Ekathotsarot

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Statue of King Ekathotsarot at Wat Pha Mok, Ang Thong
Statue of King Ekathotsarot at Wat Pha Mok, Ang Thong

King Ekathotsarot (Thai: สมเด็จพระเอกาทศรถ), also known as Sanpet III or the White Prince (in contrast to his darker skinned older brother and predecessor), was the ruler of Ayutthaya (Siam) from 1605 until his death in 1610.

He was born in Phitsanulok some time after 1556, a son of King Maha Thammaracha and Queen Visutkasattri. He was a full brother of King Naresuan the Great. During King Naresuan's reign, Ekhathotsarot served as Uparaja (vice-king), but with authority equal to the king. Following Naresuan's death in 1605, he succeeded to the throne, reigning for 5 years.

During the reign of Ekathotsarot, a Siamese embassy reached the Dutch city of The Hague, in 1608.[1] The embassy of 16 was brought to Holland by Admiral Matelief onboard L'Orange, leaving Bantam on January 28, 1608.[2] The embassy arrived in The Hague on September 10, 1608, and met with Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange.[3]. This visit coincided with the first recorded mention of the observation of the heavens with a spyglass:[4] the application of a patent by the inventor of the telescope, the Dutch Hans Lippershey, was mentionned at the end of a diplomatic report on the Siamese Embassy, Ambassades du Roy de Siam envoyé à l'Excellence du Prince Maurice, arrive a La Haye, le 10. septembr. 1608 ("Embassy of the King of Siam sent to his Excellence Prince Maurice, September 10, 1608"), which soon diffused across Europe.[5]

Following the embassy, a treaty was concluded between Holland and Siam in 1617.[6]

Preceded by
Sanpet II
(Naresuan)		 Kings of Ayutthaya
1605-1610		 Succeeded by
Sanpet IV
(Sri Saowaphak)

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Smithies 2002, p.182
  2. ^ English intercourse with Siam in the seventeenth century, p.38 [1]
  3. ^ Galileo's Instruments of Credit: Telescopes, Images, Secrecy, Page 96, by Mario Biagioli [2]
  4. ^ Sidereus Nuncius, Or, The Sidereal Messenger, Page 9, by Galileo Galilei, Albert Van Helden [3]
  5. ^ Measuring the Universe: Cosmic Dimensions from Aristarchus to Halley Page 65, by Albert Van Helden [4]
  6. ^ Southeast Asia: Its Historical Development, John Frank Cady, p.213

[edit] References

  • Smithies, Michael (2002), Three military acounts of the 1688 "Revolution" in Siam, Itineria Asiatica, Orchid Press, Bangkok, ISBN 9745240052
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