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*''Dates: [[1351]]-[[1767]]''
*''Dates: [[1351]]-[[1767]]''
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom known by the name of its capital city. In the 16th to early 17th centuries, Ayutthaya was one of the most powerful and prominent polities in Southeast Asia, and the most prominent Southeast Asian trading partner with Japan and the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]]. Its capital was also home to the largest ''[[Nihonmachi]]'' (Japantown) of the era; the community housed as many as 1,500 Japanese at its peak in the 1620s,<ref name=gunn222>Geoffrey Gunn, ''History Without Borders: The Making of an Asian World Region, 1000-1800'', Hong Kong University Press (2011), 222-223.</ref> including some six hundred warriors, and four hundred Japanese Christians,<ref name=pol23>Cesare Polenghi, ''Samurai of Ayutthaya: Yamada Nagamasa, Japanese warrior and merchant in early seventeenth-century Siam''. Bangkok: White Lotus Press (2009), 23-24.</ref> while the city of Ayutthaya as a whole boasted a population over 100,000. A small number of Siamese ships, officially under the name of either the king or one of the royal princes, traveled to [[Nagasaki]] over the course of the 16th-18th centuries. Despite [[kaikin|maritime restrictions]] against trade with most outside powers, Nagasaki accepted these Siamese ships under the category of "Dutch ships," given their Western-style construction.
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom known by the name of its capital city. In the 16th to early 17th centuries, Ayutthaya was one of the most powerful and prominent polities in Southeast Asia, and the most prominent Southeast Asian trading partner with Japan and the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]]. Its capital was also home to the largest ''[[Nihonmachi]]'' (Japantown) of the era; the community housed as many as 1,500 Japanese at its peak in the 1620s,<ref name=gunn222>Geoffrey Gunn, ''History Without Borders: The Making of an Asian World Region, 1000-1800'', Hong Kong University Press (2011), 222-223.</ref> including some six hundred warriors, and four hundred Japanese Christians,<ref name=pol23>Polenghi, 23-24.</ref> while the city of Ayutthaya as a whole boasted a population over 100,000. A small number of Siamese ships, officially under the name of either the king or one of the royal princes, traveled to [[Nagasaki]] over the course of the 16th-18th centuries. Despite [[kaikin|maritime restrictions]] against trade with most outside powers, Nagasaki accepted these Siamese ships under the category of "Dutch ships," given their Western-style construction.
==Origins==
==Origins==
In [[1610]], King [[Ekathotsarot]] was succeeded by [[Songtham]]; that same year, the kingdom suppressed a Laotian invasion and an uprising by Japanese merchants, and established a royal guard consisting of Japanese. This guard eventually came to be headed by the ronin adventurer [[Yamada Nagamasa]]. Other Nagasaki merchants were similarly rewarded for their service in helping defend the kingdom from Burmese invasions. Kiya Kyûzaemon was appointed to a high official position, and Tsuda Matazaemon was permitted to marry a daughter of the king.<ref name=gunn222/>
In [[1610]], King [[Ekathotsarot]] was succeeded by [[Songtham]]; that same year, the kingdom suppressed a Laotian invasion and an uprising by Japanese merchants, and established a royal guard consisting of Japanese. This guard eventually came to be headed by the ronin adventurer [[Yamada Nagamasa]]. Other Nagasaki merchants were similarly rewarded for their service in helping defend the kingdom from Burmese invasions. Kiya Kyûzaemon was appointed to a high official position, and Tsuda Matazaemon was permitted to marry a daughter of the king.<ref name=gunn222/>
A series of court intrigues, and a violent ''coup d'état'', led to the destruction of the ''Nihonmachi'', and the death of Yamada Nagamasa, in [[1630]]. Yamada Nagamasa had served for some time as head of the royal bodyguard, had led a force of some 700 Japanese in suppressing insurrections, Burmese incursions, and the like, and had been elevated to high court rank. He had also been named governor of several provinces, and held monopolies over the trade in deerskin and a number of other goods.<ref>Wray, William. “The 17th Century Japanese Diaspora: Questions of Boundary and Policy.” Thirteenth International Economic History Congress, Buenos Aires 2002. Preconference: Corfu, Greece, 21-22 September 2001, 10.</ref> The community prepared and shipped some 150,000 skins a year.<ref name=pol23/> He thus represented a significant obstacle to [[Prasat Thong]], a member of the royal family who seized the throne in [[1629]] following the death of King Songtham. In the course of his ''coup'', Prasat Thong had Yamada murdered, and the ''Nihonmachi'' burned to the ground, in order to prevent Yamada's fellow Japanese from seeking violent retribution. A number of Japanese fled to Cambodia, and some returned later, with amnesty from a later king.<ref>[[Iwao Seiichi]]. “Reopening of the diplomatic and commercial relations between Japan and Siam during the Tokugawa period.” ''Acta Asiatica'' v.4 (July 1963), 2-4.</ref> Where the Japanese had previously exercised some degree of influence within the royal court, and the port's commerce, this now left the Dutch and Chinese merchants in a far more prominent position.<ref>Gunn, 224.</ref> The Dutch made use of a triangle trade formation, purchasing textiles in India with Japanese [[silver]], selling the textiles in Ayutthaya and purchasing deer hides, ray skins, [[sappanwood]], etc., and then selling the Siamese goods in Nagasaki for silver.<ref>Shimada Ryuto. “Economic Links with Ayutthaya: Changes in Networks between Japan, China, and Siam in the Early Modern Period.” ''Itinerario'' 37, no. 03 (December 2013), 94.</ref>
A series of court intrigues, and a violent ''coup d'état'', led to the destruction of the ''Nihonmachi'', and the death of Yamada Nagamasa, in [[1630]]. Yamada Nagamasa had served for some time as head of the royal bodyguard, had led a force of some 700 Japanese in suppressing insurrections, Burmese incursions, and the like, and had been elevated to high court rank. He had also been named governor of several provinces, and held monopolies over the trade in deerskin and a number of other goods.<ref>Wray, William. “The 17th Century Japanese Diaspora: Questions of Boundary and Policy.” Thirteenth International Economic History Congress, Buenos Aires 2002. Preconference: Corfu, Greece, 21-22 September 2001, 10.</ref> The community prepared and shipped some 150,000 skins a year.<ref name=pol23/> He thus represented a significant obstacle to [[Prasat Thong]], a member of the royal family who seized the throne in [[1629]] following the death of King Songtham. In the course of his ''coup'', Prasat Thong had Yamada murdered, and the ''Nihonmachi'' burned to the ground, in order to prevent Yamada's fellow Japanese from seeking violent retribution. A number of Japanese fled to Cambodia, and some returned later, with amnesty from a later king.<ref>[[Iwao Seiichi]]. “Reopening of the diplomatic and commercial relations between Japan and Siam during the Tokugawa period.” ''Acta Asiatica'' v.4 (July 1963), 2-4.</ref> Where the Japanese had previously exercised some degree of influence within the royal court, and the port's commerce, this now left the Dutch and Chinese merchants in a far more prominent position.<ref>Gunn, 224.</ref>
The ''Nihonmachi'' revived following its destruction in 1630, though it would never again attain its former levels of activity. The imposition of policies of maritime restrictions by the Tokugawa shogunate in the late 1630s meant that Japanese could no longer return to Japan (and very few left Japan, either, after this time), severing the ''Nihonmachi'' from any infusion of new blood, and severely hampering its economic power. Further, the Tokugawa shogunate, seeing Prasat Thong as an illegitimate usurper, severed formal ties with the kingdom of Ayutthaya. Though several missions were later sent to Japan attempting to restore formal relations (including missions in [[1640]] and [[1644]] which were lost in storms), none were ever successful.<ref name=iwao28>Iwao, 28-29.</ref>
The ''Nihonmachi'' revived following its destruction in 1630, though it would never again attain its former levels of activity. The imposition of policies of maritime restrictions by the Tokugawa shogunate in the late 1630s meant that Japanese could no longer return to Japan (and very few left Japan, either, after this time), severing the ''Nihonmachi'' from any infusion of new blood, and severely hampering its economic power. Further, the Tokugawa shogunate, seeing Prasat Thong as an illegitimate usurper, severed formal ties with the kingdom of Ayutthaya. Though several missions were later sent to Japan attempting to restore formal relations (including missions in [[1640]] and [[1644]] which were lost in storms), none were ever successful.<ref name=iwao28>Iwao, 28-29.</ref>
Still, figures such as [[Kimura Hanzaemon]], who served as head of the community for nearly thirty years, from [[1642]] to [[1671]], remained prominent in local trade activities, including supplying the Dutch East India Company factory in Ayutthaya with deer skins.<ref name=lock241/> Another man by the same name, possibly the elder Hanzaemon's son, traveled widely across Southeast Asia in the 1680s.<ref>Nagazumi Yoko. "Ayutthaya and Japan: Embassies and Trade in the Seventeenth Century." in Kennon Breazeale (ed.). ''From Japan to Arabia: Ayutthaya's Maritime Relations with Asia''. Bangkok: The Foundation for the Promotion of Social Sciences and Humanities Textbook Project, 1999. pp100-101.</ref> Despite the decline of the Japanese community, Siamese trade with Japan (aboard Chinese, Dutch, and Siamese ships) in this period came to exceed even Siamese trade with China.<ref name=econ93>Shimada, 93.</ref>
Still, figures such as [[Kimura Hanzaemon]], who served as head of the community for nearly thirty years, from [[1642]] to [[1671]], remained prominent in local trade activities, including supplying the Dutch East India Company factory in Ayutthaya with deer skins.<ref name=lock241/> Another man by the same name, possibly the elder Hanzaemon's son, traveled widely across Southeast Asia in the 1680s.<ref>Nagazumi Yoko. "Ayutthaya and Japan: Embassies and Trade in the Seventeenth Century." in Kennon Breazeale (ed.). ''From Japan to Arabia: Ayutthaya's Maritime Relations with Asia''. Bangkok: The Foundation for the Promotion of Social Sciences and Humanities Textbook Project, 1999. pp100-101.</ref> Despite the decline of the Japanese community, Siamese trade with Japan (aboard Chinese, Dutch, and Siamese ships) in this period came to exceed even Siamese trade with China.<ref name=econ93>Shimada Ryuto. “Economic Links with Ayutthaya: Changes in Networks between Japan, China, and Siam in the Early Modern Period.” ''Itinerario'' 37, no. 03 (December 2013), 93.</ref>
The Japanese community of Ayutthaya played some role in bringing King [[Narai]] to the throne in [[1657]], and official royal involvement in trade with Japan increased, even though it was not formally recognized as diplomatic court-to-court relations by the Tokugawa.<ref name=iwao28/> Where Siamese goods entering Nagasaki previously did so chiefly on Chinese ships, royal investment now increased.<ref name=econ93/> Narai was perhaps among the most active of Southeast Asian rulers in engaging with the West. In [[1673]], he received formal diplomatic communications from both Louis XIV of France, and Pope Clement IX, and reciprocated them. Narai's relations with France led to his declaring war on the [[English East India Company]] in [[1687]]; the following year, [[French East India Company]] forces, ostensibly there to help combat the English, seized Bangkok and a number of other areas, before finally being convinced to quit their occupation and return these areas to Siamese control. Narai died that year, and was succeeded by [[Phra Phetracha]].
The Japanese community of Ayutthaya played some role in bringing King [[Narai]] to the throne in [[1657]], and official royal involvement in trade with Japan increased, even though it was not formally recognized as diplomatic court-to-court relations by the Tokugawa.<ref name=iwao28/> Where Siamese goods entering Nagasaki previously did so chiefly on Chinese ships, royal investment now increased.<ref name=econ93/> Narai was perhaps among the most active of Southeast Asian rulers in engaging with the West. In [[1673]], he received formal diplomatic communications from both Louis XIV of France, and Pope Clement IX, and reciprocated them. Narai's relations with France led to his declaring war on the [[English East India Company]] in [[1687]]; the following year, [[French East India Company]] forces, ostensibly there to help combat the English, seized Bangkok and a number of other areas, before finally being convinced to quit their occupation and return these areas to Siamese control. Narai died that year, and was succeeded by [[Phra Phetracha]]. With Narai's death, Siam's volume of international trade declined somewhat, and while trade with Japan remained central, trade with China began to grow, growing even more significant over the course of the 18th century.<ref>Shimada, 96.</ref>
Despite no longer enjoying formal court-to-court recognition and relations with the Tokugawa shogunate, Ayutthaya was able to send royal ships (generally under the name of one of the royal princes, if not the king) to trade in Japan. At least 41 Siamese ships traveled to Japan to trade between 1689-1723, received as either "Chinese" or "Dutch" ships; some carried goods worth millions of [[silver dollar]]s.<ref>Kang, 69.</ref> This royal junk trade ended in [[1688]], however, amidst the fighting between the French and the English. In the aftermath of this French attempt to take over the kingdom, all Europeans were ejected for several decades, reversing Narai's engagement with the West.<ref name=lock242/>
The Dutch, meanwhile, made extensive use of Ayutthaya. Ships traveling between [[Batavia]] and Nagasaki very often made an intermediate stop at Ayutthaya, where they purchased Siamese goods to sell in Japan. The Dutch made use of a triangle trade formation, purchasing textiles in India with Japanese [[silver]], selling the textiles in Ayutthaya and purchasing deer hides, ray skins, [[sappanwood]], etc., and then selling the Siamese goods in Nagasaki for silver.<ref>Shimada, 94.</ref> This pattern lasted until [[1715]], when the Tokugawa shogunate's ''[[Shotoku shinrei|Shôtoku shinrei]]'' ("New Edicts of the Shôtoku era") changed the terms of trade at Nagasaki. From then on, Batavia-based ships traveled to Nagasaki without stopping at Ayutthaya. However, the VOC's Ayutthaya-based ships continued to make the journey, and in fact came to dominate the Ayutthaya-Nagasaki route for a time, pushing Chinese merchants aside.<ref>Shimada, 102.</ref>
By the early 18th century, the Japanese community in Ayutthaya disappeared, assimilating into the broader Siamese society through intermarriage and acculturation, while the Chinese community grew ever larger, in part due to increased immigration, as many people fled South China during the [[Manchu]] subjugation of the region. By the 1760s, there were perhaps as many as 30,000 people of Chinese descent living in Ayutthaya; though the majority had long been Hokkien speakers (from [[Fujian province]]), they now came to be outnumbered by Teochius from [[Guangdong province|Guangdong]].<ref name=lock244>Lockard, 244.</ref>
By the early 18th century, the Japanese community in Ayutthaya disappeared, assimilating into the broader Siamese society through intermarriage and acculturation, while the Chinese community grew ever larger, in part due to increased immigration, as many people fled South China during the [[Manchu]] subjugation of the region. By the 1760s, there were perhaps as many as 30,000 people of Chinese descent living in Ayutthaya; though the majority had long been Hokkien speakers (from [[Fujian province]]), they now came to be outnumbered by Teochius from [[Guangdong province|Guangdong]].<ref name=lock244>Lockard, 244.</ref>
==References==
==References==
*Cesare Polenghi, ''Samurai of Ayutthaya: Yamada Nagamasa, Japanese warrior and merchant in early seventeenth-century Siam''. Bangkok: White Lotus Press (2009).
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[[Category:Sengoku Period]]
[[Category:Sengoku Period]]
[[Category:Edo Period]]
[[Category:Edo Period]]