Page 180 - A History of Siam

CHAPTER XII

REIGNS OF KING JETT'A, KING AT'lTYAWONG AND KING
PRASAT T'ONG

THE young King Jett'a, aged only fifteen, was a mere
puppet in the hands of P'ya Sri Worawong. His
was rendered more so a
accession, already unpopular, by
series of brutal murders. Kalahom and all his
P'ya
fell victims to the of Sri
principal supporters fury P'ya
Worawong. An unsuccessful bid for popular favour
was made by the pardon of numerous criminals on the
occasion of the coronation, Sri himself
P'ya Worawong
assumed the title and office of P'ya Kalahom, and made
his younger brother P'ya Sri Worawong.
The Kalahom had had a remarkable career. He
very
was born about the a son of Sri
year 1600, being P'ya
T'ammat'irat, a Royal Chamberlain, whose younger
sister was the mother of King Songt'am, and he was thus
the cousin of that monarch. In his youth he was known
as Lai. From a humble
P'raong position he rose to be,
at the of Chief to
age eighteen, Page King Songt'am.
He was always in trouble and disgrace. On one occasion
he was imprisoned for attacking the Mock King at the
Ploughing Festival, 1 Later he was implicated in a plot
1
Some contemporary writers say that he was of Royal blood, and the title
P'raong Lai seems to bear this out. There is a story to the effect that he was an
unacknowledged son of King Ekat'otsarot, born at Bangpain. He was given
a title by that monarch at the early age of sixteen, which shows that he enjoyed
high favour. Even in his lifetime there seems to have been some doubt about
his origin.
This ancient Brahminical ceremony is still performed every year. A high
" "
official acts as Mock King and in former times really exercised, during the
festivities, some of the Royal powers. His person was inviolable. To attack
him was thus a most heinous offence.