Phaya Tani ( th, พญาตานี; also Nang Phraya Tani, or Seri Patani in

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

) is a 17th-century siege

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

from Pattani Province in southern

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 bo ...

. It is the largest cannon ever cast in what is now Thailand, measuring 2.7 m long (9 feet) and made of

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...

. It is on display in front of the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

, opposite the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace ( th, พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. .) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Ban ...

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 ...

. The cannon still serves as the symbol of Pattani Province and it has been on the

official seal A seal is a device for making an impression in wax, clay, paper, or some other medium, including an embossment on paper, and is also the impression thus made. The original purpose was to authenticate a document, or to prevent interference with ...

of Pattani Province since 1939.

History

Various sources give differing accounts of how cannons came to be made in Pattani and who made them. According to ''Sejarah Kerajaan Melayu Patani'' ("History of the Malay Kingdom of Patani"), cannons were cast in the early-17th century in the

Sultanate of Pattani This article includes a list of successive Islamic state, Islamic states and History of Islam, Muslim dynasties beginning with the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE) and the early Muslim conquests that Spread of Islam, spread Isla ...

by a man of Chinese descent named

Tok Kayan Lin Daoqian (, Malay language, Malay: Tok Kayan, th, ลิ้มโต๊ะเคี่ยม), also written as Lim Toh Khiam and Vintoquián, was a Chinese pirate of Teochew people, Teochew origin active in the 16th century. He led pirate att ...

Raja Biru Raja Biru or Ratu Biru ( th, รายาบีรู; ms, راتو بيرو; c. 1566–1624) ruled the Sultanate of Patani (1616–1624), succeeding her sister Raja Hijau. She was the second of three daughters of Sultan Mansur Shah who ruled the ...

ordered the construction of powerful artillery to protect their independence from Siam. Three cannons were made – two siege guns named Seri Negara, Seri Patani, and a smaller cannon named the Maha Lela. ''Phongsawadan muang pattani'' ("Chronicle of Pattani") named the cannons as Cri Nagri, Nang Pattani, and Maha Lalo. ''

Hikayat Patani The Hikayat Patani (حكاية ڤتني), meaning Story Of Pattani, is a semi-legendary set of tales that chronicle the history of the Pattani kingdom, now a southern province of Thailand. These stories date to as early as the late 15th centur ...

'', however, gives the name of these three cannons as Seri Negeri, Tuk (

Datuk Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin. Origin The oldest ...

) Buk, and Nang (Lady) Liu-Liu, and suggests that these cannons were cast earlier. The cannons were said to have successfully repelled a number of attacks. After the fall of

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locally ...

to the Burmese in 1767, the Sultanate of Pattani renounced its tributary status to Siam and declared its independence. Eighteen years later in 1785, however, a Thai army led by

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 ...

's brother, the vice-king

Boworn Maha Surasinghanat Somdet Phra Bawornrajchao Maha Sura Singhanat ( th, สมเด็จพระบวรราชเจ้ามหาสุรสิงหนาท; , lit: ''His Royal Highness, Maharurasinghanat, Prince of Front Palace'') (1 November 1744 – ...

, invaded and conquered Patani, and the Thais have ruled it ever since. The Phaya Patani (Seri Patani) and Phaya Negara (Seri Negara) were ordered to be sent to Bangkok as spoils of war. Some sources said that Phaya Negara came loose as it was being loaded aboard a ship and plunged into the sea, where it remains. King Rama I ordered a similar-sized cannon named the Narai Sanghan () to be cast to serve as a companion to the Phaya Patani, now renamed the Phraya Tani. A replica of Phaya Tani was created and placed in front of

Krue Se Mosque Krue Se Mosque ( ms, Masjid Kerisek; th, มัสยิดกรือเซะ, ) also called Gresik Mosque, Pitu Krue-ban Mosque ( th, มัสยิดปิตูกรือบัน) or Sultan Muzaffar Shah Mosque, is a mosque in Pattani ...

in Pattani in 2013, but it was damaged by separatists who saw it as 'faked' and wanted the return of the original cannon.

Cultural significance

The cannon has been used as a symbol Pattani on the

of Pattani Province since 1939. It is also remembered in Pattani by the locals who fired bamboo cannons during the

Hari Raya , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , date ...

festival celebrations.

References

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History

Cultural significance

See also

References