King Chulalongkorn Day, October 23rd

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King Chulalongkorn Day is a national holiday observed on October 23rd every year in commemoration of His Majesty King Chulalongkorn the Great's passing. King Chulalongkorn is renowned for the modernization of Siam and major reforms, founding its  first university , and abolishing slavery.

 

As the fifth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, King Chulalongkorn is known as King Rama V and is grandfather to His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great (King Rama IX).

 

The reformist monarch

Early on in his reign, more than a third of the Siamese population were slaves. Those who could not live independently sold themselves into indentured servitude, which would be passed onto their children, forming multi-generational slave families.

 

King Chulalongkorn interceded, enacting a royal decree to reduce the price of redemption for slaves born in 1868, allowing those slave children to be freed by the age of 21. By 1905, the Slave Abolition Act ended Siamese slavery in its entirety, and slave owners were forced to reduce their slaves' debt by 1 baht per month until they were free.

In homage to the Act, the reverse side of the 100 baht banknote (Series 15, Type 2) depicts King Chulalongkorn in Royal Thai Navy Uniform, abolishing the slave tradition. 

 

Now, the monarch is also referred to as  Phra Piyamaharaj  or the “Great Beloved King,” as well as  Phra Phuttha Chao Lhuang  or the “Royal Buddha.”

 

The Equestrian Statue

The majority of Dusit district in Bangkok was built during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, and the surviving buildings show a mix of Thai and European-style architecture. There, in the Royal Plaza, stands the Equestrian Statue of King Rama V, in front of Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. 

 

Originally, the bronze sculpture was built to commemorate the 40th anniversary of King Chulalongkorn's reign, who, at the time, was the longest-reigning monarch in Siamese history. The statue was inspired by the Equestrian Statue of King Louis XIV at the Palace of Versailles in France, following the Siamese monarch's “Grand Tour of Europe” in 1907.

 

On this day, Thais show their respect to the great reformer by placing wreaths at the Equestrian Statue. In addition, the Chulalongkorn rose, a thorn-free pink rose, is offered to represent the everlasting love of Princess Dara Rasmi and King Chulalongkorn.

 

Source: Royal Thai Consulate Xian 

-- 2024-10-22