Ubonwanna: History of a Woman during the Turn of an Era

Abstract

This research aims to study the biographies of Ubonwanna. Almost all of these were written by contemporaneous persons, whether through knowing her in person or through meeting, conversing, and exchanging ideas with her. These biographies are important for micro-historical methodology; they represent some memories, voices, and identities. Besides those sources, her stories can be found in the official documents of Siam in the National Archives, both directly and indirectly (through other people’s references). This article found that these biographies and stories need to be understood in context; more specifically, when Lanna faced the incoming of foreigners and encountered a colonial economy, that is, Burma under British rule. At the same time, Siam pushed forward many reform projects to claim that Lanna was a part of Siam and that its government was the only power that possessed and granted rights in Lanna, whether in forest concessions, court trials, passing laws, and signing treaties. These transformations occurred during and provided the context for Ubonwanna’s life.