I've watched a Thai online TV Program about a person who established an elephant corral in Ayutthaya, Thailand. The special thing about it is that he promised to stick to the ancient manual about elephant. (คชศาสตร์)
A good effort. They have a website as well.
The interesting thing to me is an interview. The owner of the corral said that during the late 19th century Siam, a large number of elephants were moved to the north by the British Borneo Company. A large area of teak forest in the north was the major revenue for the British companies.
He insisted that traditionally elephants would be sent to Bangkok to the Kings. We can see that the power of kings was overcome by the British colonialism.
Would love to know from the AP readers who know about this.
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3 comments:
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Preedee,
What a timely article from you.. Only last week they found a white elephant in Myanmar after many many years of normal breeding therein jungles. Lo behold, an albino pachyderm emerged at last with many predicting good times returning to their shores after a long hiatus. Last time a white elephant emerged from the jungles of Thailand, we found peace in the south. We may need to look harder for more white elephants very soon..since we need peace everywhere at the moment..
C.B.
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Preedee,
The powers of Kings had been undermined throughout Asian countries ravaged by the greed of British Borneo & East Indian Companies.. Under pretext of trade this companies sailed the seven seas to loot and rob unsuspecting countries. In the process they were looking for faults and provoking local rulers to raise arms against them.. Fallen to this trap, the mighty British Imperial Army from British India and nearby countries would in the end, get everything lock, stock and barrel..for free. For old Siam, Malaya, Burma this has been the case. It was only lucky for Siam, that the Rulers at the time practiced the politics of appeasement.
It would have been a different story for modern Thailand should the old Kings hadn't had allowed Their Majesties pachyderm vessels be used to enrich British businessmen up north or down south.
C.B.
I didn't hear the news about the white elephant in Burma. Thanks for that krub.
By sending the elephants back to the north, I suspect that it was not only about the king 'had' to do what the British requested? But the court might have got something out of it as well (i.e. tax). So while it was no doubt that it was not an equal relationship between the Siam and the West, but interestingly we could see how quickly the elite took that economic opportunity. (This remark can be found in Ben Anderson's seminal essay about the state of Thai Studies [1978])
It was not only about being 'lucky'?
I'd also want to know about the elephant business in Bangkok too (you know when they have 'win' to organize them) It seems to me a complex and big business is going on there.
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