BANG RACHAN HEROES IN THAI HISTORY: CREATING IDENTITY AND REPRESENTATION IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETIES

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the bravery of Bang Rachan heroes allying to protect their village in 1767 A.D. before the end of Ayutthaya kingdom. This incident was an important benchmark of Thai politics in relation to a politics inefficiency, disunity and awareness of local people’s heroic deed of protecting the land.  The land protection duty was not the one of the ruling class anymore. The remarkable bravery of Bang Rachan heroes brought their identity recognition in Siam royal history as seen in many royal annals. Bang Rachan heroes have become the part of Thai history study in the official educational curriculum. The literary-like narratives of Bang Rachan heroes have been adapted into various works such as literature, movies, series and music which have been popular up to the present time.