Vajiravudh Rama VI of Siam
King of Siam
Reign	23 October 1910–25 November 1925
Born	January 1, 1881(1881-01-01)
Died	November 25, 1925 (aged 44)
Predecessor	King Chulalongkorn
Successor	King Prajadhipok
Consort	Four queens and princesses consort
Issue	Bejaratana
Dynasty	Chakri Dynasty
Father	Chulalongkorn
Mother	Queen Saovabha

Vajiravudh (January 1, 1881 – November 25, 1925) (Rama VI, reigning title Phra Mongkut Klao Chaoyuhua; Thai: พระบาทสมเด็จพระมงกุฎเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว) was King of Siam (now Thailand) from 1910 until his death. He succeeded his father, King Chulalongkorn. His mother was Queen Sripatcharinthara or Queen Saovabha. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 479 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (994 × 1245 pixels, file size: 96 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... King Chulalongkorn the Great or Rama V (royal name: Phra Chula Chomklao Chaoyuhua; Thai: ) (September 20, 1853 – October 23, 1910) was the fifth king of the Chakri dynasty of Thailand. ... His Majesty King Prajadhipok (Rama VII, Thai: Phra Pokklao Chaoyuhua) (November 8, 1893 - May 30, 1941) was the seventh king of the Chakri dynasty. ... HRH Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda Sirisobhabannavadi the only daughter of late King Vajiravudh of Thailand (Siam) Princess Bejaratana HRH Princess Bejaratana (pronounced Pet-Cha-Rat) was born on 24 November 1925, the only child of HM King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) and HRH Pra Nang Chao Suvadhana. ... The Chakri dynasty has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Ratthanakosin era in 1782 after king Taksin of Thonburi was executed and the capital of Siam shifted to Bangkok. ... King Chulalongkorn the Great or Rama V (royal name: Phra Chula Chomklao Chaoyuhua; Thai: ) (September 20, 1853 – October 23, 1910) was the fifth king of the Chakri dynasty of Thailand. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... King Chulalongkorn the Great or Rama V (royal name: Phra Chula Chomklao Chaoyuhua; Thai: ) (September 20, 1853 – October 23, 1910) was the fifth king of the Chakri dynasty of Thailand. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Education and accession

When Vajiravudh was only eleven years old, he was sent to study at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Later he studied history and law at Christ Church, Oxford. He was greatly influenced by English culture. When his brother Crown Prince Vajirunhis unexpectedly died at age 16, Vajiravudh was named crown prince. After his father's death, he became the sixth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty on October 23, 1910. New College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst New Colours are presented to RMAS, June 2005. ... and of the Christ Church College name Christ Church Latin name Ædes Christi Named after Jesus Christ Established 1546 Sister college Trinity College, Cambridge Dean The Very Revd Christopher Andrew Lewis JCR president Laura Ellis Undergraduates 426 GCR president Tim Benjamin Graduates 154 Location of Christ Church within central Oxford... Crown Prince Vajirunhis (Thai: , 1878- January 4, 1895) was the first Crown Prince of the Chakri Dynasty. ... The Chakri dynasty has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Ratthanakosin era in 1782 after king Taksin of Thonburi was executed and the capital of Siam shifted to Bangkok. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

King of Thailand

King Vajiravudh reigned during the transition from an old-fashioned to a modernized Thailand. He continued the modernizations introduced by his father, whose achievements were difficult to follow. At the end of the reign of Rama VI, Siam suffered from many serious problems, some of which were setbacks resulting from modernization. Siam had spent much money on western technology, while receiving little from the export of its mainly agricultural products. The King considered political reform or democratization of the system of absolute monarchy, but ultimately decided the people were not ready for it. Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Absolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government where the monarch has the power to rule his or her land or country and its citizens freely, with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition in force. ...

When King Vajiravudh ascended to the throne, he was the only hope for the people of the famine and plague stricken country. However, some were disappointed to see that the new king could barely manage the tasks that were essential for the country.

1911 Coup

Frustration with the King was most strikingly visible when a military coup d'état against him took place on November 11, 1911. The coup leaders planned to seize the king and force him to peacefully abdicate, after which they would urge other princes to take his place as the first President of a Siamese republic. The coup failed, and all the accomplices were arrested. The coup leaders accused the King of devoting his time to writing plays and acting in them with his companions. They also accused the king of living a luxurious life in western style; building Sanam Chan Palace and Lumphini Park, and owning expensive horses from Australia, while preaching to his subjects to be austere and nationalistic. The most important factor in the coup was the king's introduction of senior companions to the nobility and the military. The coup leaders thought that this disrupted the military order and unduly increased the power of the throne. This coup became the inspiration for the revolution in 1932. Coup redirects here. ... is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Chali Mongkol Asana, in the style of a European castle Sanam Chan Palace consists of a number of buildings on a site in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. ... Lumphini Park is a 140-acre park in Bangkok, Thailand. ...

Key contributions

Literary works

King Vajiravudh was one of Thailand's highly renowned artists, writing modern novels, short stories, plays and even journals. Among his works were translations of three Shakespeare plays - The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet and many other writing pieces to promote the ideology of Thai nationalism. In several writings, he criticised the ethnic Chinese in Thailand as being "Jews of the East", particularly the immigrant traders, due in part to the their economic affluence in Thailand.^[1] Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Title page of the first quarto (1600) The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written sometime between 1596 and 1598. ... Walter Deverell,The Mock Marriage of Orlando and Rosalind, 1853 William Shakespeares As You Like It is a pastoral comedy written in 1599 or early 1600. ... For other uses, see Romeo and Juliet (disambiguation). ... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolizing French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ...

Portrait of Vajiravudh

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Administrative reform and nationalism

Among King Vajiravudh's most notable accomplishments were the reform of the country's administration, the establishment of a school and a university, the abolition of polygamy (although the royal family was immune), the surname system as used in western countries, and a flag. He also established the 1924 Palace Law of Succession, which governs succession to the Thai throne to this day. However his most notable contribution was the focus on nationalism. King Vajiravudh is considered the father of Thai nationalism, which was later built upon by Field Marshall Phibunsongkhram and Sarit Dhanarajata. He introduced the practice of using the name Rama for the Chakri kings in deference to foreign practice. Flag ratio: 2:3 The flag of Thailand shows five horizontal stripes in the colours red, white, blue, white and red. ... The 1924 Palace Law of Succession (Thai: กฏมณเฑียรบาลว่าด้วยการสืบราชสันตติวงศ์ พ.ศ. 2467) governs succession over the Throne of the Kingdom of Thailand. ... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolizing French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolizing French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ... Field Marshall Phibunsongkhram (July 14, 1887 - June 11, 1964) (also sometimes spelled Phibul Songkhram or Pibul Songgram) was prime minister and military dictator in Thailand from 1938-1944 and 1948-1957. ... Field Marshal Sarit Dhanarajata (Thai: สฤษดิ์ ธนะรัชต์, RTGS: Sarit Thanarat), (June 16, 1908 - December 8, 1963) staged a coup in 1957 and served as Thailands dictator until his death in 1963. ...

Education

King Vajiravudh established the Kingdom's first school and university. Upon his accession to the throne, he founded Royal Pages College in 1910. The school was modelled on the traditional English public school, which the King had appreciated while he was spending his education in England. After his death in 1925, the school was renamed Vajiravudh College in his honor. Vajiravudh also established Chulalongkorn University in 1917. The University, which was named in honour of his father, was the first western-style university in the country. An all-boys Thai boarding school, Vajiravudh College was established by Phra Mongkut Klao Chaoyuhua King Rama VI which is also known as King Vajiravudh. ... Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand [1] and has long been considered one of the countrys most prestigious universities. ...

Other

Vajiravudh was also the first king to see Siam fight in a foreign war. Siam took part in World War I on the side of the Allied Powers. Though the Siamese did not do much fighting, they were the only Southeast Asians in the European theatre (except for 140,000^[2] Vietnamese troops and workers drafted by the French). “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Many of his works were inherited by his only daughter, HRH Princess Bejaratana. HRH Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda Sirisobhabannavadi the only daughter of late King Vajiravudh of Thailand (Siam) Princess Bejaratana HRH Princess Bejaratana (pronounced Pet-Cha-Rat) was born on 24 November 1925, the only child of HM King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) and HRH Pra Nang Chao Suvadhana. ...

Through most of his reign there was a good deal of criticism of the king. Some argued that the real power in the state lay with the king's favourites, the young men of his inner entourage for whom he had written plays and with whom he played games and organised clubs and societies. It was commonly known, but never spoken of, that the King was in fact an "erratic homosexual" .^[3] He would in fact usually have been passed over had his father not introduced succession-by-legal-primogeniture. Primogeniture is the common law right of the first born son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings. ...

Some, like King Chulalongkorn before his death and Queen Saowapha, his mother, frowned on the king's personal life and his almost total lack of interest in the opposite sex.^[4]

Marriage and succession

On 10 August 1924, King Vajiravudh married Chao Chom Suvadhana (เจ้าจอมสุวัทนา). She was granted the title Princess Consort Suvadhana or HRH Phra Nang Chao Suvadhana (พระนางเจ้าสุวัทนา พระวรราชเทวี) on 10 October 1925. is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

With Her Royal Highness Princess Suvadhana, King Vajiravudh had one daughter named Her Royal Highness Princess Bejaratana (สมเด็จพระเจ้าภคินีเธอ เจ้าฟ้าเพชรรัตนราชสุดา สิริโสภาพัณณวดี). The daughter was born on 24 November 1925, just 2 hours before the king's demise. Her Royal Highness Princess Suvadhana (Thai: ) was the royal consort of late King Vajiravudh (Rama VI). ... HRH Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda Sirisobhabannavadi the only daughter of late King Vajiravudh of Thailand (Siam) Princess Bejaratana HRH Princess Bejaratana (pronounced Pet-Cha-Rat) was born on 24 November 1925, the only child of HM King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) and HRH Pra Nang Chao Suvadhana. ...

Without a direct male heir, King Vajiravudh's brother Prajadhipok became the new monarch. His Majesty King Prajadhipok (Rama VII, Thai: Phra Pokklao Chaoyuhua) (November 8, 1893 - May 30, 1941) was the seventh king of the Chakri dynasty. ...

References

1. ^ Chris Baker, Pasuk Phongpaichit. A History of Thailand. Cambridge University Press, 114-6. ISBN 0521816157. 
2. ^ Sanderson Beck: Vietnam and the French: South Asia 1800-1950, paperback, 629 pages
3. ^ Greene, Stephen, 'Thai Government and Administration in the Reign of Rama VI (1910/1925),' PhD Thesis, University of London 1971, p 92
4. ^ David Wyatt: Thailand, A Short History: Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai, 2003

• Greene, Stephen Lyon Wakeman. Absolute Dreams. Thai Government Under Rama VI, 1910-1925. Bangkok: White Lotus, 1999.
• Vella, Walter Francis. Chaiyo! King Vajiravudh and the Development of Thai Nationalism. Honolulu: The University Press of Hawaii, 1978.

Chris Baker is a Thailand-based writer. ... Pasuk Phongpaichit is a Thai economist, a Professor at Chulalongkorn University, and the author of several books on corruption in Thailand. ...

See also

• History of Thailand (1768-1932)
• 1924 Palace Law of Succession