ChatusadomorCatustambha(Thai:จตุสดมภ์RTGS:Chatusadom,literally "Four Pillars" fromSanskritCatur"Four" +Stambha"Pillars" ) was the Thai system of central executive governance during theAyutthaya Kingdom,Thonburi KingdomandRattanakosin Kingdomfrom 1454 to 1892. For about four hundred years, it had served as the constitution of central government ofSiamorThailanduntil KingChulalongkornorganizedChatusadominto modernministriesand officially established theCabineton April 1, 1892.
TheChatusadomsystem
editKingTrailokanatpromulgated the constitution ofChatusadomin his Palatine Law, orPhra aiyakan tamnaeng na phonlaruean(Thai:พระไอยการตำแหน่งนาพลเรือน), with the promulgation date being 1454.[1]The original written law had been lost, however.Chatusadomwent through subsequent amendments over time andKing Rama Ienacted the Palatine Law in theThree Seals Law,[2]from which theChatusadomwas mostly studied.
TheChatusadombureaucracy was divided intoPhonlaruean(Thai:พลเรือน) or Civil Affairs andThahan(Thai:ทหาร) or Military Affairs.[3]Chatusadomwas led by two Prime Ministers, alternatively Grand Chancellors (Thai:อัครมหาเสนาบดี) who held the rank ofChaophraya.
| Post Name | Title Name | Office Name | Seal | Duties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuhanayok(Thai:สมุหนายก) | Chaophraya Chakkri(Thai:เจ้าพระยาจักรี) | Krom Mahatthai(Thai:กรมมหาดไทย) |  The Seal of the Lion or theRajasihaSeal |
oversawPhonlarueanor Civil Affairs all over the kingdom including the Four Ministries. |
| Samuhakalahom(Thai:สมุหกลาโหม) | Chaophraya Mahasena(Thai:เจ้าพระยามหาเสนา), alternativelyPhraya Kalahom(Thai:พระยากลาโหม) | Krom Kalahom(Thai:กรมกลาโหม) |  GajasihaSeal |
oversaw Military affairs. |
BelowSamuhanayokin Civil affairs were the Four Ministries, from whichChatusadom's name was derived. Each ministry was led by aSenabodior Minister who held the rank ofPhrayaand each ministry had a Thai and a Sanskrit-derived name.
| Office Name | Title name | Seal | Duties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krommawiang(Thai:กรมเวียง) or Nakhonban(Thai:นครบาล) from SanskritNagara"City" +Pala"protector" |
Phraya Yommarat(Thai:พระยายมราช) |  "YamaRiding Lion "Seal |
The Police Bureau; guarded cities. Also occasionally led troops into foreign wars. |
| Krommawang(Thai:กรมวัง) or Thammathikon(Thai:ธรรมาธิกรณ์) from SanskritDhamma"Law" +Adikara"authority" |
Phraya Thammathibodi(Thai:พระยาธรรมาธิบดี) |  "ShivaRidingNandi"Seal |
Ministry of Palatial Affairs. Oversaw the ceremonies of the palace and Buddhist religious affairs.
|
| Krommakhlang(Thai:กรมคลัง) or Kosathibodi(Thai:โกษาธิบดี) from SanskritKosa"Pocket" +Adhipati"Lord" |
Phraya Sithammarat(Thai:พระยาศรีธรรมราช) alsoPhraya Kosathibodi(Thai:พระยาโกษาธิบดี), colloquially asPhraya Phrakhlang(Thai:พระยาพระคลัง) |
 The Lotus Seal |
Ministry of Treasury and Taxation. In later period when Siam had established trade with foreign nations the Minister also oversaw Trade and Foreign Affairs.
|
| Krommana(Thai:กรมนา) or Kasettrathibodi(Thai:เกษตราธิบดี) from SanskritKsetra"Field" +Adhipati"Lord" |
Phraya Phonlathep(Thai:พระยาพลเทพ) | Nine different seals[4] used in different occasions. |
Ministry of Agriculture. Oversaw land ownership and rice storage. |
These four ministers were collectively calledWiang-Wang-Khlang-Na(Thai:เวียงวังคลังนา). TheSenabodiministers of the Four Ministries held the rank ofPhrayain the Ayutthaya period. However, during the late Ayutthaya and Bangkok period the ranks of these ministers rose toChaophraya.
History and subsequent amendments
editThe Four Ministries ofChatusadomorWiang-Wang-Khlang-Nahad existed inAyutthayabefore 1455. Each ministry was calledKromand the ministers held the rank ofKhun.The chancellor of the executives in Early Ayutthaya was calledSenabodi(Thai:เสนาบดีfrom SanskritSenapati) who oversaw the Ministries. King Trailokanat organized and institutionalized the Four Ministries into bureaucratic apparatus in the Palatine Law of 1454.[3]The Four Ministers were raised to the rank ofPhrayaand the Ministries were given Sanskrit-derived names. The executives was led by two prime ministers; theSamuhanayokand theSamuhakalahom,who performed administrative duties on behalf of the king in Civil and Military Affairs, respectively. The officials were divided into Civil and Military divisions. However, as time progressed, the distinction between Civil and Military divisions became blurred and all official including Civil officials were expected to perform military duties especially during the wars. The two prime ministers and four ministers had their own offices and each office had a long list of functionaries.
After King Trailokanat, auxiliary departments were added to the apparatus to meet the demands. KingRamathibodi IIestablished theKrom Phra Suratsawadi(Thai:กรมพระสุรัสวดี) or the Registration Department in 1518 to specifically oversee the census of manpower for more efficient levy and conscription. After the conclusion of a trade treaty with the Portuguese in 1511,Phra Khlang Sinkha(Thai:พระคลังสินค้า) or Royal Warehouse was established within the Ministry of Treasury to deal with foreign trades, in which the royal court held the monopoly. In the seventeenth century, the trade with Western nations grew and theKrommatha(Thai:กรมท่า) or the Ministry of Pier, formerly a department within the Ministry of Treasury, rose to importance and the termKrommathabecame quite synonymous withKrommakhlang.
The position ofSamuhakalahomhad grown powerful by the mid-Ayutthaya period as he controlled military forces.OkyaKalahom Suriyawongse theSamuha Kalahomusurped the throne and ascended as KingPrasat Thongin 1629. The power imbalance and potential threat from some ministers led the kings to reconsider and amend theChatusadombureaucracy. King Prasat Thong transferred the Cavalry and Elephant Regiments fromSamuha KalahomtoSamuha Nayok.Some kings preferred not to appointSamuhanayokorSamuhakalahomto avoid creating powerful nobles, most notably KingNarai,who instead assigned the duties and responsibilities of the two prime ministers to his ministers without officially investing them with titles and honors.
Left:RajasihaSeal ofSamuhanayok
Middle:GajasihaSeal ofSamuhakalahom
Right: Lotus Seal of Phraklang Minister of Trade.
The greatest reform ofChatusadomcame during the reign of KingPhetracha.King Phetracha, who faced rebellions inNakhon RatchasimaandNakhon Si Thammaratthat took nearly three years to quell, sought to reduce the power of regional governors. He expanded the authority ofChatusadomto the regional level and redefined the two prime ministers. TheSamuha Nayokbecame the Prime Minister of Northern Siam in both Civil and Military affairs while theSamuha Kalahombecame the Prime Minister of Southern Siam.[3]The division between the two prime ministers went from "functional" to "regional". King Phetracha also assigned the coastal port cities to theKrommatha.Siam was then divided among the three ministers and the city governors were to report to the minister of their respective regions. The Minister of Trade or "Phraklang" also grown exceptionally powerful due to participation in foreign trades. By the eighteenth century in the Late Ayutthaya, three most powerful ministers of Siam were theSamuhanayok,theSamuhakalahomand Phraklang the Minister of Trade.
KingBorommakot,who ascended the throne in 1733 after a civil war with his nephews, transferred the cities of theSamuha Kalahomwho had declared neutrality in the civil war toChaophrayaChamnanborirakthe Minister of Trade who was his ardent supporter. The Southern Siamese cities were then transferred fromKalahomtoKrommatha.[3]TheSamuhakalahombecame a powerless figure. After the Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, Thonburi and Rattanakosin kingdoms inherited the wholeChatusadomapparatus of the Late Ayutthaya period. KingRama Irestored the Southern Siamese cities to the authority ofSamuha Kalahomin 1782.[3][5]The seals of top three ministers were stamped on theThree Seals Law.King Rama I who was formerlyChaophrayaChakkri theSamuha Nayokestablished theChakri dynasty.TheSamuhanayoks of the Rattanakosin period were then not known as "ChaophrayaChakkri ", which was the generic title ofSamuhanayok,but instead known from their individualized title names, most famouslyChaophrayaBodindecha.
By the late nineteenth century, theChatusadomsystem was inadequate for the modernizing Siam. KingChulalongkornandPrince Damronggradually re-organized and transformed theChatusadomministries into the ministries in modern, Western sense. Firstly, the Phraklang ministry was separated into theMinistry of FinanceandMinistry of Foreign Affairsin 1875. Each ministry was calledKrasuang(Thai:กระทรวง) instead ofKrom,which became a term for subordinate departments. The reforms culminated in 1892 when King Chulalongkorn announced the official establishment of modernCabinetcomprising twelve ministries on April 1, 1892. TheKrom MahatthaiofSamuhanayokbecame theMinistry of InteriorandKrom Kalahombecame theMinistry of Defence,thus ending theChatusadomsystem.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^King Prajadhipok's Institute."การปกครองแบบหัวเมือง".
- ^ศูนย์ข้อมูลกฎหมายกลาง สํานักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา."ความเป็นมาของกฏหมายตราสามดวง"(PDF).
- ^abcdeWales, Quaritch (1934).Ancient Siamese Government and Administration.London: Bernard Quaritch Ltd.
- ^Phraya Anuman Rajadhon(1950).พระราชลัญจกรและตราประจำตัวประจำตำแหน่ง.
- ^Thipakornwongse, Chao Phraya(1990).Dynastic Chronicles, Bangkok Era, the First Reign.Centre for East Asian Cultural Studies.