|
King Rama II and His Sons
 King Rama I's son
Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai, or Rama II,
acceded to the throne peacefully and was fortunate to have inherited the
crown during a time of stability. His reign was especially remarkable for
the heights attained by Thai poetry, particularly in the works of the King
himself and of Sunthon Phu, one of the court poets. King Rama II was a man
gifted with an all-round artistic talent: he had a hand in the carving of
Wat Suthat's vihara door-panels, considered to be the supreme masterpiece of
Thai woodcarving.
At the end of King Rama II's reign, two princes were in contention for
the succession. Prince Chetsadabodin was lesser in rank than Prince Mongkut,
but he was older, had greater experience of government, and had a wider
power base. In a celebrated example of Thai crisis power management, Prince
Mongkut (who had just entered the monkhood) remained monk for the whole of
his brother's reign (1824-1851). The avoidance of an open struggle between
the princes worked out well for both the country and for the Royal House.
While King Rama III ruled firmly and with wisdom, his half-brother was
accumulating experience that was to prove invaluable to him during his years
as king. The priest-prince Mongkut was able to travel extensively, to see
for himself how ordinary Thais lived, and to the lay the foundations for a
reform of the Buddhist clergy. In the late 1830's he had set up what was to
become the Thammayut sect or order (dhammayutika nikaya), an order of monks
which became stronger under royal patronage. To this very day the royal
family of Thailand is still closely associated with the Thammayut order. |
