Khruba Sriwichai Movement Cash, Merit, and the Economic Changes in Lanna

Abstract

Khruba Sriwichai movement is an important political and economic phenomenon in upper northern Thailand (Lanna) during the latter half of 25^th Buddhist Century after the centralization policy of Siam government. This article aims to study Khruba Sriwichai movement as an important economic agent and the relationship between economic changes and the concept of ‘merit making’ by using a historical approach. This study focuses on 2 important primary sources written by the authors intimated with Khruba Sriwichai. The study found that Khruba Sriwichai movement acted as a new form of economic center in form of ‘mobile market’ which moved from place to place during the monastery construction project of Khruba Sriwichai movement. The rise of cash economy in Lanna led the elite, merchants, and commoner enjoyed the benefits from this labor and commodity mobile market. The new concept of merit making in Khruba Sriwichai movement which based on the idea of ‘visible merit’ reflects the expansion of cash economy with the idea of ‘visible profit’. The ‘merit’ could be announced and distributed to the public via printing technology. Thus, it became the way to invest social capital for the new-rich merchants as a new religious patron by promoting their merit in prints. Moreover, the movement of Khruba Sriwichai led the new form of pilgrimage from the sacred places to the sacred man, Khruba Sriwichai himself.