Somdet Phra Chao Lan Ther Chaofa Thong-In Krom Phra Rajawang Boworn Sathan Phimuk ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้าหลานเธอ เจ้าฟ้าทองอิน กรมพระราชวังบวรสถานภิมุข, lit: ''His Royal Highness Prince Thong-In, the Deputy Viceroy of Siam'') (28 March 1746 – 20 December 1806) was a
Siamese Prince and military leader. A nephew of King
Phutthayotfa Chulalok
Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok Maharaj (, 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), personal name Thongduang (), also known as Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and the first monarch of the reigning Chakri dynasty of Siam (now Thai ...
(Rama I) the founder of the
Chakri Dynasty
The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the ...
, he was appointed Deputy Viceroy or
Rear Palace, the 3rd highest position in the kingdom. Becoming the only person to hold that title during the
Rattanakosin Kingdom.
Life
Thong-In (ทองอิน) was born on 28 March 1746 to an
Ayutthayan aristocrat Phra Intraraksa (Seam) and Sa (later Princess Sister
Thepsuthavadi; the eldest child of Thongdee and Daoreung). Sa was also the elder sister of Thong Duang, later Chao Phraya Chakri and in 1782 King Phutthayotfa Chulalok. Thong-In was the eldest child and has two younger brothers and a sister.
For a time Thong-In served in the Army under King
Taksin
King Taksin the Great ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew dialect, Teochew: Dên ...
of
Thonburi
__NOTOC__
Thonburi ( th, ธนบุรี) is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River had made it an important garrison town, which is ...
as Luang Ritnaiwair (หลวงฤทธิ์นายเวร). In 1780 he was raised to the rank of Phraya Suriyaphai (พระยาสุริยอภัย) and was appointed governor of
Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima ( th, นครราชสีมา, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, known as the "big four of Isan". The city is commonly known as Korat (, ), a shortened form of its name. It is the governmental seat of ...
.
When his uncle ascended to the throne as King of the new Rattanakosin Kingdom in 1782, he elevated his nephew to the rank of ''Chaofa'' (most senior rank of Prince). Soon he was appointed to the title of ''Krom Phra Rajawang Boworn Sathan Phimuk'' and
Rear Palace or Deputy Viceroy (
Deputy Uparaja), this meant he was essentially the third most powerful individual in the Kingdom. When the new capital was built at
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
Prince Anurak Devesh built his residence (Wang Lang) back in
Thonburi
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Thonburi ( th, ธนบุรี) is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River had made it an important garrison town, which is ...
, directly opposite the Front Palace, today the site is now occupied by the
Siriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital ( th, โรงพยาบาลศิริราช; ) is the oldest and largest hospital in Thailand. It is in Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus. It is the ...
.
After becoming the Rear Palace he assisted King Rama I in his fight against King
Bodawpaya
Bodawpaya ( my, ဘိုးတော်ဘုရား, ; th, ปดุง; 11 March 1745 – 5 June 1819) was the sixth king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma. Born Maung Shwe Waing and later Badon Min, he was the fourth son of Alaungpaya, fou ...
of
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
in 1785 during the
Nine Armies War
9 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
9 or nine may also refer to:
Dates
* AD 9, the ninth year of the AD era
* 9 BC, the ninth year before the AD era
* 9, numerical symbol for the month of September
Places
* Nine, Portugal, a parish in the ...
. During the conflict he personally accompanied the King to recapture the city of
Phitsanulok
Phitsanulok ( th, พิษณุโลก, ) is an important, historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province. Phitsanulok is home to Naresuan University and Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, as well as ...
from the Burmese.
Death
Anurak Devesh died on the 20 December 1806 at the age of 60. After his death King Rama I decided not to appoint anyone to succeed him as Rear Palace and left the office vacant, the tradition was carried by subsequent kings until the official abolishment of the title in 1885 by King
Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...
. Making Anurak Devesh the only Rear Palace of the Chakri Dynasty.
The Prince had 35 children, six borne from his consort Thongyu, others by concubines. Of his six children (borne with Thongyu), the four sons and two daughters received the title of ''Phra Ong Chao'' (the middle rank of Princes). The rest (borne with concubines) received the title of ''Mom Chao'' (the most junior rank of Princes), however during the reign of King
Mongkut
Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...
(Rama IV), all 35 children was given the additional title of "Royal Cousins" (พระสัมพันธวงศ์เธอ or Phra Samphan Wong Ther).
References
* Translated from the Thai Wikipedia
วชิราวุธานุสรณ์สารNational Library of Thailand
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anurak Devesh
Rear Palaces
Thai male Chao Fa
1746 births
1806 deaths
18th-century Chakri dynasty
19th-century Chakri dynasty