| REAR PALACE (วังหลั่ง) |
| Text & maps by Tricky Vandenberg - July 2012 |
| Wang Lang or the Rear Palace is a defunct palace of the Ayutthayan era, earlier situated on the premises where now the Fine Arts Department (FAD) - Region 3 is located, adjacent to Chedi Phra Sri Suriyothai, element of Wat Suan Luang. The location was in the 20th century a liquor distillery. (1) The Rear Palace was situated opposite Wat Kasatra on the east bank of the old Lopburi River, which river bed in the 19th century became the Chao Phraya River. The palace was first mentioned in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya during the reign of King Chakkraphat (r. 1548-1569). At the end of the year 1565 A.D. King Chakkraphat appointed his son, Prince Mahin, to be regent, and retired into private life. He installed himself at the Rear Palace. In 914, a year of the rat, during the twelfth month, King Cakkraphat, Lord of the White Elephant, raised Prince Mahin, the Nò Phraphutthacao, to rule the realm as its supreme sovereign, observe the royal traditions and govern the Kingdom of the Capital City of Ayutthaya. King Cakkraphat, Lord of the White Elephant, went out to occupy the Rear Palace. At that time the king was fifty-nine years old. King Mahin, Lord of the Realm, was twenty-five years old when he ascended the royal throne. (2) [1] The Rear Palace was mentioned on later occasions. King Suthammaracha (r. 1656), just installed on the throne, made sexual advances to a younger sister of Prince Narai (r. 1656-1688). The young lady was not at all cherished by this event and escaped in a book cabinet to the Front Palace for an audience with her elder brother. Prince Narai was not amused by the actions of his uncle, gathered his troops and supporters, and attacked the Royal Palace. King Suthammaracha, after a night of fighting, escaped to the Rear Palace, where he was later arrested by the ministers of Prince Narai. The King was taken to Wat Khok Phraya as it was the custom and executed. [2] The Rear Palace, initially a royal pavilion, was located in a garden outside the Royal Palace. The Ayutthayan kings used to stay here occasionally and the area was therefore called "Suan Luang" (the royal garden). The palace was rebuilt on a larger scale in the reign of King Maha Thammaracha (r. 1569-1590) around 1577 AD, when the fortified Chan Kasem Palace (Wang Mai) was built and used as a residence for the king's oldest son Prince Naresuan (r. 1590-1605). Likely the king's youngest son Prince Ekathotsarot (r. 1605-1610/11) resided at the Rear Palace. The Rear Palace had its own temple, Wat Noi (Little Monastery). The Chan Kasem Palace became later known as the Wang Na (Front Palace), while Suan Luang was known as the Wang Lang (Rear Palace), because the first stood at the front and the latter at the back of Wang Luang (Royal Palace). [3] The Rear Palace became the residence of the princes of the blood, while the Front Palace was habited by the Uparat or viceroy (second king). In 1044 of the Royal Era, a year of the dog, ____ of the decade, Supreme Holy Reigning Lord Narai of the Municipality of Lopburi fell ill with His holy disease at the Clear Heaven Holy Throne. Phra Phet Racha went in to live at the Mansion of Holy Cahao and then had police come down to invite Their Highnesses, the Celestial Lords Ngòi and Aphaithot - holy younger brothers of the King sharing the same holy royal father and who were residing at a holy domicile in the Holy Royal Rear Palace Enclosure - by saying a holy royal proclamation had been issued to invite Their Highnesses to ascend for an audience [with the King] at the Municipality of Lopburi. [4] Kaempfer, a German doctor working for the Dutch VOC, wrote that the Rear Palace was the smallest of the three palaces and situated in the least inhabited part of the city. In 1690 a prince of royal ascendance inhabited the place which was called the "Palace of the Querry of the King's Elephants", as this prince was in charge of the royal elephants. [5] Kaempfer indicated the palace on his map of Ayutthaya. The last time the Rear Palace was mentioned in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya is in the reign of King Phetracha (r. 1688-1703). It could be that the Rear Palace thereafter became in disuse as a palace. On Bellin's map published in 1750, we find a temple ("pagode") indicated on the palace grounds, which could indicate that the area received a new function. In front of the Rear Palace was a boat landing called "Tha Dan Lom" connecting the palace with the landing of Wat Kasatra. (3) Footnotes: (1) See map in the "Guide to Ayudhya and Bang-Pa-In" by Tri Amatyakul. [2] (2) The Royal Chronicles of Phan Canthanumat, British Museum, Reverend Phonnarat, Phra Cakkraphatdiphong & Royal Autograph speak of 914 CS or 1552 AD, while a Chronicle of an unknown author speaks of 927 CS or 1565 AD. The latter date is generally taken as the date of King Chakkraphat's retirement. (See Wood - A History of Siam - page 121). King Chakkraphat will continue his rule on request of his son in 1568 until his death in 1569. (3) See Ayutthaya Boat & Ferry landings. References: [1] The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya - Richard D. Cushman (2006) - page 51 / Source: Phan Canthanumat, British Museum, Reverend Phonnarat, Phra Cakkraphatdiphong & Royal Autograph - King Mahin Ascends The Throne. [2] Ibid - page 228-30 - King Si Sutham Racha, August 8 - October 26, 1656. [3] Guide to Ayudhya and Bang-Pa-In - Tri Amatyakul (1957) - page 27-8. [4] The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya - Richard D. Cushman (2006) - page 309 / Source: Phan Canthanumat. [5] The History of Japan, together with a description of the kingdom of Siam, 1690-92 - Kaempfer - Page 46 - The Court of Siam A.D. 1690. |
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| (The Rear Palace on Kaempfer's map) |
| (The Rear Palace on Bellin's map) |
| (The Rear Palace on Phrya Boran Rachathanin's map) |
