Chulalongkorn << chu lah LAWNG kawn >> (1853-1910) was king of Siam (now Thailand) from 1868 to 1910. Also known as Rama V, he is regarded as one of the nation’s greatest rulers. Chulalongkorn furthered the Thai modernization program that had begun with his father, Mongkut (Rama IV).
Chulalongkorn was born in Bangkok on Sept. 20, 1853. He received a broad education that included both traditional Siamese subjects and new Western subjects. He also received practical training in statecraft from his father. Among Chulalongkorn’s teachers was the British governess Anna Leonowens. Her books The English Governess at the Siamese Court (1870) and The Romance of the Harem (1872) tell of her experiences in Siam. Her diaries inspired Margaret Landon’s 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam. That novel inspired the famous musical The King and I (1951).
Following Thai tradition, Chulalongkorn also spent some time in a Buddhist monastery. When Chulalongkorn was 15 years old, his father died. A regent (temporary ruler) ruled in the boy’s place until 1873, when Chulalongkorn began to reign in his own right.
Chulalongkorn oversaw a complete reorganization of the government, which included establishing a cabinet to help the monarch rule. He abolished slavery in Siam; introduced a modern school system; and built hospitals, roads, and railways. He also established postal and telegraph services. Chulalongkorn maintained Siamese independence against growing European colonialism in the region. However, a brief conflict with France and treaties in the 1890’s and early 1900’s resulted in Siam’s loss of authority over Laos and northwestern Cambodia. In 1909, Siam handed over control of four of the Malay states to the United Kingdom.
Unlike earlier Siamese monarchs, Chulalongkorn traveled widely outside of Siam. He visited Java, Singapore, and India in the early years of his reign. He later traveled to Europe. He died on Oct. 23, 1910.
Chulalongkorn wrote a number of books. They included the historical work The Royal Ceremonies of the Twelve Months, written in 1888, and Far from Home, a collection of letters he wrote to his daughter when he went to Europe in 1907.
