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THE ACCEPTANCE OF EUROPEAN CULTURE
With far-sightedness and wisdom, King Rama IV foresaw the purposes of
European interests in Southeast Asia. Before his accession to the
throne, Prince Mongkut studied Pali, Sanskrit, Latin and English, and
the modern sciences. His aim was not to accept the European culture,
but to understand the West. After ascending to the throne, his efforts
towards international relations were unprecedented. He sent his
missives to Queen Victoria of England, Napoleon III of France and the
President of the United States of America.
Less well known was the unprecedented decision to build a new group of
royal residences in the Grand Palace in the European architectural
style in 1853. This complex was known as the Phra Abhinaonives. While
the building of a new palace building to commemorate a particular
reign was customary, the departure from the traditional Thai style
with the towering roof over the main audience chamber was radical. The
King had wished to receive foreign dignitaries in their familiar
environment, and to maintain the myriad of European gifts in their
proper surroundings. He also wished to show to his visitors that Siam
was not alien to the western culture and did not need external
assistance to be elevated from barbarism.
The palace group was inaugurated in May 1859. King Rama IV resided
there throughout the rest of his reign. Because of maintenance
problems and space limitations, the complex was demolished during the
reign of King Rama V. From photographs and etchings, we know that the
Phra Abhinaonives group was built in the neo-classical style of
European architecture. Most were 2 or 3 storey buildings with a
rusticated base and a piano-nobile with twin Corinthian columns. The
roof, door and window decorations, however, were in the Chinese style.
Some buildings of this group had flat roofs with balustrades and
lanterns.
Documentation also reveals that despite the European physical
appearance, many aspects of the Rama IV court maintained the Thai
traditional values. Photographs show that courtiers still prostrated
themselves on the floor in the presence of royalty. The mode of dress
and hair styling had not changed. The King wore traditional clothes
while fulfilling his royal duties, but donned European clothes in the
photographs which were sent with the gifts to European heads of state.
The King also created royal decorations to befit the Europeans
uniforms based upon the European models. This was the beginning of the
replacement of the traditional regalia of bejewel rings, body chains,
amulets, charms, etc. with the medals, stars and silk sashes of
today.
02. December 2004