ประวัติศาสตร์เศรษฐกิจและสังคมของ “เมืองท่าชายฝั่งทะเลตะวันออก” พุทธศตวรรษที่ 22-24

Abstract

This thesis aims to examine the history of eastern coast port cities, which had relative autonomy to the central power and the neighbor states. This work focuses on multicultural peoples who had been ignored from the previous historical writings, including foreign merchants, pirates, and various ethnic minority groups inhabited these areas such as Chong, Khmer, Chinese, Lao, Mon, Kuy, Kula, Yuan, Vietnamese, Melayu, Cham, etc. by considering these factors related to the context of Maritime trade in Southeast Asia from the 17th to 19th Centuries. The findings indicates that "Eastern coast port cities" and inland cities were sources of good productions and a part of dynamic international commercial activities in Southeast Asia. Foreign merchants, pirates, and ethnic groups played significant roles in economic and social transformation of this region. Moreover, "Hua Muang Ta Wan Ok," or Eastern cities, were considered as the broad foundation for servants and resources in terms of the suitable geographical location as the cities were located in international shipping routes and military route from Siam to Cambodia and Vietnam. Labor migration of various ethnic groups that contributed to good productions could support the international commercial activities and drove the competition among each state's elites who sought benefit from the resources within these areas. Later in the early Rattanakosin period, Bangkok's elites extended their power to the area by taking down the pirates, Chinese secret societies, and reaped benefit from sugar export and production. As a result, the eastern coast port cities were under the central power’s control since the 19th Century. The study of the history of eastern coast port cities between the 17th and 19th centuries contributes to the understanding of economic and social transformation in the region, which was relatively autonomous from various centers of power. Meanwhile, the study enhances academic understanding of the dynamics of international commerce and the war among states in Southeast Asia.