorn and Princess Bunrod at the
Phra Racha Wang Derm or Thonburi Palace. Prince Chutamani also had an elder brother—Prince Mongkut—who was seven years older. In 1809, Prince Isarasundhorn was crowned as
Rama II
Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai ( th, พระพุทธเลิศหล้านภาลัย, 24 February 1767 – 21 July 1824), personal name Chim ( th, ฉิม), also styled as Rama II, was the second monarch of Siam under the Chakri ...
and his mother became Queen
Sri Suriyendra. They all moved to the
Grand Palace.
The government of Rama II, however, was dominated by
''Kromma Meun'' Jessadabodindra, his son with
Sri Sulalai
Sri Sulalai ( th, ศรีสุลาลัย; ; 1770–1837), née Riam ( th, เรียม), was the wife of Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai, Rama II of Siam and was the mother of Nangklao, Rama III.
She was of Persian descent and her fami ...
. In 1824, Mongkut became a monk according to Thai traditions. However, Rama II fell ill and died in the same year. The nobility, led by ''Chao Phraya'' Abhay Pudhorn, the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
, and
Prayurawongse, the
Minister of Foreign Affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...
, supported Jessadabodindra for the throne as he proved competent to rule. Jessadabodindra was crowned as
Rama III.
Prince Mongkut then stayed in his monkhood to avoid political intrigues. Prince Chutamani, however, entered the government under Nangklao and was awarded the title "Kromma Khun Isaret-rangsant". ''Kromma Khun'' Isaret moved to the Thonburi Palace, where he lived with his mother Queen Sri Suriyendra until her death in 1836.
The young prince was, as was his elder brother, well disposed towards foreigners. In 1833 at age 25 and known to
diplomatist Edmund Roberts as Chow-Phoi-Noi or ''Mom-fa-Noi'', the prince secretly visited the mission house during Roberts' negotiations for the
Siamese–American Treaty of Amity and Commerce, the United States' first treaty with Thailand. The prince was pleased and gratified with a nighttime visit to the man-of-war
''Peacock'', during which the men mustered to quarters for naval exercises. Roberts stated that the prince spoke and wrote the English language with considerable fluency, and his pronunciation was correct.
Reign with Mongkut
Nangklao died in 1851. ''Kromma Khun'' Isaret was at the time the
heir presumptive
An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question.
...
to the throne, but the return and claim of his brother Prince Mongkut was stronger. Mongkut was then crowned on May 25, 1851, with the support of the nobility. Concurrently Prince Isaret was crowned as ''
Uparaja
Uparaja or Ouparath, also Ouparaja ( my, ဥပရာဇာ ; km, ឧបរាជ, ; th, อุปราช, ; lo, ອຸປຮາດ, ''Oupahat''), was a royal title reserved for the viceroy in the Buddhist dynasties in Burma, Cambodia, and ...
'' Pinklao with equal honor to Mongkut. In practice, Pinklao held the title of Lord of the
Front Palace
Krom Phra Ratchawang Bowon Sathan Mongkhon , colloquially known as the Front Palace ( th, วังหน้า, ), was the title of the ''uparaja'' of Siam, variously translated as "viceroy", "vice king" or "Lord/Prince of the Front Palace", as ...
. The popular legend holds that Mongkut's own astrological calculations stated that his brother Prince Isaret also held the "fate to become a king". As a result, he gave Pinklao the same styles and title normally reserved for a King such as ''Phrabat Somdet'' and ''Chao Yu Hua'': ''Phrabat Somdet Phra Pinklao Chao Yu Hua''. David Wyatt considers his appointment a way of Mongkut's to prevent Pinklao from challenging his own position.
[ Wyatt, David. ''Thailand: A Short History''. Yale University Press, 1984. . (p. 167)] Nevertheless, the relationship between the brothers remained peaceful and good throughout Mongkut's reign.
The government under Mongkut was, however, in the strong hands of
Prayurawongse and
Pichaiyat, the former as Chief Minister of Siam. Interference from both King and Vice King was therefore minimal. Expanding his interests to foreign affairs Pinklao, who was known for his fluency in the English language was able to respond to the letters of
John Bowring
Sir John Bowring , or Phraya Siamanukulkij Siammitrmahayot, , , group=note (17 October 1792 – 23 November 1872) was a British political economist, traveller, writer, literary translator, polyglot and the fourth Governor of Hong Kong. He was a ...
. In the letters, he referred himself as ''the Second king'' and his brother as ''the First king''. As a result, Pinklao was able to play a great role in the negotiation of the
Bowring Treaty
The Bowring Treaty was a treaty signed between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Siam on 18 April 1855. The treaty had the primary effect of liberalizing foreign trade in Siam, and was signed by five Siamese plenipotentiaries (among them Wo ...
of 1855, as well as a role in the subsequent negotiation of the
Harris Treaty of 1856 that updated the Roberts treaty of 1833.
As the second monarch and Front Palace lord, Pinklao maintained his own private army, and a navy of several modern ships. It was during this time that the power of the Front Palace greatly expanded. Apart from state affairs, Pinklao was interested in both western and Lao culture, speaking English, drilling his troops in European fashion, singing, dancing, and playing the ''
khene
The ''khene'' (; spelled "Can" in English; Lao: ແຄນ; th, แคน, , ; km, គែន - ''Ken''; Vietnamese: ''khèn'') is a Lao mouth organ whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a small, hollowed-out h ...
'' to ''
mor lam'' music.
Pinklao died on January 7, 1866, predeceasing his brother by two years. His nephew the 15-year-old
Chulalongkorn (son of Mongkut), succeeded to the throne in 1868 and Regent
Somdet Chaophraya Sri Suriwongse arranged the title of Front Palace lord to be succeeded by Pinklao's son with Princess Aim, Prince Yingyot, later
Wichaichan
Krom Phra Ratchawang Bowon Wichaichan ( th, กรมพระราชวังบวรวิไชยชาญ) or Phra Ong Chao Yodyingyot (or Yingyot) (พระองค์เจ้ายอดยิ่งยศ) (6 April 1838 – 28 Aug ...
.
Ancestry
References
External links
Website of the Phra Racha Wang Derm Restoration Foundation*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinklao
Thai male Chao Fa
19th-century Chakri dynasty
1808 births
1866 deaths
Front Palaces
Thai people of Mon descent
19th-century deaths from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis deaths in Myanmar