Two Reformer Kings
Rama IV of Siam
King Mongkut or Rama IV (1804-1868) was a Buddhist monk for many years
before succeeding to the throne in 1851. As a monk, Mongkut studied widely,
even learning English. He traveled around the country, becoming acquainted
with ordinary people in a way most princes never could have. Eventually,
he undertook a reform of Thai Buddhist doctrine and practice. As king, he
modernized many aspects of his kingdom’s life while fending off threats
from the British and other European colonialists.
The king took a strong interest in his children’s education, realizing that in the new world of expanding Western power and international trade they would require knowledge earlier royal children had not needed. To teach in the palace the king hired several wives of American missionaries and then, in 1862, Anna Leonowens. Her fanciful books about the Siamese court formed the basis of a succession of Western novels, musicals, and movies, most recently the 1999 Anna and the King. All of these have offended many people in Thailand. They dislike having their revered scholar-king portrayed in such an inaccurate and superficial way.
King Mindon of Burma
King Mindon (1808-1878) earned greater respect from both the Burmese people
and from foreigners than any king in memory. Following a war with Britain
in 1852 in which Burma lost vital territory, Mindon sought accommodation
with the British and instituted or encouraged wide-ranging reforms in government
and commerce.
In the later years of his reign numbers of young men were sent to Europe
for study, and the telegraph, Burmese-language printing presses, steamboats,
Western-style currency, and other innovations were introduced. Amid these
reformist efforts the king took his role as Buddhist ruler seriously, staging
grand ceremonies, founding monasteries, sponsoring an ambitious Buddhist
council to reedit the Buddhist scriptures, and creating an environment within
which the visual and performing arts flourished.
