Thai literature

Thai literature refers to the writings of the people of Thailand, which was known before 1939 as Siam. In early history, such literature was produced by and for monarchs. Notable rulers such as King Taksin wrote classical tales and dramas. The country is known for its poetic works, especially those composed by court poets. While most pre-twentieth century literature involved aristocrats and nobles and their lives in the royal court, with the introduction of Western novels, tales about ordinary people and activities became immensely popular.

Background

Thailand is a country in central mainland Southeast Asia. The country had a primarily agricultural economy until the latter twentieth century. In modern times, many citizens have moved from rural to urban areas, primarily the capital, Bangkok.

The Thai people emerged from a larger group of Tai speakers who likely originated in modern northern Vietnam about a thousand years ago. A hereditary lord known as a chao ruled over müangs, which consisted of groups of villages. This political system was sufficiently powerful and stable to permit migration during the first millennium CE.

The Mon people, who lived in the area that is modern Myanmar, had learned Buddhist and Hindu beliefs from Indian traders. The Tai who moved further south came into contact with the predominantly Hindu Khmer peoples. By the early thirteenth century, Tai leaders ruled over a great deal of territory including the Chao Phraya River basin. The first significant Tai kingdoms, Sukhothai and Lan Na, emerged during this period. Monks from Sri Lanka brought Theravada Buddhism to the region.

From 1351 to 1767, Ayutthaya grew from a small Tai city-kingdom to become the most significant kingdom in the region. Because other nearby peoples called the area Siam, the Tai of the Ayutthaya kingdom were likewise called the Siamese people. From the Khmer the Ayutthaya rulers learned Hindu practices and devaraja, the idea that the ruler is a god-king.

Siam was in conflict with the Burmese kingdom from the sixteenth through the mid-eighteenth centuries. When the Burman armies captured Ayutthaya in 1767, they destroyed many of the cultural and artistic treasures of Siam. A Tai military commander, Taksin, drove the Burmans out, installed himself as Siam’s king. He ushered in a new era of prosperity by encouraging trade with China.

Chakri Dynasty

Taksin was replaced in 1782 by another former military commander, Chao Phraya Chakri, whose dynasty has continued into the twenty-first century. Chakri became known as Rama I. He moved his capital to a small village, Bangkok, which grew tremendously with an influx of Chinese immigrants. The kings of the Chakri dynasty tried to restore Ayutthaya’s culture by building new palaces and temples. Thai literary classics such as the Ramakian epic, a Thai adaptation of the Indian Ramayana, emerged during Rama I’s reign. Rama II was a supporter of the arts and a noted poet.

Pressure from the Burmans lessened in the nineteenth century when the British infringed on Burman territory. King Mongkut, Rama IV, was a scholar of the language Pali, in which the Theravada Buddhist texts were written. Rama IV did away with many of the god-king traditions and beliefs. His son, Rama V, undertook major changes such as creating a professional military and reorganizing the government.

Turbulent Times

The early twentieth century was marked by a growing middle class and discontent with the government, which was largely populated with royal family and friends. Young adults who had been educated in foreign countries began demanding reform in the 1920s and 1930s. This led to a bloodless coup in 1932, a reorganized government, and a constitution. Prajadhipok, Rama VII, abdicated in 1935. Luang Phibunsongkhram, one of the young reformers, took over in 1938 as military dictator and changed the country’s name to Thailand.

Thailand sided with Japan in World War II. Activists forced Phibunsongkhram to resign in 1944, but he returned to power in 1948 after a military coup but was himself ousted in 1957. The remainder of the century was marked by economic development, but also corruption and economic chasms between the wealthy and poor. A revolution in 1973 brought the monarchy into government for the first time since 1932, but in 1976, the monarch-backed military overthrew the government and installed right-wing leaders, who were themselves deposed in 1977. The country was governed by a partially democratic system but faced difficulties such as refugees from Cambodia. In 1991, the government was again overthrown by military leaders. Following the king’s intervention, the country went on to have democratic elections. This relatively stable period extended into the twenty-first century.

Overview

The earliest Thai literature consists of oral works. The first examples of written literature regarded by scholars as Thai date from the Sukhothai period about 1238 to 1377. The Thai city-state in the upper Chao Phraya basin is significant in cultural terms for the King Ram Khamhaeng Inscription of 1292, which is believed to be the earliest known example of writing in a Tai language. The Tai people had no alphabet, so they adapted Khmer writing. The inscription details the king’s government, laws, and Buddhist beliefs. These scripts evolved into modern Thai writing. Multiple Buddhist texts were created over the following centuries, although many were destroyed when Ayutthaya fell. Other important works of this era are a memoir by Nang Nopamas, a lady of the king’s court; Phra Ruange Proverbs; and a Buddhist treatise, Traibhumikatha, written in the fourteenth century by King Li Thai.

Classical Literature

The classical period encompasses verse written during the Ayutthaya period from 1350 to 1767. Early Ayutthaya writing is influenced by independence from Sukhothai. Authors wrote about peaceful and friendly international relations. Major works include Phra Law, a tragic romance in verse; Yuan Pai, an epic poem about war; Samudrakot, a romance written by poets Phra Maharajkru, King Narai, and Prince Paramanuchitchinorot; and Anirud and Kamsuan Sripraj, works by court poet Sripraj.

Thon Buri, the period from about 1768 to 1781, is named for King Taksin’s capital and is known for the ruler’s efforts to revive Thai culture. He wrote several works based on the Ramakian for his royal troupe of dancers to perform. Other works of note are Lilit Petchamongkut and Inao Kam Chan by poet Luange Saravijit.

Literature of the Rattanakosin Period

The Rattanakosin period, also called the Bangkok period, covers the years from 1782 to the present. Literature of the early Chakri Dynasty includes several versions of the Ramakien. Rama I wrote part of one version, while Rama II rewrote some of the epic for khon, a form of masked dance drama. He created a happy ending and increasing the role of the monkey god Hanuman.

Several romance poems are of note. Scholars value Khun Chang Khun Pan for its depiction of customs and Thai life. Sunthorn Poo’s Phra Apaimani is about the adventures of the title character. Ngohpa and Nitrachakrit are romance poems by King Chulalongkorn, who is also remembered for his plays, scholarly works, and translations of William Shakespeare’s works.

The first printing press arrived in Thailand in 1835. This permitted creation of Buddhist tracts, newspapers, and government documents, and in 1861 establishment of the first book publisher. The first edition was Nirat London, a travel journal by Momratchawong Krathai Itsarangkun, an interpreter in the court of Rama IV.

Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries

Western literature was popular with the Thai people from the end of the nineteenth century into the early twentieth, especially among those who were educated in Europe. King Rama V strongly supported learning from the West and encouraged writers to translate these works. Translations of Victorian novels by Arthur Conan Doyle, Marie Corelli (Vendetta, 1886), and others held strong appeal in Thailand. Khru Liam produced a parody of Vendetta, Khwam Mai Phayabat, or The Non-vendetta (1915).

As a result of the popularity of the novel form, authors began producing novels such as Luk Phuchai (The Real Man, 1928), by Kulap Saipradit, which is regarded as one of the first modern Thai novels. Following Western conventions, the authors used foreign settings, described them in detail, wrote about relatable characters, developed fast-moving plots, focused on changes to society and values, and addressed issues such as adultery, gender, and sexuality. An increasingly literate public was strongly drawn to short stories and novels, both adaptations and translations, and multiple magazines were established to publish these. Novels frequently were serialized in periodicals before they were published in book form. Thai romantic novels, primarily rich boy/poor girl or rich girl/poor boy tales, dominated publishing for some time.

Movements demanding democracy and the political upheaval of the latter twentieth century are evident in literature of the 1960s and 1970s. However, much propaganda was also produced as fiction. Later authors produced “wounded fiction,” or works that hewed to Buddhist philosophies, nature, and other apolitical topics and themes.

Cremation Volumes

A uniquely Thai literary form is the cremation volume, a book distributed at funerals. These grew from the Thai tradition of giving gifts to mark momentous events including birthdays, promotions, and funerals. Once publishing technology was available, people of means began to create small volumes. Possibly the first was a run of ten thousand copies printed in 1880 for the funeral of the daughter and granddaughter of King Mongkut, who drowned when their boat capsized. Early books contain Buddhist verses and chants. In 1904, Rama V requested that volumes include more enjoyable content, including fables and fiction. Over the decades content followed various trends, such as travel or medicine, for example information about a disease the deceased had experienced or use of herbal remedies. Modern cremation volumes typically include short biographies, eulogies, and essays or other literature, including favorite works of the deceased. Many include religious texts, such as literature about karma and Buddhism.

Bibliography

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