Worawongsathirat
Encyclopedia
Khun Worawongsathirat was a usurper
in the Ayutthaya Kingdom, ruling for only 42 days in 1548 before being assassinated
. Siamese chronicles relate that Worawongsathirat attainted the crown — his kingship is not accepted by most traditional historians.
His birth-name
was "Bun
Si" (or Bun Sri) , and he was a Brahmin
. Upon entering service to the crown as keeper of Ho Phra Thep Bidon , a cloister
on the palace grounds (with duties such as organising various rites and ceremonies,) Bun Si was then style
d Phan But Si Thep . He was later promoted to the rank of Khun and styled Khun Chinnarat ; this was perhaps even as he was having an adulterous affair
with Si Suda Chan (or Sri Suda Chan ), a first-class concubine
of King Chairachathirat
.
Si Suda Chan was not a real name of a person, it was the title of one of the four first-class concubines, which were Insuren, Si Suda Chan, Inthrathewi and Si Chula Lak. The real name of King Chairachathirat's consort was not mentioned in the history.
King Chairachathirat died in 1546, possibly poison
ed by her hand. Their young son, Phra Kaewfa, ascended the throne as King Yot Fa
with his mother as regent
. (Whether Si Suda Chan and Khun Chinnarat had their affair
before or after the ascension of Yot Fa is subject to debate. Jeremias van Vliet's memories told that they met after the coronation of Yot Fa which contrasted to those of Fernão Mendes Pinto
.)
In 1548, Yot Fa was killed and Si Suda Chan, still acting as a regent, put Khun Chinnarat on the throne styled "Khun Worawongsathirat". Traditional historians criticise this usurpation as a great violation of morality
. Some modern historians, however, take an alternative view. In this interpretation, Si Suda Chan, being of the deposed House of Uthong, intended to restore it to the Ayutthayan throne; and that Bun Si was also of the Uthong clan. Thus Worawongsethirat's reign could be called a restoration of the Uthong clan to Ayutthayan authority, at the expense of the House of Suphannaphum and other noble
clan
s.
Those of the Suphannaphum clan responded by forming alliances with the Sukhothai clan led by Khun Phirenthorathep and Si Thammasok, and of the Nakhon Si Thammarat
clan led by Khun Intharathep. Their plot to overthrow Worawongsathirat involved the discovery of a white elephant (pachyderm)
in Lop 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 that mahout
s were unable to tame the elephant, so the king was invited to go tame it, himself. On setting out by royal barge along Pla Mo Canal , beside Sa Bua Canal (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 then displayed on spikes
, and their bodies left to vulture
s. Those executing the coup
then gave the throne to Prince Thian Racha, styled Mahachakkraphat
.
Usurper
Usurper is a derogatory term used to describe either an illegitimate or controversial claimant to the power; often, but not always in a monarchy, or a person who succeeds in establishing himself as a monarch without inheriting the throne, or any other person exercising authority unconstitutionally...
in the Ayutthaya Kingdom, ruling for only 42 days in 1548 before being assassinated
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
. Siamese chronicles relate that Worawongsathirat attainted the crown — his kingship is not accepted by most traditional historians.
His birth-name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
was "Bun
Merit (Buddhism)
Merit is a concept in Buddhism. It is that which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts or thoughts and that carries over to later in life or to a person's next life. Such merit contributes to a person's growth towards liberation. Merit can be gained in a number of ways...
Si" (or Bun Sri) , and he was a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
. Upon entering service to the crown as keeper of Ho Phra Thep Bidon , a cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
on the palace grounds (with duties such as organising various rites and ceremonies,) Bun Si was then style
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
d Phan But Si Thep . He was later promoted to the rank of Khun and styled Khun Chinnarat ; this was perhaps even as he was having an adulterous affair
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
with Si Suda Chan (or Sri Suda Chan ), a first-class concubine
Concubinage
Concubinage is the state of a woman or man in an ongoing, usually matrimonially oriented, relationship with somebody to whom they cannot be married, often because of a difference in social status or economic condition.-Concubinage:...
of King Chairachathirat
Chairacha
Phrabat Somdet Phra Chairachathirat reigned 1534–1546 as King of the Ayutthaya kingdom of Siam. His reign was remarkable for the influx of Portuguese traders, mercenaries, and early Modern warfare technology.-Uparaja:...
.
Si Suda Chan was not a real name of a person, it was the title of one of the four first-class concubines, which were Insuren, Si Suda Chan, Inthrathewi and Si Chula Lak. The real name of King Chairachathirat's consort was not mentioned in the history.
King Chairachathirat died in 1546, possibly poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ed by her hand. Their young son, Phra Kaewfa, ascended the throne as King Yot Fa
Yodfa
Phrabat Somdet Phra Yodfa or Phra Kaewfa was the short-reigning king of Ayutthaya from 1546 to his execution in 1548. Yodfa was the son of Chairacha and his concubine Sri Sudachan from the Uthong clan. In 1546, Chairacha aprubtly died maybe due to the poison by his concubine Sri Sudachan...
with his mother as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
. (Whether Si Suda Chan and Khun Chinnarat had their affair
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
before or after the ascension of Yot Fa is subject to debate. Jeremias van Vliet's memories told that they met after the coronation of Yot Fa which contrasted to those of Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto was a Portuguese explorer and writer. His exploits are known through the posthumous publication of his memoir Pilgrimage in 1614, an autobiographical work whose truthfulness is nearly impossible to assess...
.)
In 1548, Yot Fa was killed and Si Suda Chan, still acting as a regent, put Khun Chinnarat on the throne styled "Khun Worawongsathirat". Traditional historians criticise this usurpation as a great violation of morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
. Some modern historians, however, take an alternative view. In this interpretation, Si Suda Chan, being of the deposed House of Uthong, intended to restore it to the Ayutthayan throne; and that Bun Si was also of the Uthong clan. Thus Worawongsethirat's reign could be called a restoration of the Uthong clan to Ayutthayan authority, at the expense of the House of Suphannaphum and other noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
s.
Those of the Suphannaphum clan responded by forming alliances with the Sukhothai clan led by Khun Phirenthorathep and Si Thammasok, and of the Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and the Nakhon Si Thammarat district. It is about south of Bangkok, on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. The city was the administrative center of southern Thailand during most of its history. ...
clan led by Khun Intharathep. Their plot to overthrow Worawongsathirat involved the discovery of a white elephant (pachyderm)
White elephant (pachyderm)
A white elephant is a rare kind of elephant, but not a distinct species. Although often depicted as snow white, their skin is normally a soft reddish-brown, turning a light pink when wet. They have fair eyelashes and toenails....
in Lop 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 that mahout
Mahout
A mahout is a person who drives an elephant. The word mahout comes from the Hindi words mahaut and mahavat. Usually, a mahout starts as a boy in the 'family business' when he is assigned an elephant early in its life and they would be attached to each other throughout the elephant's life.The most...
s were unable to tame the elephant, so the king was invited to go tame it, himself. On setting out by royal barge along Pla Mo Canal , beside Sa Bua Canal (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 then displayed on spikes
Impalement
Impalement is the traumatic penetration of an organism by an elongated foreign object such as a stake, pole, or spear, and this usually implies complete perforation of the central mass of the impaled body...
, and their bodies left to vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
s. Those executing the coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
then gave the throne to Prince Thian Racha, styled Mahachakkraphat
Maha Chakkrapat
Somdet Phra Maha Chakkraphat was king of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1548 to 1568. Originally called Prince Thianracha, he was put on the throne by Phiren Thorathep and his supporters, who had staged a coup by killing King Vorawongsathirat and Sri Sudachan.-An Ayutthayan Prince:Prince Thianracha ...
.