The Buddhist Cultural Intergration in the Tributary States during the Reign of Rama I (1782-1809 A.D.)

Abstract

The article aims at studying Buddhist cultural integration, a process to construct the Kingdom of Siam in the early Rattanakosin period. The integration was deemed necessary for exercising power in ruling the Kingdom's tributary states. It began in the reign of Rama I, the first king of the Chakri Dynasty, when the king himself initiated the method through Buddhism, which was the embodiment of culture in the region. Each province had a different pattern of social integration depending on their social context. Although some provinces did not accomplish their goal in his reign, the attempt became a solid foundation to strengthen the royal power afterwards.