Dr Briggs And Our Town

[Joel Barlow]

In response to a suggestion from Limbo (in the Overbrook God is Love thread I think):

Dr Wm. A Briggs, a Canadian, founded Overbrook with the help of the American Presbyterian Mission of New York, for whom he worked as a missionary, and helped build Chiangrai Wittayakhom School too. He worked for the Presbytrerian Mission in Lampang for 10 years first (1890 – 1900). Philanthropist “Mr Guest” of Overbrook Church, perhaps in eastern Pennsylvania likely in northeastern USA, but maybe in Oregon (!) donated money for the hospital construction. According to a 1962 article by Singkaew Suriyakam of the Church of Christ in Thailand, who knew him well while young, Briggs “built the dormitory of Chiangrai Vidyakom School”… and “also the church building at Sally Gate” (ChiangRai First Church at Pratu Siri Intersection), the provincial administration building, the governor’s residence, the post-office and the prison (you know, not the new one…). Singhaklai Road was also built by him, and called “Dr Briggs Road” perhaps up to WWII. Briggs also served as British consul in Chiangrai and medical officer attached to the Thai army. He grew oranges, coffee and strawberries, imported milk cows and brought the first bicycle to Chiangrai. He left Chiangrai in 1918 and died a year later, in the States. The story of his battle with Shan rebels is pretty good, but I’m not going to write that up with the little info I have, at least not right now.

[Limbo]

Joel Barlow: .... and brought the first bicycle to Chiangrai.

Thanks Joel for your great contribution!

One of the gentlemen of the veteran bicycle club (see the topic on rolling museum) has shown me a bicycle that originally belonged to a missionary. Could it be the one Joel talks about, with other words Dr. Briggs bicycle?

The first bicycles were imported in Thailand from England around 1895. It concerned 100 Humbers, very popular among the Princes at the court of King Rama V.

Not long after that more Humbers were imported. It is very well posible that one or more of them landed in Chiang Rai.

The importer of the Humbers in Bangkok was related to the owner of a Chiang Rai rice-mill, which was situated at the Yedyod Road, not far from where we find Sam's Cat Bar in our days.

The specific bicycle shows no brandname anymore, but nothing of its design points in the direction of a Humber. A complete different design with a very remarcable fork and an even much more remarcable luggage carrier.

The last one looks as if it is designed for a special purpose: It is almost round (diameter about 40 centimeter) and made of a kind of stainless steel.

I never saw a similar bicycle before. The frontpart of the frame consists of only one big tube, which makes the bicycle, at least at first sight, look very modern.

Could it be the first bicycle for ever in Thailand imported from the United States?

Limbo

[Joel Barlow]

No idea if I can do this or not - Pure Power InterNet's system says the Word file I made at home (with good antivirus) has a virus, cannot open...

anyway, the Shan Rebellion story is 4 pages...

nope, can't upload...

[Joel Barlow]

I see that the thread title is misspelled "out Toen" instead of "oour town" - sorry

busy battling some worm virus but think I can do this

Dr Briggs and the Shan Rebellion

After working in Lampang 10 years, Canadian doctor William A. Briggs wanted to carry enlightenment and advancement to legendary T’ai people way up the Mekong, in Sipsongpanna, even further from the emerging modern world than the cities of Lampang, Lamphun and Chiang Mai, which, large though they were, had no connecting highways, railroads, telegraph or even effective (rapid, anyway) boat connections to the world at large. The north of Siam wasn’t even as advanced, safe or comfortable as it had been 500 years before; Yunnan was even more backward. There was exciting work to be done, and Briggs wanted to do it.

For 100 years Canada had been a successful colony; India the jewel of empire, had been a success for Britain twice that. Four hundred years before, filthy Europeans had begun spreading disease and death throughout the world; hundreds of millions died premature deaths due to European ignorance, aggressiveness and lack of hygiene and manners. But, as a result of the food sources and stimulants they’d found and brought home, for a hundred years there’d been ample energy devoted to growth and development. Russia had even civilized much of Siberia! The world was becoming industrialized, with electricity, motors, steel, interchangeable parts and many important advances in scientific understanding. It appeared as it the white man’s sins would be counter-balanced by contributions; soon the world would not only be understood, but well-managed, polite and happy. Surely, to Briggs’s mind, all that was needed was for good men to spread science and Christianity.

In modern times, the presumption of offering advice in a host’s home has been cruelly obvious to the few sensitive expats trying to politely fit in, but Briggs wasn’t just a guest, or missionary. He was a doctor, engineer, social scientist and agriculturalist well welcomed for his skills and energetic hard work. The American Presbyterian Mission of New York, for whom he worked, though, wouldn’t send him further than Chiangrai. It was wild and dangerous enough there: tigers still were found roaming the few streets at night, and not so far off in Chiang Saen was a community of dacoit bandits. Farengi/Farang in the area were few, though Brits had come to Chiang Mai as early as 1829 (to purchase elephants, oxen and buffalo) and had attached the Shan States in 1886. The French had made a clear declaration of their intentions on Laos in 1893. What became the province of Chiang Rai had only about 5000 people, with the little ‘city’ under Doi Jom Tong only 500. This was remote enough, the danger already great enough, the Presbyterian Mission surely felt.

Indeed, it was so. After five years in his new position, Dr Briggs found himself at war. But what a strange war. The people he fought were people he was the chief governmental representative of, although they were from Burma and this was in Siam! For, in addition to everything else, Briggs served as British consul for Chiangrai, an important position due to the teak trade.

Dull interlude: egregiously pedantic, gratuitous digression into history of the era

Traditionally, Lanna forests belonged to the ruler of the nearest city. Anyone wishing to harvest logs needed the ruler’s permission. The Royal Court in Bangkok wasn’t concerned, but as logging business increased problems arose: there were no fixed regulations, concessions overlapped, taxes weren’t clearly delineated and little could be clarified through local courts. Rapid growth in the logging industry resulted in increasing timber value; amounts concerned became substantial and struggles related to overlapping concessions frequent. Strife, banditry and murder in border areas increased significantly. The British Government requested help from the Bangkok administration, which feared the British might attempt to take control of the area, while knowing it hadn’t the power to repel them…

In 1855, King Mongut (Rama IV) approved a Treaty of Friendship and Commerce with Sir John Bowring, direct representative of Queen Victoria; more concessions than Farengi/Farang had ever had before were given. British subjects became allowed to trade in all Thai ports, own land near Bangkok, move freely about the country, and even import opium. More importantly, an extraterritorial legal system for British nationals (instead of for all British subjects, as first claimed), was instituted. British subjects were to be answerable only to the British Consul in Bangkok; somehow this was never applied for Shans.

By 1826, the British were starting after teak along the Salween River. Rama III allowed British commercial logging in the then economically listless Chiang Mai area, but as forests belonged to local leaders, problems arose. From many misunderstandings, some British subjects were murdered. Bangkok, fearing the northern rulers could hardly deflect British military advances into the area, tried delaying tactics. A rift between Bangkok and Chiang Mai widened as the British constantly demanded compensation from Chiang Mai princes for losses due to lawlessness in the heavily forested frontier areas.

Phraya Phutthawong (Chao Luang Phaen Din Yen, ‘King of the peaceful Land’), fourth Siamese ruler of Chiang Mai, administered with intellect rather than strength, and during his reign the city enjoyed peace, in part because Burma was at war with the British, but also because he and his close, strong rivals in Lamphun and Lampang were all afraid of the British. Towards the end of his reign (1846), Britain commenced trade and started to log teak along the border.

King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) established a system of bi-national courts and a Chiang Mai Royal Commissioner. In 1883, a second “Treaty of Chiang Mai” specified that British subjects could be heard only in international courts, or Consular Courts when more appropriate, so the British opened a Chiang Mai Consulate that year. From 1890 to World War II, about 20,000 logs were produced per year, cut to maximum possible length.

As the teak-logging industry grew in the mid-19th century, officials from Bangkok became more and more important. Records indicate much resentment of abuse of power. The 7th Siamese Lord of Chiang Mai, Jao Intanon (IndraWichayanon, Chao Luang Ta Khao, ruled 1871-1897) who set up the first school for girls there (and another for boys), was the last independent ruler. He, had little power, but his wife, Chao Thep Kraison (Princess Tipkesawn), proved highly skilled in bureaucratic affairs, despite no formal learning; she and her sister, Princess Ubonwanna, were great traders, among the biggest in Siam. Women handled local trade, but only in the 1880s did they start learning letters – first taught by American female Presbyterian missionaries. Regular postal service began only in 1884 – arriving every two weeks. When Rama V incorporated Lanna into Siam in 1892, there were British Consulates had opened in Lampang, Chiang Rai and Nan. A forestry service was set up to reduce international legal complications, but the British remained rather more exploitative than co-operative.

The telegraph reached Chiang Mai sometime between 1885 and 1888. By 1905 there were (unreliable) telephones. British subjects involved with logging in Lanna began initiating numerous lawsuits; more were murdered. Local commissioners lacked power to deal with these problems, which had to be tended to in Bangkok. Administrative reform was needed, so the ‘monthon’ (circle of administration) was produced, combining most Lanna city/states. Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Nan and Thoeng were made into Monthon Lao Chiang. Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son were subsequently put with Chiang Mai and Lamphun as Monthon Phayap, which became a ‘monton thesaphiban’ with royal resident commissioner in 1899. Nan, Phrae and Lampang became Monton Maharat. Lanna schools became required to use only the central Thai alphabet and dialect.

Malaria, hepatitis, and other diseases of swamps and jungle were making for grave difficulties. Roads were poorly maintained: journeys from Bangkok to Chiang Mai took over three weeks, occasionally even three months. From Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai took about two weeks! Modern, manufactured things, including shoes and money, as we know it, were only just starting to become familiar in Chiang Mai and northern Siam.

Back to Dr Briggs, and adventure!

Christian missionaries and clergymen began helping plan educational, medical and health matters, construction and town mapping. The most important person in planning the modern ChiangRai City was Dr. Briggs, founder of Overbrook Hospital. He mapped out official building areas, business areas, residential areas, recreation areas, hospitals, a prison, and a military camp, with a drainage ditch around the town. Officials from Bangkok, come to implement the new administrative structures, didn’t help much: they imposed harshly excessive taxes, supposedly meant to replace corv้e labor. Traditional demands for unpaid labor didn’t end, though. Shan ruby miners, teak workers and road builders, nominally British subjects in an area economically dominated by the British, began rebelling in July 1902. They seized Chiang Mai, killing over 20 officials there. Other Shans beheaded the Siamese governor at Phrae, sacked the town and murdered all Siamese they could find. With Phrae’s hereditary ruler along, they marched on Lampang. Shans revolted in Nan and attacked Chiang Rai too, but were defeated by Dr Briggs and companions, barricaded in their hospital with a canon.

Those rebels fantasized establishing their own independent state. Whether this was to be a revival of Lanna is unclear; there is a Shan belief in a King Surakhanfa the Great (1291 – 1364) who ruled Ahom, Dali, Keng Tung, Chiang Saen, Luang Prabang, Lampun, Sukhotai, Chiang Mai, Pegu, Ava and even Mergui (way to the south). Shans did rule the Ava Kingdom (some say including Assam and Lampun) until the middle of the 16th century. Their rendition of history excludes any idea of Lanna, except as other Shan principalities. At the time of the rebellion, Indian and Chinese money was at least as common as Siamese (similarly as Thai and Chinese money is used in Shan State now). The Siamese and few remaining Khon Muang (Lanna people), quite equally, saw themselves as distinct from each other. Perhaps the Shan workers expected not only local, but also British support. They didn’t get it.

According to Singkaew Suriyakam, a “troop of Shans from the Shan States numbering 200 strong tried to plunder the city of Chiangrai. They encamped on the opposite bank of the river. At that time the river was high. There was a bridge made of bamboo across the river. The news of the approaching force come suddenly, therefore hasty preparations had to be made to defend the city. The police force was not properly organized and no army barracks was near by. Before the enemy came near the city, the rulers, acting on the suggestion made by Dr. Briggs, sent post-haste to the barracks at Chiangmai an appeal for troops. Moreover Dr. Briggs advised the ruling prince of Chiangrai to arrest all Shans and Burmese living in the city and confine them in the precincts of Phra Singh Temple and hold them as hostages, fearing that the Shans would act as spies or what people today call a "fifth column." The people who lived along the banks ran away into the forest. Well-to-do people who had elephants and big families did as Phya Pakdirajakit, a next door neighbor to Dr. Briggs. He put all his family on the backs of elephants and they fled north of the city. Many Christian and non-Christian families took refuge in the house of Dr. Briggs, which offered convenience and protection.”

Dr Briggs “hoisted a big Union Jack flag in front of his house so that it could be clearly seen from the other end of the bamboo bridge. This action on his part reminded the invaders that their official head was in this residence and that no guns were to be aimed in that direction. At that time the writer of this story was a child and his mother took him to Dr. Briggs' house too. His mother told him later that Dr. Briggs ordered all refugees to lie flat on the ground should firing of guns occur. The writer himself was forced to lie flat under the bed of Dr. Briggs.

“The bamboo bridge mentioned above was just opposite to the present-day police station. The ruling princes of that time placed an old mortar with its muzzle pointed to the bridgehead on the other bank ready to fire at any moment. The bamboo mat floor in the middle of the bamboo bridge, where the current was very strong, had been removed and a camouflaged floor had been put in its place in order to lure the enemy to be drowned there. Later it was found to be effective as planned.

“All was quiet on both banks of the river for a long while. Then the sound of gongs and long drums burst forth, "Mong, sae mong!" The chief of the Shan forces shouted, "Pakamoong! Hey! Jee Hey! Pao Hey!” He was calling the gang in the city under the leader Pakamoong to set fire to the city of Chiangrai. Unfortunately for him this gang was being held in custody in the temple of Wat Phra Singh. So nothing happened as planned by the Shans. Simultaneously gun-fire began at the bridgehead mixed with the sound of drums and gongs and Shans shouting "Wat Lae! Wat Lae!" which was similar in meaning to the cry of dacoits farther south who would shout, "Ai sua aow wah!" when making an attack. Apart from firing their rifles the Shans shot off fire crackers to frighten people in the city.

“Then the robbers who thought themselves invulnerable because they were tattooed all over, marched with swords in both hands to the bridgehead and came within the firing of the big gun hidden on the city side. When the robbers came near the middle of the bridge, the ruling prince himself pulled the trigger of the big gun and the vanguard of the enemy disappeared into the river. The followers, very angry, rushed over the bridge to invade the city despite the rain of bullets from the city side. Many of them fell and disappeared into the current because the false floor in the middle of the bridge did not bear their weight. The rearguard, seeing the failure to cross the river, retreated and encamped about six kilometers from the city.

“Suddenly the Thai soldiers from Chiangmai arrived and at once crossed the bridge in pursuit of the enemy. The robbers put up a severe resistance at Santakook village because they were entrenched in a well-fortified position. At last the Shan force was driven out of the kingdom. By mistake the Thai soldiers thought that all the houses on the other bank of Mae Kok River belonged to Shans so they burned all of them down. They beheaded two Shan rebels and put the heads up for public view in front of the present government office just opposite to the officials' club.

“Later investigations showed that old people, and women and children had been badly treated by the Shans. During the fighting people gathered up bundles of clothes and food in order to flee into the jungle.

“In the city many houses were hit by bullets from the muskets of the enemy, especially the house of Phya Pakdirajakit. In the bedroom near the river, which happened to be the bedroom of the writer of this sketch, there were many holes caused by the bullets. The owner of the house kept them as they were until recently. Dr. Boriboon Pakdi (the nephew of Phya Pakdi) was obliged to demolish that old house in order to build the classrooms of the present <1962> Daroon Suksa School in its place. No life was lost in the city. It is not certain whether the Shans intended to rule the city or merely to plunder it. During that time the city of Prae also had a severe battle with the Shan invaders (1905).

Shortly after the repulse of the Shans, an army barracks was set up in Chiangrai for the first time. It was erected on the tops of the hills along the bank of the river from the house of Dr. Briggs to Doi Tong. The barracks offered a fine view of the landscape and meant security to the people. After that Dr. Briggs was made a medical officer attached to the Chiangrai Regiment and he was commissioned a captain in the army. Every week both Dr. Briggs and the colonel in command would inspect the health of all soldiers in each company and give treatment to those who were sick. All the privates and officers would salute Dr. Briggs whenever they met him.”

Vengeance by Siamese troops under Field Marshall Surasak was ruthless; many innocents were punished. The rebellion had lasted 14 months. In December 1905, Prince Vajiravudh, who became Rama VI, visited Chiang Rai, solidifying royal authority. As King, Rama VI required surnames for all – sometimes whole villages were given the same last name!

When the northern rail route reached the Lanna area (Pitsanulok in 1907, Lampang in 1916 and Chiang Mai variously reported as 1919 or 1922), control from Bangkok became quite fully, and firmly, set. Dr Briggs, though, had already left...

[Limbo]

Four hundred years before, filthy Europeans had begun spreading disease and death throughout the world; hundreds of millions died premature deaths due to European ignorance, aggressiveness and lack of hygiene and manners.

Harsh words Joel! When did the filthy Europeans who emigrated to Northern America start to call themselves Americans? After they discovered the soap?

From 1890 to World War II, about 20,000 logs were produced per year, cut to maximum possible length. As the teak-logging industry grew in the mid-19th century, officials from Bangkok became more and more important. Records indicate much resentment of abuse of power.

Very nice to hear that after all the ethnic minorities are not to be blamed. I got the idea that most Thai people in the North learn that the slash and burn agricultural method of the few hilltribe people destroyed 'their' forests and so is to be blamed for all the teak that disappeared. So actually the British, French and Dutch (Borneo Company) did it with the co-operation of 'the officials from Bangkok'?

Shans revolted in Nan and attacked Chiang Rai too, but were defeated by Dr Briggs and companions, barricaded in their hospital with a canon.

In Lampang they were defeated by a Danish police-officer, appointed by King Rama V, Captain Hans Markwald Jensen, who finally got killed by the 'Dacoits' (Shan) in Payao in 1902.

Do you anything about the role of the Danish Police-officer of Chiang Rai at that time, Captain Thorwaldsen?

Great work Joel!

Limbo

Edited March 29, 2006 by Limbo

[homealone]

I see that the thread title is misspelled "out Toen" instead of "oour town" - sorry

busy battling some worm virus but think I can do this

. Surely, to Briggs’s mind, all that was needed was for good men to spread science and Christianity.

And now, more than a century later, farangs still flock to Thailand to persuade the heathens that Christianity is the answer to all of their problems but they've dropped the science part.

Homealone

[Joel Barlow]

In Lampang they were defeated by a Danish police-officer, appointed by King Rama V, Captain Hans Markwald Jensen, who finally got killed by the 'Dacoits' (Shan) in Payao in 1902.

Do you anything about the role of the Danish Police-officer of Chiang Rai at that time, Captain Thorwaldsen?

A few years ago, David Hardy in his Good Morning ChiangMai free magazine did a little artticle on that - it was a 100 year anniversary as I recall, but overshadowed by something else...

I think Jensen got "fragged"... don't know about Cpt Thorwaldsen, sorry.

and what makes me more 'American then my (literally) Mexican cousins?

[Limbo]

The First Presbyterian Church of Chiang Rai (at the 90 degree corner of the Pahonyothin Road in the middle of town) was built around 1910. About the same time the Overbrook Hospital, the first Christian school (Chiang Rai Witthayakom) and the Sala Klang Kao (the old colonial style building behind the post office at the Singhaklai Road) were erected.

Dr. Briggs was in charge.

Dr. Ploum visited Overbrook about a year ago and was surprised about the overwhelming sympathy the people of this Pennsylvanian town still have for our little spot on the worldmap.

Inside the First Church you will see a clock, donated by nobody less than King Chulalongkorn, Rama V.

The bell of the tower was taken down in 2001 and got a special place outside the church.

One of the persons who must have heard the sound of this bell during the greatest part of

his life was the grandfather of Dr. Ploum (former senator and director of the Overbrook Hospital), Khun Kitthi.

He was born in 1917, served the Christian community of Chiang Rai during his whole life and passed away some days ago at the age of 89. May he rest in peace.

L.

PS: the picture of Khun Kitthi is taken about 25 years ago.