AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL RESEARCH



BAN CHAO PHRAYA WICHAYEN





To look into the subject of the Chao Phraya Wichayen's lodge in Ayutthaya, a concise description of this historical person might be good. Constantine Phaulkon was born at Argostoli on the Island of Cephalonia in 1647 CE and arrived in Ayutthaya in the service of the English East India Company in the 1670s. He ingratiated himself with the ‘Phra Klang’, who introduced Phaulkon at the Court. Phaulkon worked alongside the Phra Klang, and at the latter's death, King Narai wanted to confer that title on him, which he declined. In 1683 CE, the King exalted him, giving him the title of ‘Chao Phraya’ and a new name, so that he became now ‘Chao Phraya Wichayen’. He enjoyed the King's confidence and exercised almost unlimited power until his tragic death in June 1688 CE.


It stands to reason that Phaulkon had a residence in Ayutthaya, as he had a high function at the court and dealt with foreigners. The house of Constantine Phaulkon is shown on many modern maps. The earliest modern map in my possession indicating Phaulkon's house was published in 1957 CE by the Archaeological Exploration Section, Division of Archaeology, Department of Fine Arts. Based on an overlay, the map indicates Phaulkon's residence in the location of the Saphan Talat Jin (Chinese Market Bridge), north of U-Thong Rd (approximate geographical coordinates 14° 20' 56.43" N, 100° 34' 11.36"E). Maybe the brickwork of the bridge was considered part of Phaulkon's house at that time.





(Phaulkon's house on a 1957 CE published map by the Archaeological Exploration Section, Division of Archaeology, Department of Fine Arts)



A map dating back to 1974 CE situates Ban Chao Phraya Wichayen behind OK Kai Fortress along what was called before Chinese Road (approximate geographical coordinates 14° 20' 56.37" N, 100° 34' 18.62" E).





(Fine Arts Department map dated 1974 CE)



A Fine Arts Department map drafted in 1993 CE shows Ban Chao Phraya Wichayen, west of Khlong Pratu Jin, at the present location of the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Governor’s Residence (approximate geographical coordinates 14° 20' 52.88" N 100° 34' 5.12" E). This location was likely the position of the lodge of the visiting French Ambassador in 1685 CE.





(Fine Arts Department map dated 1993 CE)



A digital Fine Arts Department map made in 2007 CE positions Ban Chao Phraya Wichayen near the Chinese Gate but south of present U-Thong Rd, close to the river (approximate geographical coordinates 14° 20' 53.17" N, 100° 34' 14.66" E) and likely outside the old city walls.





(Fine Arts Department map dated 2007 CE)



We have thus four different positions for Ban Chao Phraya Wichayen on modern maps. Now, look at some older maps drafted at the end of the 17th century. The earliest data found with the location of the residence of Phaulkon dates back to a survey made in 1687 CE by a French engineer but only published more than half a century later. The French engineer was likely Lieutenant de La Mare, part of the first French Embassy to Siam in 1685 CE.


The map "Plan de la Ville de Siam - Capitale du Royaume de ce nom Levé par un Ingenieur Francois en 1687" was drawn by Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772 CE) and published as plate No. 4 in Volume 9 of the 1752 CE French edition of Abbé Antoine François Prévost's " l'Histoire Générale des Voyages." The map indicates ‘Hotel de Phaucon’ in the legend marked with the letter ‘O’. From the detail, we can see that Phaulkon's compound consisted of two structures and was situated along Chinese Rd, as the notation "YY Rue Chinoise" shows in the map's legend. The compound was situated north of Ok Kai Fortress.





(Jacques Nicolas Bellin’s map of 1752 CE)



Three years later, we have the data of Engelbert Kaempfer (1651-1716 CE). Kaempfer was in the City of Ayutthaya in June/July 1690 CE and made a couple of surveys on foot. He made detailed sketches of his ventures in the city, sometimes mentioning the distances by a number of paces and directions based on the compass. From Kaempfer, we have detailed information as we have his sketch or field map (Sl 3060, fol. 429r) secondly, a draft map (Sl 3060, fol. 428) based on those sketches likely made on his return to Europe, and last the posthumously published map by Scheuchzer in "The History of Japan, Together with a Description of the Kingdom of Siam" in 1727 CE. From Kaempfer's sketch, we know that Phaulkon's residence was situated along Chinese Rd (indicated by Sinensium Sinensi), East of the Chinese Market Bridge. In his sketch, he marks a distance of 150 paces, corresponding to 110 m (150 x 0.73 cm). I presume this was the distance from the Chinese Bridge to Phaulkon's compound.




(Engelbert Kaempfer's field map of 1690 CE)



Kaempfer mentioned in his "Miscellanea Notitarium Regni Siamensis" (Mixed notes about the Kingdom of Siam) that Phaulkon's residence was built in a Western style and stone. On his field map (Sl 3060, fol. 429r), he marked its position with the letter ‘u’ and the notations on this map showed ‘Faulcons ind[…] Rondeel’. Rondeel, or ‘roundel’ in English, is a strong fortification with a rounded or circular plan of a similar height to the adjacent defensive walls. On Kaempfer's draft map (Sl 3060, fol. 428), we find a detail of Phaulkon's residence, seemingly having a wall around his house with on-top battlements in lotus form identical to the ones on the city wall. His residence is here drawn adjacent to the city wall and consists of two structures.





(Engelbert Kaempfer's draft map of 1690 CE)



Kaempfer mentioned in his Mixed notes (Sl 3061 fol. 16r): "Diese schone Maure so Nebst dem Neuen bolwerk von Faulkon restituirt, …" (These beautiful walls, as in addition to the new bulwark of Faulkon, appears…). The definition of bolwerk, or "bulwark" in English, is "a solid wall-like structure raised for defence" Phaulkon's house seems to have been fortified. From the 1727 CE-published map, reading the legend ‘F’, “The house which formerly belonged to Constantin Faulcon", we can reconfirm it was Phaulkon's residence.

Below, you will find my tentative map with the location of Phaulkon's residence based on Kaempfer's inputs, a result that is very similar to the 1974 CE map.




(Tentative marking of Ban Chao Phraya Wichayen on Google Earth)



When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
(Alexis de Tocqueville)





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