Unraveling the Siamese elite’s perception in the early Rattanakosin period towards India

Abstract

This article aims to examine the evolving perceptions of the Siamese elite towards India in the early Rattanakosin period prior to the reign of King Rama V. It is thus different from conventional studies that usually focus on the visit of King Rama V to India in 1872 as a turning point of the Siamese elite’s perception toward India. Previous studies tend to overlook the historical dynamics of the Siamese elite’s perception especially in early Rattanakosin period. Therefore, this article sheds some light on the underexplored aspect of the Siamese elite’s perception towards India in the early Rattanakosin period. It argues the changing perception is both a product of and a mirror that reflects the changing of external and internal perspectives of Siamese elites in the early Rattanakosin period. During the early Rattanakosin period, the confrontation with Western powers and Siam’s need to reorient itself into a Western-centric economy conditioned the Siamese elite’s changing perception toward India from participating in the Buddhist ecumene to becoming a commercial trading partner. The changing perceptions can be seen from changes in the writing of religious scriptures and literature in the early Rattanakosin period. This article thus broadens knowledge on the image of India in Siam and reveals the sophisticated dynamic of the Siamese elite’s perception towards India at the turn to modern era.