Page 39 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SIAM 37
if we histories written those
and, possessed by early
Tai, we might perhaps find that the Chinese had as much
to learn from the ancient Tai as their descendants have
to learn from the Siamese of to-day.
It is clear from the annals of the that
Tang dynasty
the Tai kingdom of Nanchao was a highly organised
State. There were Ministers of State, Censors or
Examiners, Generals, Record Officers, Chamberlains,
Judges, Treasurers, Ministers of Commerce, etc., the
native name of each Department being given as
" 1
Shwang." Minor Officials managed the granaries,
etc. The was
royal stables, taxes, military organisation
similar to that of modern Siam. It was arranged by
tens, centurions, chiliarchs, deka-chiliarchs, and so on.
service as now, was for all
Military then, compulsory
able-bodied men, lots drawn for each Each
being levy.
soldier was with a leather coat and a of
supplied pair
trousers wore helmets and carried shields of
; they
rhinoceros hide.
Land was to each to
apportioned family according
rank, a system which survives in Siam to the present
in the nominal sakdi na conferred
day, grade upon
officials.
There were six Metropolitan Departments and six
Provincial in Nanchao.
Viceroys
The were with the art of
people acquainted weaving
cotton and silkworms. West of
rearing Yang-chang
a the wood of which was used for
mulberry-tree grew,
making bowls ; and gold was found in many parts, both
in the sands of the rivers and in the mountains.
When the Tai King appeared in public eight white-
standards of were carried
scalloped greyish purple
1 " "
Possibly the same as modern Siamese Krasuang, a department. Kra
is a common prefix.