Prince Kromluang Wongsa Dhiraj Snid - a true 'Renaissance Man'

Story by PLOENPOTE ATTHAKOR

HRH Prince Kromluang Wongsa Dhiraj Snid.

Sir John Bowring.

'He was a man for all seasons," a descendant of Prince Kromluang Wongsa Dhiraj Snid (1808-1871) said of the founder of the Snidvongs family.

The description, given by Dr Wongkulpat Snidvongs, who represents the fifth generation of the Snidvongs, comes from the prince's knowledge and interests, which spanned many fields.

But unlike that other "man for all seasons", Sir Thomas More of the English court who was eventually executed in 1535 by King Henry VIII, Kromluang Wongsa served the royal court until his natural death, in the reign of King Rama V, making a great contribution to the Kingdom. The prince was known as a court doctor, a diplomat, a negotiator, an educator and a poet. He also supervised Krom Mahadthai, the interior ministry, as well as the tax department, and at one time assumed the role of army commander in the war with Burma's Kyeng Tung.

"He was more like the president of the privy council who provided advice to the monarch," said Dr Wongkulpat.

This year, Thailand celebrated the 200th anniversary of the prince's birth, who was honoured by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) as a scholar and poet. The celebrations started with a religious ceremony on July 9, the anniversary of his birthday, and continue until next year.

Born Prince Nuam, Kromluang Wongsa was the 49th son of King Rama II and Chaochom Manda Prang, and was a stepbrother of King Rama III and King Rama IV. Like other royal children, the prince was initially educated in the palace and later at Wat Phra Chetuphon or Wat Bodhi, the Kingdom's first university. His Supreme Patriarch Kromphra Paramanuchit Chinorot, who was his uncle, was his mentor, and had a significant role in grooming the prince into a "renaissance man".

His passion for poetry and education was influenced by his father, King Rama II, who was the great poet of the early Rattanakosin period. The prince wrote Chindamani, regarded not only as the foundation of the Thai language, but also the Kingdom's moral values. He also authored the Phra Prathom travelogue, and other works.

His interest in Thai medicinal herbs began when he was young under the guidance of his mother and maternal grandparents, who possessed strong backgrounds in herbal remedies. The prince served as King Rama III's chief physician and headed the Medical Directorate, forerunner of today's Ministry of Public Health, and he treated members of the royal family and members of the public alike. He also compiled texts to standardise herbal treatments and also wrote some medical texts.

HRH Prince Kromluang Wongsa Dhiraj Snid (seated left) with members of the Thai Bowring Treaty negotiation team, which comprised some powerful nobles, namely (standing from left) Chaophraya Tipakornwongse (Kham Bunnag), Chao Phraya Phutaraphai (Nuch Boonyarataphan), Phraya Montreesuriyawongse. Chao Phraya Si Suriyawongse (Chuang Bunnag) was seated next to the prince.

The Bowring Treaty in Thai.

"Traditionally, this knowledge was passed on from generation to generation. The prince was the first person who kept written records, and those texts are still kept in the National Library," said Dr Wongkulpat. He noted that many of the prince's descendants chose to become doctors, following in his footsteps and serving in the royal court.

Prince Wongsa was one of the few noblemen with a proficiency in the English language. He was open to modern knowledge from the West, while maintaining Thai wisdom, and blended the two harmoniously.

Dr Wongkulpat Snidvongs.

The prince played a significant role in containing a smallpox epidemic with vaccinations and the help of foreign missionaries, including Dr Dan Beach Bradley and Dr Samuel Reynold House. He also encouraged the use of quinine, which was also introduced by foreign missionaries for the treatment of malaria, together with local remedies. But since the foreign medicine was not popular for the Thai public, the prince tactfully wrapped his herbal medicine around quinine tablets for his patients.

"The prince even allowed a male Western doctor to deliver his child," said Dr Wongkulpat, adding the decision was made in the best interests of the mother and the baby.

The prince did not hesitate to acquire new knowledge, and he was the first Thai to be honoured by the New York Academy of Medicine.

The prince maintained a good working relationship with the missionaries, and he eventually asked King Rama IV to allow them to purchase land and settle in Siam.

"That's when Dr Bradley acquired land for his house and printing works. Dr Bradley's house was close to the prince's palace, which was in Phra Ratchawangdoem in Thon Buri," said Dr Wongkulpat.

With his proficiency in the English language, the prince helped handle foreign affairs. He was at King Rama IV's side when the Kingdom faced the threat of colonialism. The king had a deep trust in his younger brother, and named him a negotiator, together with members of the powerful Bunnag family, for the Bowring Treaty, which was signed in 1855, heralding the era of modern trade with the West. Similar pacts were made with other Western powers.

Under the pact, Siam had to yield to England on export and import tariffs and partial extraterritoriality.

Apart from his linguistic skills, it was the prince's gentle and kind manner that helped resolve conflicts between locals and foreigners.

"The prince was known for his gentle and kind ways, and always stuck to diplomatic means to tackle problems. He would agree to take one step back in order to take two steps forward," he said. But even though he readily made compromises, the prince always stood firm against vices, in particular opium and alcohol.

According to Dr Wongkulpat, the prince knew the limited power of Siam, and resorted to taxation to contain opium consumption in the Kingdom. The drug was eventually made illegal on the order of King Rama V.

"We had the lessons from China's Opium War," said Dr Wongkulpat, adding that it was well-known that there was little chance to eradicate opium use at that time, so taxation appeared an effective tool to curb its use.

The prince was one of the three aristocrats who named King Rama V as the successor to the Siamese throne in 1868. The other two were Chao Phraya Si Suriyawongse (Chuang Bunnag) and Chao Phraya Phutaraphai (Nuch Boonyarataphan).

"The prince had a chance to teach the young king about the royal traditions," he said.

Dr Wongkulpat said the prince was a role model for his descendants and the public. "We in the Snidvongs family, which is now in its eighth generation, have followed in his footsteps, serving the monarch and the country.

"As a royal member of such a high rank, the prince still kept his gentle manners and was kind to people around him. He was a kind of person who learned all the time and adjusted well to changes. While he eagerly accepted the new knowledge from the West, he still maintained his 'Thainess'. With strong determination, the prince always made contributions to the Kingdom," he said.