Vignettes of the World
Military and monarchic groups, often relying on each other’s capability and ideological strength, have intervened frequently to subvert the democratic rule of law. Those who have tried to build democracy meanwhile remain much less well known. In a region where state-enforced historical amnesia is rife, …
In the last entry on Thailand in the modern era, I have discussed why Siam maintained its independence against the threats of colonialism in the 18th and 19th centuries. One question remained for me in this brief study of Thailand’s history. How did Thailand fare …
“Whatever it is that you do in Thailand, just do not criticize the Thai king in any way,” my uncle said to us, “I know the people that will get you out even for a murder, but if you offend the Thai king, nobody can save you.”
He meant it as a half joke, but the fact remains that the Chakri kings of Thailand have unparallelled dignity. It is said that Thailand has “the world’s strictest lese majeste laws.” The defamation of the Thai king carries with it a jail sentence of 3 to 15 years.
But a consideration of the history of colonialism in Thailand might present the justification for the Chakri kings’ entitlement to strict lese majeste laws. For the Chakri kings have certainly seen Thailand through a historic threat to the country’s sovereignty and integrity.
The two questions that were on my mind were, first, “how did Thailand manage not to be colonized by any European powers during the 18th and 19th centuries?” Second, “how did Thailand survive World War II?”
After the fall of the Ayutthaya kingdom, a brief period of ruling by General Taksin followed. The Thonburi period ended soon, as General Chao Phraya Chakri overthrew Taksin. Chakri, who was pivotal in stalling off Burmese advances, made himself king as Rama I. In 1782 the Chakri dynasty would embark upon the era of modernization. It is known as the Rattanakosin era of Thai history, with Bangkok as the capital. The ten monarchs of the Chakri dynasty have ruled Thailand in unbroken succession since.
Perhaps Thailand did not struggle so much in holding on to the isolationist policies against western powers as with the other nations in Asia (such as China and Japan). Even in Thailand’s premodern history, there were consistent efforts by different kingdoms to engage in diplomacy with the powers of the world. The isolationist policy that spanned about a century prior to the Chakri dynasty was a result of the Phaulkon affair, where a foreigner Phaulkon rose to power as King Narai’s top advisor. His plot to install a puppet king under his control was eventually dispelled, leading to his excruciating death in 1688.
The first few Chakri monarchs held on to a basic isolationist policy, but at once recognizing the need to modernize the country by trade, economy and governance. The printed press and newspapers became available in Thailand during this time. Portugal, Britain and the United States managed to secure more trading rights in this period too.
Bangkok thrived in this period. Rama I chose Bangkok as the capital of the Chakri dynasty for its exceptional geographical endowment and the strategic advantages with which it came. “With the Chao Phraya River from the north passing along the western and southern sides to empty into the Gulf of Thailand; branches of the river also formed double rings around the city-island. Faced with the continuing Burmese threat, such a strategic location was then a necessity.” (factsanddetails.com)
In the sources that I have come across, there was a consensus that Thailand remained uncolonized during the peak of western imperialism because of the strong centralized rulers that played off, and benefited from, the rivalry between the two great western powers that were eyeing the bounty of Southeast Asia. At the time, Britain had Burma and Malaysia; France had Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Rama IV and Rama V would emerge as the heroic leaders of Siam that led the nation through the complex web of international relations and palpable threats to their sovereignty posed by western powers.
Rama IV, also known as King Mongkut, was a scholar king. In his early years, his father Roma II sent him to monkhood, during which time he garnered exceptional knowledge in matters of science, language and religions (including Christianity). King Mongkut would accede to the throne and navigate the deep waters of rising threats to Siam from the west.
King Mongkut introduced reforms in culture and technology, and hired teachers to teach English and western subjects to his children. In particular, he promoted geography and astronomy.
In terms of treaties with the west, the Bowring Treaty would present a turning point in Bangkok’s trajectory of development. Then Hong Kong Governor Bowring represented Britain in concluding this treaty. The treaty abolished the Thai royalty’s monopoly to engage in foreign trade. The treasury could no longer benefit from hefty revenues from duties. But this has liberalized trade and opened up Bangkok’s commoner markets to foreign trade.
Such similar treaties were concluded with other world powers, including France, the United States, and other European countries. With increased rice and sugar production to meet the new demands for foreign trade, Bangkok’s economy took off. This had in turn resulted in significant improvements in infrastructure in Rama V’s time.
King Mongkut is the king featured in the Broadway show The King and I. The same story served as the plot for the movie Anna and the King. Anna Leonowens was a British governess that taught the royal harem with King Mongkut’s approval. What happened in the Broadway show and the movie, however, were said to be much fictionalized. In line with protecting the dignity of its kings, Thailand did ban the movie nationwide.
Even today, the Thai people revere King Chulalongkorn, as Rama V. King Mongkut himself groomed King Chulalongkorn since a young age. The young prince observed how his father ruled in the royal court. He also received classical Thai training and western training for his education. Anna Leonowens was his teacher.
The 42-year reign of Rama V would usher in a golden era despite the looming threats of western imperialism. Under his rule, Siam was further opened to foreign trade. He employed foreign advisors, abolished slavery gradually, re-centralized power in the provincial regions, modernized all lines of government administration, overhauled the tax system, observed the freedom of religion, and he had indeed done so much more in education and infrastructure as well.
Needless to say, even for Siam, a country that was accustomed to and at times welcomed foreign involvement in critical matters of government, these reforms were radical. Rama V managed to suppress a revolt by the conservatives against his initiatives during the early years of his reign. He slowly consolidated the ruling power, to be exercised by the royal family only.
At the height of western imperialism in the 19th century, Siam stood as the lone country that was not colonized in Southeast Asia due to King Mongkut’s decisive move to invite foreign presence in Siam. His son King Chulalongkorn extended this legacy further. Both kings took it upon themselves to manage diplomatic relationships.
The decades-long effort by both kings projected Siam as a country that embraced the liberalism of the west. Like King Mongkut, King Chulalongkorn understood fully that the key to survival was to forge “friendships with benefits” with the west. By offering opportunities to businesses and missionaries, Siam could hang on to the sliver of sovereignty and independence that, by his time, had been torn asunder in Siam’s fallen neighbors.
The paradox was that, because all western powers managed to score gains from free trade in Siam, no one could lay exclusive claim on the country either. This power play was especially relevant to the contentious relationships between Britain and France at that time. By Rama V’s reign, Siam had managed to position itself as the physical and symbolic buffer wedged between the colonized neighbors. It neutralized the rivalry of these two western powers.
That is not to say that Siam was not affected by colonialization at all. Where the borders of the country were not clear, they were lost to Britain and France in neighboring Burma and Laos respectively. Siam preserved the king’s stronghold in Bangkok, but many parts of its territory were subject to foreign influence and control, not unlike the concession areas in Shanghai and Guangdong of China.
Thailandembassy.org on Thailand History.
www.thethailandlife.com on A Brief History of Thailand.
The Wikipedia on History of Thailand.
The Wikipedia on Mongkuk.
Factsanddetails.com on Chakri Dynasty and Kings Mongkut (Rama IV) and Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
It is said that Thailand was the only Southeast Asian country that survived the onslaught of western colonialism, which swept the world between the 15th and 19th centuries. That itself is a provocative food for thought. Thailand also emerged relatively unscathed from World War II, …
This was not the first time in Thailand for me, but surely my first time visiting Bangkok. My last trip to Thailand was more than a decade ago in Phuket. I was quite excited about this trip because it was organized by my uncle with …
Tai Kwun is the former Central Police Station that operated during the early colonial days until the 2000’s. Standing as a revitalized cultural space consisting of three declared monuments, Tai Kwun presents the public with an opportunity to revisit a part of Hong Kong history that was once ridden with the unpleasantries of a sometimes-unjust system of justice.
In 1841 when Britain formally took over Hong Kong, the Colonial Government set up the Hong Kong Police Force. The first “police station” in Hong Kong was a mere mat-shed shelter on a site next to what would become Tai Kwun in Central. Captain William Caine was the Chief Magistrate then overseeing the development of the Hong Kong Police Force.
Tai Kwun, meaning “the big police station,” served as the headquarters for law enforcement between the late 19th century and the Second World War. It became the regional headquarters for Hong Kong Island after the war, as it was also the police station for the Central district. With its decommission in 2004, it stepped down from its former role as a law enforcement institute.
In Tai Kwun there are about 20 blocks of buildings that served various functions in the former Central Police Station. In my opinion, there are four must-see structures. As three of them are declared monuments, they are representative of the collective history of Tai Kwun.
Facing Hollywood Road is the Central Police Station. Now serving mostly as a space of exhibitions displaying aspects of Hong Kong’s local history and culture, the Police Headquarters Block stands grand and stately as what might be the most eye-catching architecture in this part of Central.
The Police Headquarters Block was built in 1919. The Police Headquarters Block is one of the few surviving 19th century police stations in Hong Kong. The other ones are the Police Museum (formerly Wan Chai Gap Police Station at the Peak), Old Tai Po Police Station, the Tai O Heritage Hotel (Old Tai O Police Station, built 1902), and the 1881 Heritage (former Marine Police Headquarters), amongst others. I have covered almost all of them, save for the Old Stanley Police Station.
The letters G and R on the façade of the Police Headquarters Block refers to the ruling monarch at the time, his majesty King George V.
The Central Magistracy was the first building in Tai Kwun’s ensemble of former law enforcement agencies. Built in 1841, the year that the British took over Hong Kong as its colony, the Central Magistracy was an indispensable arm of colonial administration as the “busiest court of justice” that tried more than three million people. (Descriptions on site) In 1847, the second Central Magistracy was built, also at this site.
The current Magistracy building was a structure of 1915. In its architecture, the fasces, which were the bundles of rods used for corporeal punishment by Roman magistrates, were symbols of authority that found its expression in the very exterior of the building.
In the museum’s own words, “early magistrates dispensed harsh punishments under a system of unequal laws.” There is a section of the various punishments given out only to the Chinese people in the museum as well, showing cruelty in caning and the stocks.
This practice originated from the fact that the early colonial officials thought that the Chinese people were accustomed to more severe punishments. But eventually, orders from London prohibited unequal and inhumane treatments. As rightly put by the museum, “over the decades, a fairer system of justice emerged as social conditions improved.” And this is the system of justice that had laid the foundation for Hong Kong’s later success as a cosmopolitan world city.
Perhaps an interesting historical note to make here is the fact that there are three entrances to the Central Magistracy, and they were used by different persons in those bygone times. One entrance, facing Arbuthnot Road, was for the magistrates.
There are a few doors that allowed public access. Finally, the entrance next to the famous staircase was for the persons being tried. This staircase was made famous by the preliminary hearing of the Godber case. On trial was the corrupted Police Chief Superintendent that had allegedly taken bribes worth more than 4 million Hong Kong dollars in 1973. Godber entered the courthouse by ascending these steps.
After World War II, the Central Magistracy was the venue for the Military Court that heard trials of Japanese war criminals.
Known as the Victoria Gaol in the earliest days, the Victoria Prison was a structure of 1842 as the longest-running prison in Hong Kong’s history.
An intriguing fact that I learned at the Tai Kwun was that Ho Chi Minh, the most significant statesman and founder of communist Vietnam, had once been kept in the Victoria Prison.
In 1930, Ho Chi Minh came to Hong Kong as he fled from the French authorities. The Hong Kong Police captured him in 1931 and kept him at the Victoria Prison. In Ho Chi Minh’s own words, “high above one’s head was a small half-moon window covered with a grid of iron bars. By day, the light in the cell was dim. The door to the cell was solid and, at eye level, had a peephole shaped like a megaphone.”
Perhaps it is appropriate to note here that the Victoria Prison was once the repatriation and transit center for the Vietnamese refugees, as Hong Kong was formerly the port of first asylum for them.
A tour of the Victoria Prison will take you through the six former structures of incarceration, from Hall A to Hall F. Of these, Hall B has been preserved in its original layout, hosting 78 cells. Hall B was an extension block that served as the extension of the Victoria Prison due to overcrowding. It was the construction work of the prisoners themselves. Hall B was a high security block, the intention of which was to house the most serious offenders of the law. There is indeed a slightly eerie vibe in Hall B.
Steeped in historic vibes, the Barrack Block is also a beautiful structure with a neoclassical façade. Built in 1864, the Barrack Block gave home to 200 single constables and also single and married sergeants.
It also has an imposing architecture with granite staircases and floors. It was built to meet the same style as a British military barrack. A veranda, as the typical feature of colonial buildings in Hong Kong, lies by the parade ground.
While I enjoyed all of the sightseeing above, I found the Chapel Mural to be particularly soothing amidst a history that was slightly heavy and haunting.
The Chapel Mural was breathtaking in its ageless gracefulness. It felt like a world that contained a serenity of its own.
As a whole, the Centra Police Station Compound was decommissioned by 2004. Thereafter, the structures were restored to prepare for a new, bright chapter of its history, as a space for arts, culture and history learning since 2018. As with all major revitalized heritage sites in Hong Kong, there is always the element of leisure, as shown in the thriving business scene on site. Many restaurants establish their presence at the Barack Block. I managed to find somewhere more low-key, a coffee shop in Tai Kwun that was all around perfect.
It might be a little difficult to find Tozzo on 2/F, JC Contemporary. I had to make my way to the JC Contemporary building further back from the Victoria Prison, then made my way to second floor, which, as a space for exhibitions, did not appear to be a place for leisurely coffee.
But it is there, and I asked for seating outside.
At the terrace overlooking the tiled roof of the Barrack Block, you will have a brief moment of respite from the crowds of tourists that are ever so aggressive in their photo taking. The ambience is clean, relaxed and hip at Tozzo.
Its menu features a reasonable array of choices, both savory and sweet. I opted for a sandwich and it was quite good.
In all considerations, the Tai Kwun has retired into an age of glory by now.
Antiquities and Monuments Office on Former Central Police Compound, Central.
Descriptions on site at Tai Kwun.
The Wikipedia on the Central Magistracy (Chin).
The Wikipedia on Victoria Prison.
The Eikando-ji Temple of Kyoto is a Heian period temple practicing the Jodo school of Buddhism. A view of its beautiful temple grounds in the evening was an amazing experience. During the very crowded fall foliage season, the temples of Kyoto are illuminated for visitors …
The fantastic tour at the Samurai Museum presents visitors with a brief history lesson of feudal Japan. The young and knowledgeable tour guides shed light on the hierarchy of Japan’s ruling power during the Shogunate period, which lasted for roughly 7 centuries between 1192 and …
The fantastic tour at the Samurai Museum presents visitors with a brief history lesson of feudal Japan. The young and knowledgeable tour guides shed light on the hierarchy of Japan’s ruling power during the Shogunate period, which lasted for roughly 7 centuries between 1192 and 1867 A.D. During this time, Japan alternated between the unnerving peace under military dictatorships and the destructive chaos of civil wars before the Meiji Restoration ushered in the modern era for the nation.
The Samurai Museum is certainly a top activity for a trip in Kyoto. It balances history learning with quite a bit of fun. It is especially suitable for family with children. Even as an adult, I enjoyed participating in the game of throwing shuriken, a typical distraction device of the ninjas. English tours are available.
The Shogun title was hereditary. There were three families of the Shoguns during the Shogunate period. The first shogunate was named the Kamakura Shogunate (1192-1333 A.D., in Kamakura), which was the name of its administrative capital. The Ashikaga Shogunate (1338-1573 A.D., in Kyoto) and Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868 A.D., in Edo, now Tokyo) each donned its name to that particular historical period. These shogunates were based in different cities, but the official seat of the Emperor was always Kyoto.
Generally meaning “generalissimo,” the Shogun was originally the head of the commanding troops that served the interests of Japan’s Emperors. However, “the increasingly feudal character of Japanese society created a situation in which control of the military became tantamount to control of the country,” and the first Shogunate Minamoto Yoritomo established his grip on all ruling power over Japan (Britannica), thus beginning the Shogunate period, what was effectively a military rule.
Photo: The clans of the Samurai each had their own crest.
It was in 1600 that the Tokugawa Shogunate established hegemony against the Daimyo (more below) that revolted in the Ashikaga period. With its ruling center in Edo (now Tokyo), the first Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, reunified Japan. The Togukawa Shogunate managed to sustain a strong and stable authority over all matters, in all realms of administrative, judicial, military, cultural and religious affairs.
Toward the end of the Tokugawa period, the Shogun had proven himself to be powerless against the impending threats of opening up Japan to foreign influence and trade. Factions of powers began proposing the abandonment of the Shogunate. The supporters of the Emperor envisioned modernization of the nation by restoring imperial authority with the establishment of modern governance. It was in the Nijo Castle that the last Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu declared the transfer of power to the Emperor in the Taiseihokan of 1867.
At the apex of power stands the Emperor of Japan. During this period, the Shogun was the one military dictator that wielded real power in Japan. The Emperor served only a ceremonial and nominal role as the sovereign.
During the Ashikaga Shogunate, what lies beneath the Shogun is a system of loyalty built around the vassal states that were given out to the feudal warlords, known as the Daimyo. The Daimyo oversaw their own land and people as leaders of their own respective clans. It was also during the Ashikaga Shogunate that the Daimyo became a threat to the ruling authority of the Shogun. The continuous tensions between the Shogun and the Daimyo were one of the causes for civil unrest during the Shogunate period.
Within these clans there were about 5% – 10% of members of the nobility that served as the samurai, who were essentially the warriors that fought for the Daimyo as their masters. At the bottom of the hierarchy were Ronin, the mercenary fighters that did not serve a particular noble master, then fishermen and farmers, craftsmen and merchants.
At the Samurai Museum, the Samurai and the Ninja were the stars of the show. Their origins, identities, history and culture expressed the defining traits of Japanese society during the medieval times. I will discuss the samurai in this entry, and ninja in the next.
In so many ways the samurai is the very window into understanding the nature of feudalism in Japan. The status of a samurai is passed on by lineage only, meaning that one had to be born into a samurai clan, or be adopted by, or married into one, in order to become one.
Yes, you read it right. There were female samurai. There were instances where the wives or the only female heirs to the samurai clan had to take the helm and manage the clan as the female samurai.
In feudal Japan, when the common people came across the samurai, or any person of a higher rank, they had to perform the etiquette known as dogeza. One would be sitting on the ground and kneel, and bow with the forehead touching the ground for 10 seconds. The idea is that one is lowering himself in humility to a person of a higher position in the power hierarchy. This type of deference could mean life or death for the common people — you could be killed if you did not do so.
The samurai’s warfare attire came with a whole lot of features that did not seem conducive to fighting. This is especially so because in much of the medieval times battles were fought by swords, until the Edo period, when the foot soldiers would carry rifles. The helmets of a samurai alone weighed up to 10kg.
Photo: An armor of the samurai. The moustache in the head area is a deceptive ploy. This armor was meant to be worn by a relatively young samurai. The moustache served to fool the enemy into thinking that it is a grown samurai that they are fighting.
The mounted armor served both protective and ceremonial purposes. The samurai were dressed this way mainly because they were the commanders of their troops. They must be dressed in a way that distinguished themselves from the rank and file fighters. This was to ensure that the soldiers could see their commander from a distance.
The katana is perhaps the most recognized item associated with the samurai. It is a single-edged blade with a long grip. The samurai wore it with the sharp edge facing up. The katana was more common during the Edo period. Before then, the samurai were, first and foremost, archers. Therefore the mounted archers were actually the classic, original weapon that typified the samurai’s warrior profile.
History scholars have traced the practice of seppuku to Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He performed seppuku when he faced certain defeat with no chance of retreat in the Genpei War in 1189 A.D. The Minamoto clan would eventually seize power as the first Shogunate, however.
Seppuku embodies the spirit of bushido, the Code of Samurai. The basic tenets of bushido are honor, loyalty, honesty, respect, courage, justice and mercy.
Warriors, when faced with inevitable defeat or shame, chose the honorable way to die. As a manner of suicide, seppuku was incredibly painful and gruesome. The samurai used his katana for disembowelment (slitting open the stomach). This was a ritualistic death only available to the samurai (the commoners doing so would not have any cultural significance at all). The samurai would commit suicide this way as a means to atone for crimes, regain lost honor or to avoid disgraceful capture. Some samurai have died in the name of avenging their masters, as a show of loyalty.
The movie The Last Samurai was not completely true to historical facts. The true last samurai is known to be Saigo Takamori, who lived between 1828 and 1877. At first, the last samurai, of the Satsuma clan, served the Shogun, but he quit and joined the imperial forces. During the Boshin war that resulted in the final demise of the Shogunate in 1867, he was the most important commander. Thereafter, he disavowed his loyalty to the Emperor, and launched his own rebellion in southern Japan.
As he had been defeated by the imperial forces in the Battle of Shiroyama, also known to be “the samurai’s last stand,” Saigo Takamori died by committing seppuku, as the honor code of the samurai demanded of him.
In the official books, there was no American samurai commander that rose against the Japanese Emperor during the Boshin War. However, there was indeed a French commander named Jules Brunet that trained the force for the Shogun and fought against the Emperor in northern Japan. Jules Brunet eventually lost and he left Japan. He might have been the person that inspired The Last Samurai.
With the Meiji Restoration came serious efforts to modernize and westernize Japan. In face of threats by foreign powers (the United States and others) to open up Japan, the Emperor wanted to establish a modern army. It thus concluded the historic role of the samurai as the warrior protectors of the powers that be in Japan.
Today, the samurai is only a thing left to the romanticized imagination of an era that has long since bygone. Although about 5% of the Japanese population can rightly claim its pedigree as samurai descendants, it has no relevance in their daily lives. The samurai is an antiquity that properly belongs to fascinating museums.
Descriptions on site at the Samurai Museum.
Britannica, Shogunate.
Allthatisinteresting.com on seppuku.
Sengokuchronicles.com, Battle of Shiroyama: Saigo Takamori’s Last Stand.
I went to Nishiki Market twice on this trip to Kyoto. The irony is that I went the second time because the first time was not good enough, and I would not rest until I found something fantastic there. Having gone twice and confirmed that …