The ambivalent attitudes of the Siamese elite towards the West during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, 1868-1910

Author: Chonchirdsin, Sud

Source: South East Asia Research, Volume 17, Number 3, November 2009 , pp. 433-456(24)

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Abstract:

Increasing and intensified political and cultural contact with the West during the colonial era constituted a serious concern for the Siamese elite. On the one hand, the kingdom needed to be modernized with Western-style knowledge and technology in order to survive. On the other hand, adopting Western civilization would lead to the loss of Siamese identity, which the elite wished to retain. They needed to select carefully which knowledge and culture from the West they considered to be 'civilized' and not harmful to their identity and political stability.

Keywords: AMBIVALENCE; CIVILIZATION; IDENTITY; THE WEST; SIAMESE ELITE; KING CHULALONGKORN

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5367/000000009789838431

Publication date: 2009-11-01

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South East Asia Research publishes articles based on original research or fieldwork on all aspects of South East Asia within the disciplines of archaeology, art history, economics, geography, history, language and literature, law, music, political science, social anthropology and religious studies. This peer-reviewed journal is published four times per year by IP Publishing in cooperation with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). SOAS is the leading centre in this field in Europe and one of the most prestigious centres of South East Asian Studies in the world.
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