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Concept
Taksin
Summary
King Taksin the Great (สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi (สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew: Dên Chao; April 17, 1734 – April 7, 1782) was the only king of the Thonburi Kingdom that ruled Thailand from 1767 to 1782. He had been an aristocrat in the Ayutthaya Kingdom and then was a major leader during the liberation of Siam from Burmese occupation after the Second Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, and the subsequent unification of Siam after it fell under various warlords. He established the city of Thonburi as the new capital, as the city of Ayutthaya had been almost completely destroyed by the invaders. His reign was characterized by numerous wars; he fought to repel new Burmese invasions and to subjugate the northern Thai kingdom of Lanna, the Laotian principalities, and a threatening Cambodia.
Although warfare occupied most of Taksin's reign, he paid a great deal of attention to politics, administration, economy, and the welfare of the country. He promoted trade and fostered relations with foreign countries. He had roads built and canals dug. Apart from restoring and renovating temples, the king attempted to revive literature, and various branches of the arts such as drama, painting, architecture and handicrafts. He also issued regulations for the collection and arrangement of various texts to promote education and religious studies.
He was taken in a coup d'état and executed, and succeeded by his long-time friend Maha Ksatriyaseuk, who then assumed the throne, founding the Rattanakosin Kingdom and the Chakri dynasty, which has since ruled Thailand. In recognition for his deeds, he was later awarded the title of Maharaj (The Great).
Taksin was born on April 17, 1734, in Ayutthaya. Taksin had Chinese Teochew, Thai and Mon ancestry. His father, Yong Saetae (หยง แซ่แต้; Zhèng Yōng), who worked as a tax-collector, was of Ethnic Teochew descent from Chenghai District, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
His mother, Nokiang (นกเอี้ยง), was of Mon-Thai descent (and was later appointed to establish the royal title of the Princess Mother Thephamat).
Official source
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