Page 295 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SIAM 277
between Great Britain and Siam, consequent upon the
events in Kedah, and the Siamese took no serious part
in the war, though they were, as nominal allies, included
in the on
peace, signed February 24th, 1826, whereby
Great Britain the Burmese Provinces of Arakan,
acquired
and Tenasserim.
Martaban, Tavoy,
King Rama II died on July 2Oth, 1824. He had not
a but it had been
formally designated successor, generally
understood that Prince Maha Mongkut, his eldest son
by a royal mother, was to succeed him. This Prince,
then was at the time of his father's death
aged twenty,
a member of the Buddhist The eldest son
priesthood.
of the Prince not the son of a
King, Jett'a, though
royal mother, was supported by a strong party, as he had
for taken a in
many years prominent part public affairs,
and was old. He was
thirty-seven years proclaimed King
without He is known as Rama III,
any opposition. King
or by the posthumous title of P'ra Nang Klao.
In 1826 Captain Henry Burney visited Bangkok and
succeeded in concluding a Treaty of Friendship and
Commerce between Siam and the East India Company.
Captain Burney failed in one of the objects of his mission,
namely to obtain the restoration of the Sultan of Kedah,
but a clause was inserted in the Treaty guaranteeing the
"
independence of Perak, and Siam undertook not to go
"
and molest Kelantan and Trengganu.
The United States concluded a Treaty with Siam
in
1833.
In 1838 the ex-Sultan of Kedah tried to regain control
of that State by force. This resulted in another Siamese
invasion of Kedah, which again led to rather strained
relations between Siam and Great Britain.
King Rama III died on April 2nd, 1851. His reign
was, on the whole, a somewhat unprogressive one. He was