Amarindra ( th, อมรินทรา, , ; 15 March 1737 – 25 May 1826) was the Queen Consort 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. Her birth name was Nak (นาค). She was a daughter of a wealthy
Mon from Bang Chang, in
Samut Songkhram Province.
Biography
Nak was born in 1737 to a local patron of Bang Chang named Thong and his wife San. She was then married to Thong Duang the ''Luang Yokkrabat'' of
Ratchaburi
Ratchaburi ( th, ราชบุรี, ) or Rajburi, Rat Buri) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in western Thailand, capital of Ratchaburi Province.
Ratchaburi town covers the entire ''tambon'' Na Mueang (หน้าเมือง) of Mueang ...
(future
Rama I
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 T ...
) around 1760 to avoid being taken as a court lady to King
Ekathat. She having three sons and seven daughters to Thong Duang. Her sister, Nuan, was married to Bunnag – the progenitor of
Bunnag family
The House of Bunnag ( th, บุนนาค; ) was a powerful Siamese noble family of Mon- Persian descent influential during the late Ayutthaya kingdom and early Rattanakosin period. Originally of Persian Islamic descent, they converted en masse ...
.
Thong Duang was granted the title ''Somdet Chao Phraya'' by King
Taksin
King Taksin the Great ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew: Dên Chao; April 17, ...
in 1776. In 1779, the ''Somdet Chao Phraya'' went on his campaigns against
Vientiane
Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...
and took a daughter of King Suriyavong of Vientiane as his concubine –
Kamwaen. Kam Waen became ''Somdet Chao Phrayas favorite much to the dismay of Nak. One day, she beat Kam Waen with a wooden stick and Kam Waen ran for the ''Somdet Chao Phraya''. The ''Somdet Chao Phraya'' was enraged with the incident and threatened to murder Nak with a sword,
only with the help of her son
Chim (the future Rama II) was Nak able to flee to the
Thonburi Palace
Thonburi Palace, also known in Thai as Phra Racha Wang Derm ( th, พระราชวังเดิม, , literally ''former palace''), is the former royal palace of King Taksin, who ruled the Siamese ( Thai) kingdom of Thonburi following the f ...
to live with her daughter Chimyai (concubine to King Taksin).
After the incident, Nak and the king had never came into reconciliation. Lady Nak stayed in the Thonburi Palace with her daughter and after her death in 1779 took care of her children including Prince
Kasatranuchit. The ''Somdet Chao Phraya'' became a monarch in 1782 and most of Taksin's sons were executed except for Prince Kasatranuchit who was his own grandson. Lady Nak and her grandsons moved to her former resident and had never received any royal titles. She occasionally went to the
Grand Palace to visit her daughters. In 1809, King Rama I died and was succeeded by his son Rama II who raised his mother Nak to the rank of queen – ''Krom Somdet'' Phra Amarindramat ( th, กรมสมเด็จพระอมรินทรามาตย์) the Queen Mother and moved to the Grand Palace. However, Prince Kasatranuchit was found to be in a rebellion and was executed along with his siblings and sons. She lived to see her grandson crowned as
Rama III
Nangklao ( th, พระบาทสมเด็จพระนั่งเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว, ; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), birth name Thap ( th, ทับ), also styled Rama III, was the third king of Siam u ...
and outlived all her children. Queen Amarindra died in 1826.
Queen Amarindra was later raised to ''Somdet Phra Amarindra Boromma Rajini'' ( th, สมเด็จพระอมรินทราบรมราชินี) by King
Vajiravudh.
Queen Amarindra had a total ten children with King Rama I; three sons and seven daughters
#A princess (died in Ayutthaya period)
#A prince (died in Ayutthaya period)
#Princess Chimyai (?–1779) royal concubine to King Taksin
#
Prince Chim (1767–1824) The Prince Isarasundhorn, The Viceroy of His Majesty King
Rama I
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 T ...
#Princess Chaem (1770–1808) The Princess Sisunthornthep
#A princess (died in Thonburi period)
#Prince Chui (1773–1817) The Prince
Senanurak The Viceroy of His Majesty King
Rama II
Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai ( th, พระพุทธเลิศหล้านภาลัย, 24 February 1767 – 21 July 1824), personal name Chim ( th, ฉิม), also styled as Rama II, was the second monarch of Siam under the Chakri ...
#A princess (died in Thonburi period)
#A princess (died in Thonburi period)
#Princess Prapaiwadi (1777–1823) The Princess Thepayawadi
References
External links
THE RATTANAKOSIN PERIOD
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amarindra
1737 births
1826 deaths
People from Samut Songkhram province
Thai people of Mon descent
18th-century Chakri dynasty
19th-century Chakri dynasty
18th-century Thai people
19th-century Thai people
Thai queens consort
Queen mothers