The Siamese revolution of 1688 was a major popular upheaval in the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom (modern Thailand) which led to the overthrow of the pro-foreign Siamese king Narai. The Mandarin Phetracha, previously one of Narai's trusted military advisors, took advantage of the elderly Narai's illness, and killed Narai's Christian heirs, along with a number of missionaries and Narai's influential foreign minister the Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon. Phetracha then married Narai's daughter, took the throne, and pursued a policy of ousting French influence and military forces from Siam. One of the most prominent battles was 1688's Siege of Bangkok, when tens of thousands of Siamese forces spent four months besieging a French fortress within the city. As a consequence of the revolution, Siam virtually severed all ties with the West, until some level of contacts were renewed in the 19th century.
Read more about Siamese Revolution Of 1688: Foreign Policy Focus of King Narai, Nationalistic Upheaval, Succession Crisis, Ousting of French Forces (1688), Aftermath
Famous quotes containing the words siamese and/or revolution:
“Your rat tail is all the fashion now. I prefer a bushy plume, carried straight up. You are Siamese and your ancestors lived in trees. Mine lived in palaces. It has been suggested to me that I am a bit of a snob. How true! I prefer to be.”
—Raymond Chandler (18881959)
“... rhetoric never won a revolution yet.”
—Shirley Chisholm (b. 1924)