The ''samuhanayok'' ( th, สมุหนายก) was one of the two chief ministers in the historical
Chatusadom
Chatusadom or Catustambha ( th, จตุสดมภ์ , literally "Four Pillars" from Sanskrit ''Catur'' "Four" + ''Stambha'' "Pillars") was the Thai system of central executive governance during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Thonburi Kingdom and R ...
government system of Siam (now
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
), originally charged with civil affairs but later overseeing both civil and military affairs in northern cities. During the
Ayutthaya and
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 ...
periods, the official who held the post usually took the
noble title of Chakri ( th, จักรี, ).
The term, from Sanskrit
चक्री ''cakrī'', literally meant "one who has a
discus", referring to the Hindu god
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
who possesses the discus
Sudarshana
Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्र, lit. "disc of auspicious vision", IAST: Sudarśana Chakra) is a spinning, celestial discus with 108 serrated edges, attributed to Vishnu and Krishna in the Hindu scriptures. The Sud ...
).
The last office-holder to be known by the title Chakri was Thongduang, who established the
Rattanakosin Kingdom and became 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 ...
in 1782. His dynasty, which includes the current Thai royal family, is known as 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 t ...
after his former title. Later office-holders of Rattanakosin were granted individualized titles.
List of ''samuhanayok''
Officials who served as ''samuhanayok'' included:
Ayutthaya
* Phraya Chakri, who served under King
Mahinthrathirat
Mahinthrathirat ( th, มหินทราธิราช, , ; 1539–1569) was king of Ayutthaya 1564 to 1568 and again in 1569. He ruled his first reign as a vassal of Toungoo Burma before restoring his father in 1568 as the sovereign king. H ...
and was a spy for King
Bayinnaung
, image = File:Bayinnaung.JPG
, caption = Statue of Bayinnaung in front of the National Museum of Myanmar
, reign = 30 April 1550 – 10 October 1581
, coronation = 11 January 1551 at Toung ...
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 ...
, leading to the
first fall of Ayutthaya in 1569
*
Chaophraya Bowonratchanayok (Sheikh Ahmad), who served under King
Songtham
Songtham ( th, ทรงธรรม, ) or Intharacha III was the King of Ayutthaya from 1610/11 to 1628 of the House of Sukhothai. His reign marked the prosperity of the Ayutthaya kingdom after it regained independence from Toungoo Dynasty, and ...
* Chaophraya Chakri (Khunnen) (ขุนเณร), who served under King
Sanphet IX
* Chaophraya Aphaimontri, who served under King Borommakot
* Phraya Chakri (Khrut) (ครุฑ), who served under King
Borommakot
Borommakot ( th, บรมโกศ, ) or Maha Thammarachathirat II ( th, สมเด็จพระมหาธรรมราชาธิราชที่ ๒) was the king of Ayutthaya from 1733 to 1758. His reign was the last blooming perio ...
Thonburi
*
Chaophraya Chakri (Mut), usually referred as Chaophraya Chakri Khaek (the 'Muslim Chaophraya Chakri'), who served under King
Taksin
King Taksin the Great ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew dialect, Teochew: Dên ...
of Thon Buri. He was a descendant of
Suleiman
Suleiman (Arabic language, Arabic: سُلِيمَان ''sulaymān''; or dictionary.reference.comsuleiman/ref>) is the Arabic name of the Quranic king and Islam, Islamic prophet Solomon (name), Solomon meaning "man of peace", derived from the Heb ...
, the
sultan of Songkhla
* Chaophraya Chakri (Thongduang), who was also known by the title Somdet Chaophraya Mahakasatsuek (though sources are conflicting).
He served under King Taksin, and later seized the throne, establishing Rattanakosin and becoming King Rama I.
Rattanakosin
#Chaophraya Rattanaphiphit (Son): 1782–1805
#Chaophraya Rattanathibet (Kun): Served under
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 ...
.
#
Chaophraya Aphaiphuthon
''Chaophraya'' Aphaiphuthon ( th, เจ้าพระยาอภัยภูธร ? - 1827), personal name Noi ( th, น้อย), was the ''Samuha Nayok'' ( th, สมุหนายก) or Prime Minister of Northern Siam from 1813 to 1827 ...
(Noi): Served kings Rama II and
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 ...
until his death in 1827.
#
Chaophraya Bodindecha
''Chao Phraya'' Bodindecha ( th, เจ้าพระยาบดินทรเดชา, km, ចៅ ឃុន បឌិន, 13 January 1776 – 24 June 1849), personal name Sing Sinhaseni (), was a prominent military figure of the early Rat ...
(Sing): 1829–1849. He spent most of his term leading war campaigns, and was deputized by Phraya Sisahathep (Thongpheng).
#Chaophraya Nikonbodon (To): 1851–1863
#Chaophraya Phutharaphai (Nut Bunyarattaphan): 1863–1878
#Prince
Mahamala, who also held the title Krom Somdet Phra Bamrapporapak: 1878–1886
#Chaophraya Rattanabodin (Bunrot Kanlayanamit): Held the post from 1886 until its abolition in 1892.
See also
*
List of samuhakalahom
The ''samuhakalahom'' ( th, สมุหกลาโหม) was one of the two chief ministers in the historical Chatusadom government system of Siam (now Thailand) in use from the Ayutthaya through early Rattanakosin periods. The post was orig ...
*
List of prime ministers of Thailand
The prime minister of Thailand ( th, นายกรัฐมนตรี; ; , literally 'chief minister of state') is the head of government of Thailand. The prime minister is also the chairman of the cabinet of Thailand and represents the go ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samuhanayok, List Of
Thai nobility
Lists of political office-holders in Thailand