Page 297 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SIAM 279

the of and
except provinces Battambang Siemrap,
which remained Siamese until 1907.
In 1868 (October ist) King Rama IV died, and was
succeeded by his son, King Chulalongkorn, who assumed
the title of P'ra Chula Chom Klao, and is now known as
Rama V.
The chief events of this long and memorable reign were
the institution of posts, telegraphs, and railways, and
the remodelling of the Courts of Justice and the whole
system of administration on Western lines.
In 1893 difficulties arose with France, which resulted in
the payment by Siam of an indemnity of 3,000,000 francs,
and the cession of certain territory, including a portion of
the State of Luang P'rabang. The rest of Luang P'ra-
bang was ceded to France in 1907.
The title to fame Rama V
greatest possessed by King
was, without doubt, the abolition of slavery, which, after
being gradually modified, was finally done away with in
For this alone Rama V deserves to bear the
1905. King
"
title of Great/' which has been applied in this book only
to two other Kings of Siam, namely Ramk'amheng of
Suk'ot'ai and Naresuen of
Ayut'ia.
During the reign of King Rama V the office of Maha
"
Uparat (called by Europeans the Second King "),
which had been retained from ancient times, was finally
abolished on the death of the last Maha Uparat in 1885.
King Rama V died on October 24th, 1910, and was
succeeded by his son, King Maha Vajiravudh, who
assumed in 1911 the title of Rama VI.
King Rama VI was born on January ist, 1881. During
his he set himself to follow the of
reign path progress
trodden by his father and grandfather, and the high
now Siam the nations of the
position occupied by among
world is sufficient proof of his success.