A Transition from a Traditional to a Modern State after the Siamese Administrative Reform: A Study of the Phrom Phiram District during the 1890s-1930s
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Abstract
This article examines the local response to Siam’s bureaucratic reforms during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, focusing on the assassination of the Phrom Phiram governor in Phitsanulok, in the late 1920s. Methodologically, the study employs the Microhistory and the Subaltern Studies approaches to analyze historical evidences. The findings suggest that while the bureaucratic reforms aimed to centralize power under the Bangkok dynasty and established an absolute monarchy and a modern administrative structure across the kingdom, their implementation was fraught with challenges. Specifically, the Siamese government encountered significant discord between local and central civil servants, as well as hostility between local communities and administrators wielded considerable influence, often negotiating with emerging civil servants and challenging governmental authority. Ultimately, these tensions culminated in an escalation of conflicts and the assassination.
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