Page 73 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SIAM 69
8. The Law of Husband and Wife (A,D. 1359).

This law, as may be supposed, recognises polygamy.
Most of its provisions, however, appear to be meant to
apply to monogamous unions. Then, as now, polygamy
was a for the few.
probably luxury
"
Section If a husband and wife have a
65. physical
or mental distaste for one another and desire to be
divorced, let it be as they wish ; for they two have no
further on their union, and therefore should not
blessing
be compelled to live together." The author begs to
bring this section to the notice of the Spiritual Lords of
the British Parliament.
On the whole, the laws of King Rama T'ibodi I were
wise and just, judged by the standards of his time, and
were well adapted to meet the needs of Siamese society
as then constituted.
King Rama T'ibodi I died in 1369, at the age of
There is no other in
fifty-seven. example comparatively
modern times of a founder of a State
powerful concerning
whom we so little What was his
possess knowledge.
name ? Who was his father ? Where was he born ?
We do not know. Nor do we know definite of
anything
his until he founded then
history Ayut'ia, being aged
We can read his and we can see the
thirty-seven. laws,
results of his ; but, considered as a man, he
conquests
remains one of the of
mysteries History.
NOTE TO CHAPTER IV
The most as to the of Rama
probable conjecture origin King
T'ibodi I is that advanced Prince that he
by Damrong, namely
was a scion of a which came down from die north
family
(presumably from Chiengsen) and which set up an independent
on the site of the then deserted of Nak'on
Principality city
Prat'om As Rama T'ibodi left his ancestral
(P'rapat'om). King
and settled in the realm of his we
city father-in-law, may perhaps
assume that he was a younger son.