Chao Fa Krom Khun Inthra Phithak ( th, เจ้าฟ้ากรมขุนอินทรพิทักษ์, ?–1782), born Chui (), was a prince of the
Thonburi Kingdom
The Thonburi Kingdom ( th, ธนบุรี) was a major Thai people, Siamese kingdom which existed in Southeast Asia from 1767 to 1782, centered around the city of Thonburi, in Siam or present-day Thailand. The kingdom was founded by Taksin ...
.
He was the son of
Taksin
King Taksin the Great ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew dialect, Teochew: Dên ...
and his spouse, Princess
Batboricha. He was appointed the
Front Palace
Krom Phra Ratchawang Bowon Sathan Mongkhon , colloquially known as the Front Palace ( th, วังหน้า, ), was the title of the ''uparaja'' of Siam, variously translated as "viceroy", "vice king" or "Lord/Prince of the Front Palace", as ...
or Maha Uparaj, the title of the heir. He had military ability and was sent to
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
to fight against the
Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam.
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overse ...
by Taksin.
In 1780, the Cambodian regent Talaha (Mu) decided to switch allegiances to Vietnam. As a result, Taksin decided to annex Cambodia. A Thai army of 20,000 under Chao Phraya Chakri (later 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 Tha ...
) and
Chao Phraya Surasi moved into Cambodia, to crown Inthraphithak the new king of Cambodia. A Vietnamese army of 3000 men led by
Nguyễn Hữu Thoại and
Hồ Văn Lân was also sent to help Talaha.
Trần Trọng Kim
Trần Trọng Kim (Chữ Nôm: ; 1883 – December 2, 1953), courtesy name Lệ Thần, was a Vietnamese scholar and politician who served as the Prime Minister of the short-lived Empire of Vietnam, a state established with the support of Impe ...
, ''Việt Nam sử lược
( vi-hantu, 越南史略, french: Précis d'Histoire du Việt-Nam, lit. "Outline History of Vietnam"), was the first history text published in the Vietnamese and the Vietnamese alphabet. It was compiled by Vietnamese historian Trần Trọng Kim ...
'', Quyển 2, Tự chủ thời đại, Chương 8
It was reported by Western missionaries that King Taksin became half-mad in final years. He became more and more caprice, and imprisoned, tortured, and flogged his wife, his sons — even Inthraphithak, who was his heir-presumptive.
[Journal of M. Descourvieres, (Thonburi). Dec.21, 1782; in Launay, ''Histoire'', p. 309.] Vietnamese sources reported that Taksin imprisoned Chakri and Surasi's families, which made them resentful. So Chakri and Surasi made friends with these two Vietnamese generals and the four generals swore to help each other when in need.
[
In 1782, Taksin was usurped and imprisoned by Phraya San. Having made sure the Vietnamese would not attack Siamese with this opportunity,][ Chakri quickly returned to ]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 i ...
, put down the rebellion, and had Taksin executed.
After Taksin's execution, Inthraphithak travelled back to Siam, aiming to seize the throne. However, few people supported him. In the mid-way, many of his soldiers changed sides, and Inthraphithak had to surrender. He was captured by Surasi, and was sentenced to death in Thonburi.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Inthraphithak
Thai generals
Front Palaces
1782 deaths
1782 murders in Asia
Executed royalty
Thonburi Kingdom
18th-century Thai people
Thai people of Chinese descent
Thai male Chao Fa
Thonburi dynasty