India in 1872: As Seen by the Siamese

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The foreign accounts of India—the Greek, Chinese, Arab and European are well known. The book presents, for the first time, a hitherto unknown account of India as given by the Siamese (Thai). An attempt has been made to delineate the rare insights in Indian history as gleaned in course of extensive travels of the Siamese delegation in India under the leadership of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1872. In the first part of the monograph, ten independent chapters offer an in-depth critical study of the Siamese perception of post-mutiny India. The global contexts and the unprecedented nature of this journey are focused in the first two chapters. The following chapter presents a micro-history of India for forty-seven days in 1872 when the Siamese delegation visited seven cities of India. Indian and British impressions about the Siamese King, diplomatic nuances, the war game in Delhi, the royal Siamese researches on 1857, encounters with Buddhist India form the subjects of successive chapters. Chapter 9 probes into the intellectual history of India and Thailand, making an attempt to link the Young Bengal movement with the Young Siam. In the concluding chapter, the effects of Indian journey on Siam have been briefly discussed. In the second part, twelve separate sections provide contemporary newspaper materials and archival sources including Major Sladen’s Report which enable the readers to visualise the significance and magnitude of Siamese perception of India. The monograph is an indispensable work for every one interested in the study of nineteenth century Indian history, society, religious and cultural conditions and intellectual horizons. It also sheds new light on the beginnings of Indo-Thai diplomatic and cultural relations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sachchidanand Sahai

Professor Sachchidanand Sahai (born 1941) served as Pro-Vice Chancellor, Magadh University, Bodh-Gaya in 2001. Currently he is Member, Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi. Professor Sahai obtained his M.A. degree in Ancient Indian History, culture and Archaeology from Banaras Hindu University, with the award of A.S. Altekar Gold Medal in 1962. His researches on ancient Cambodia under the guidance of eminent French savant George Coedes in the University of Paris (Sorbonne) during 1965-69 lead to a doctoral degree and the publication of a pioneering work Les institutions politiques et I’ organization administrative du Cambodge ancien, EFEO, Paris, 1971. Professor Sahai was offered a Fulbright post-doctoral fellowship at Cornell Fellowships at Australian National University and Maison de Science de I’Homme, Paris. Under the auspices of Indian Council for Cultural Relations Professor Sahai worked as Visiting Professor of Asian Civilization at Sisavangvong University, Vientiane, Laos. He also worked as Research Professor at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi. Professor Sahai is the author of a number of books and research papers on the cultural history of South East Asia. He is the founder of the South East Asian Review and the International Conference on Thai Studies.

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Bibliographic information

Title
India in 1872: As Seen by the Siamese
Author
Edition
1st ed.
Publisher
ISBN
8176462330
Length
xxii+446p., Maps; Plates; Figures; Tables; Notes; References; Appendices; Bibliography; Index; 23cm.
Subjects