Welcome to 'On Air'

Kingdom of Rattanaingsa or Kingdom of Chiangmai (Thai: รัตนติงสาอภินวปุรีสรีคุรุรัฎฐพระนครเชียงใหม่) was the vassal state of Siamese Rattanakosin Kingdom in the 18th and 19th century before being annexed due to the centralization policies of Chulalongkorn in 1884. The kingdom was one of successors of medieval Lanna kingdom that had been under Burmese rule for two centuries until it was captured by Siamese forces under Taksin of Thonburi in 1774. Chiangmai kingdom was ruled by Tipchak dynasty and came under Thonburi and later Bangkokian tributary.
Liberation from Burmese Rule

Prince Kawila of the Tipchak dynasty, who was the son of Saopha Chaikaew of Lampang, and Phraya Chabaan, a Lanna noble, plotted the liberation of Lanna cities from Burmese authorities and decided to request supports from Taksin of Thonburi in 1774. Taksin sent Phraya Chakri (later Buddha Yodfa Chulalok) and Phraya Surasi (later Maha Sura Singhanat) to capture Chiangmai. The joint forces took Chiangmai and Lampoon. Phraya Chabaan was installed as Phraya Luang Vachiraprakarn the Lord of Chiangmai and King Chaikaew died the same year, to be succeeded by his son Kawila as the King of Lampang. Kawila’s sister, Sri Anocha, was married to Phraya Surasi.

However, the Burmese tried their best to recover their lost territories. The attacks were so immense that Vachiraprakarn decided to evacuate the city and moved his people to Lampang in 1776.

In 1782, Phraya Chakri, now Somdet Chao Phraya Maha Kasatseuk, suppressed a rebellion at Thonburi and crowned himself as Buddha Yodfa Chulalok the King of Siam at Bangkok. As his brother-in-law, Buddha Yodfa Chulalok made Kawila the Lord Min Vachiraprakarn of Chiangmai in 1782 under Siamese tributary.

Lord Min Vachiraprakarn evacuated the people of Lampang to stay at Vieng Paxang until the sufficient resources was gathered and he moved into Chiangmai in 1796. Lord Min Vachiraprakarn pursued the policies of manpower recovery as he invaded the neighboring states to gather the people into Chiangmai and Lampoon including the Shan States, Kengtung, and Chiang Hung. In 1799, the court of Chiangmai renamed the city as Rattana-ingsa. Min Vachiraprakarn also constructed auspicious animal monuments around the cities.
A vassal to Bangkok

In 1802, Buddha Yodfa Chulalok elevated Min Vachiraprakarn as King of Chiangmai presiding over Lanna states (Principalities of Lampang, Lampoon, Nan, and Prae) but as a Siamese vassal. In 1804, King Kawila retook Chiang Saen from the Konbaung dynasty. Also, Kawila went on various campaigns against Burma and sent the captives to Bangkok.

The Chiangmai succession was strictly regulated by Bangkok. After the death of a king, the Uparaja retained the status as a prince until he visited the King of Bangkok that he would be elevated to the king. As the result, the reign of Chiangmai kings were not continuous as the Uparaja usually spent at least a year going to Bangkok.

Chiangmai sent tributes to Bangkok triennially. The tributes included worthy forest products like the teak. Chaingmai had also provided troops and manpower to Bangkok on her military campaigns, including that of Rebellion of Anouvong in 1824. Also, Chiangmai was the main base for the Siamese efforts to expand into Shan states.

The degree of Chiangmai's control over its subornation states varied on the course of history. Under Kawila, his fresh installment by Rama I enforced the Chiangmai control over the principalities. However, the principalities then gained their autonomous as strong symbolic justification from Bangkok was not granted. In the mid-19th century, the Chiangmai control resumed under Mahotrapratet due to the encouragement of Rama..,