สามัญชนในหัวเมืองฝ่ายเหนือกับการก่อตัวของรัฐสมัยใหม่ สยาม พ.ศ. 2400-2450

Abstract

Economic changes in the early Bangkok turned northern region into a significant inland trade crossroadwith a high volume of traveling and trading involving people from all walks of life such as Thai, Chinese, and foreign merchants and colonial subjects. These people interacted complexly in this new commercial space. However, lawsuits and conflicts arisen from these new interactions expanded greatly in term of number until the local traditional mechanism of Sakdina system could not function effectively in solving the conflicts. As the local governors and officials unjustly abused their powers by oppressing and exploiting the common merchants, it led to economic and social turbulence. Merchants then appealed to the Bangkok court to intervene in their disputes with expectation that the power of Siamese court could be used to negotiate with those local governors and officials. Nevertheless, the movement of the ordinary people had not only increased the consolidation and domination of the Siamese court’s power over the northern region, but also facilitated the creation of modern Siamese state by using written standardized legal system as a means. Therefore, this process, to a certain extent, helped forming the Siamese absolute monarchy.