ทบทวนความสัมพันธ์ สยาม-มลายู และการเข้ามาของชาวมลายู ในภาคกลางของประเทศไทย

Abstract

This article aims at rethinking the Siam’s
relations to the Malay states in lights of the
historical evidences from both Thai authority
and the Malay counterpart. It found out that their
relations were officially established in the
Ayutthaya period and continued to the present
day; such relations took various forms, i.e.
warfare, political competition, and transregional
trades. Among the significant factors that have
maintained their multi-facet relations are
military strength and political influence. As a
result of the fluctuating relations, Malay people
started to come to settle in the Central Plains
in the Ayutthaya period, primarily for trading.
However, in the early Bangkok period more
Malay people migrated to Central Thailand as
a consequence of a series of Siam’s triumphs
over the Malay sultanates, especially following
its battle with Patani. At that time, Malay people
were taken to Bangkok as prisoners of war for
reasons of national security and economic
expansion. The relocation of Malay prisoners
of war took place as three separate waves;
two of which were in the reign of King Rama I
(1789 and 1789 AD) and the other one in the
reign of King Rama III (1832 AD). Currently, the
descendants of the Malay prisoners of war,
approximately more than one million people,
have been recognized as part of the modern
Thai society. They have inhabited Bangkok
metropolis and the surrounding provinces,
especially Pathumthani and Nonthaburi. Some
of them travelled to make settlement in the
eastern region.