Maha Senanurak ( th, สมเด็จพระบวรราชเจ้ามหาเสนานุรักษ์; March 29, 1773 – July 16, 1817) was a
Viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
appointed by
Buddha Loetla Nabhalai
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 ...
as the titular heir to the throne was the brother to the king. Maha Senanurak was known for his leadership of the Siamese campaign against
the Burmese invasion of Thalang in 1809.
Early life
Chui was born to Chao Phraya Chakri (future 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 ...
or Rama I) and his wife Nak (future Queen
Amarindra
Amarindra ( th, อมรินทรา, , ; 15 March 1737 – 25 May 1826) was the Queen Consort of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I), the founder of the Chakri dynasty. Her birth name was Nak (นาค). She was a daughter of a wealthy Mo ...
) in 1773. In 1782, Chao Phraya Chakri crowned himself as the first monarch 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 ...
of Siam at Bangkok. Chui was then made a prince. He was later awarded the title ''Krom Khun'' Senanurak. Prince Senanurak was known to be close to his only true brother Prince and
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 ...
Isarasundhorn (future
Buddha Loetla Nabhalai
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 ...
or Rama II).
In 1807 Prince Isarasundhorn made his brother Prince Senanurak his successor to the Front Palace ( th, พระบัณฑูรน้อย). In 1809, King Phutthayotfa Chulalok died. As a result, the Front Palace Isarasundhorn ascended the throne as King. The new King appointed Prince Senanurak as the next the Front Palace lord, and as his successor.
Countering the Burmese invasions
In 1809 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 sent his
troops to invade Thalang (modern
Phuket
Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
.) Buddha Loetla Nabhalai sent Maha Senanurak to counter this invasion. Around the same time Prince Kasatranuchit, a son of 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 ...
and his sister Princess Chimyai, staged a rebellion to reclaim the throne. The rebellion was quickly suppressed by Prince
Jessadabodindra
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 ...
(future King Rama III). Maha Senanurak's wife, Princess Samleewan, a daughter of Taksin, was executed for treason.
Death
Senanurak fell ill and died in 1817. For the rest of his reign
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
Rama II refused to appoint a new Front Palace, perhaps leading to the brief confusion in the succession between his sons
Chetsadabodin and
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 ...
after his death in 1824.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maha Senanurak
1773 births
1817 deaths
18th-century Thai women
18th-century Chakri dynasty
19th-century Thai women
19th-century Chakri dynasty
Front Palaces
Thai male Chao Fa